So almost a year ago (Last September) said that WWE was going to slowly get rid of its Japanese talent. I had heard from a person I knew who worked in the company. The reason they were doing this was because of the NXT 2.0 mandate of their being no more indie wrestlers (Japanese talent being a considered indie workers) and an NBA-like pivot to capture a Chinese market.

Well, with Vince gone, all of that has changed.

1.) While they did purge some Japanese guys (Kushida, KAIRI, Hachiman), they didn’t get all of them. Again, this was going to be a slow process.

2.) If Vince had stayed on for at least one more month Io would’ve been gone. She might’ve come back like Dakota Kai did, but it’s possible she would’ve taken a Stardom/Bushiroad deal.

3.) They are still interested in getting a Chinese market. But Xia Li is considered a failure and will probably released sometime in the future. They’re hoping Erica Yen will be a better face for the brand over there (And to a lesser extent, Wendy Choo).

4.) Japanese wrestlers might be recruited more. It honestly depends on many factors. I have no idea if the guys who left (Like KENTA or Kushida) are badmouthing WWE in the Japanese locker rooms. Also, even though Trips is back, they will still have a focus on recruiting talent in their 20’s for NXT.

So much is changing guys.