NJPW New Beginning in USA Shows Hindered by Government Shutdown

New Japan Pro Wrestling’s New Beginning in USA events have hit a snag that few could have seen something. According to a statement by NJPW, they have had difficulty getting proper visas for Japanese talent, and as such have had to make changes to the show’s lineups.

After the success of NJPW events held in the USA over the past year, the company decided to continue this trend with a three-show New Beginning in USA tour. While there was an expectation by fans that they’d get the opportunity to see some of Japan’s legendary competitors at these events, that won’t be the case.

NJPW released a statement today detailing why the changes had to be made, and exactly what is preventing their talent from making it to the US for these shows.

"“It is with great disappointment that we must announce that due to the ongoing 2018–19 United States federal government shutdown, we were unable to obtain visas for our Japanese talent who were looking forward to seeing our US fans at the New Beginning in USA.We are excited to still be able to share a great line-up with our US fans, regardless of visa issues. The IWGP US Champion, Juice Robinson, is defending his title against Barretta and The Great O-Kharn, who is flying in from England, will be debuting in New Japan! What’s more, this show will highlight the talent and potential of our Young Lions, who have been working hard in the NJPW LA dojo. We are looking forward to being able to celebrate the abilities of the exciting new generation of young NJPW wrestlers.”"

For anyone who isn’t aware, the government of the United States is currently going through a partial shutdown. The situation arose in late December due to an impasse over President Trump’s desire to secure funding for a physical wall on the border between Mexico and the United States.

Unfortunately, this government shutdown has continued and become the longest in the history of this country. Perhaps most alarming has been the number of federal employees forced to work without pay during the shutdown. In the US, federal employees are prohibited from going on strike over this forced unpaid labor, leaving thousands of federal workers trapped by this political impasse.

With the way the government shutdown has affected various agencies in the US, it’s left New Japan Pro Wrestling unable to secure the proper travel documents to legally bring their Japanese talent into the country. According to The Wrestling Observer [H/T Emily Pratt of Uproxx], NJPW stars Tomohiro Ishii, Yuji Nagata, and Hirooki Goto were all supposed to be a part of this tour and that “a number of visas were applied for in November with the idea they’d be taken care of by December.”

While the current lineups for New Beginning in USA still contain some big independent stars such as Jeff Cobb, Brody King, Colt Cabana, and Marty Scurll, they are missing the Japanese talent that fans here in the US would have been most excited to see. Most of the talent scheduled to compete is part of Ring of Honor and can be seen frequently in the US at ROH events and other independent shows.

That immediately affects the allure of these shows for fans, and will likely leave many frustrated with getting something different than what they had expected. With the government shutdown throwing a wrench into things for NJPW, the following cards have been announced for the three New Beginning in USA events.

LOS ANGELES – JAN 30TH

• Alex Coughlin vs Clark Connors
• Jonathan Gresham vs Tyler Bateman
• Colt Cabana vs Shane Taylor
• Brody King & Marty Scurll vs Davey Boy Smith Jr & Lance Archer
• Jeff Cobb vs Karl Fredericks
• David Finlay vs Chuckie T
• Tracy Williams & Juice Robinson vs Rocky Romero & Beretta

CHARLOTTE – FEB 1ST

• Karl Fredericks vs Clark Connors
• John Skylar & Colt Cabana vs Shane Taylor & Lance Archer
• Tracer X vs Great-O-Kharn
• Jonathan Gresham & Jeff Cobb vs Brody King & Marty Scurll
• Alex Coughlin vs Davey Boy Smith Jr
• Tracy Williams & David Finlay vs Rocky Romero & Chuckie T
• Juice Robinson vs Beretta

NASHVILLE – FEB 2ND

• Karl Fredericks vs Alex Coughlin
• Jonathan Gresham & Colt Cabana vs Shane Taylor & Lance Archer
• Harlem Bravado vs Great-O-Kharn
• Clark Connors vs Marty Scurll
• Jeff Cobb vs Brody King
• Tracy Williams, David Finlay & Juice Robinson vs Rocky Romero, Chuckie T & Beretta

While it’s fair to say that interference with professional wrestling is far from the most pressing issue caused by the government shutdown, it stands as another example of how this situation continues to affect the lives of everyday Americans. While it had already heavily affected government employees and air travel, these issues have now even managed to reach with the world of professional wrestling.

There isn’t yet a clear end to this government shutdown. As long as it continues, federal workers will be forced to work without pay, and NJPW will continue to have issues bringing Japanese talent here for events. It serves a blow for wrestling fans, as continued struggles could deter NJPW or other international promotions from traveling to the US for fear of immigration issues.