Japanese Wrestling Promotions Wrestling With Audiences Again

Don’t get ahead of yourselves in Japan. The outbreak of the Coronavirus has shake wrestling up in a way that no one has ever seen before. Things have gone from bad to horrible in a short amount of time in America but the problem started even earlier elsewhere. Some countries have been taking action against the virus for weeks now, but one country’s wrestling industry may be ready to start rebuilding.

There are very few countries whose wrestling industries are near that of Japan’s. The country has a deep, rich history of wrestling with some of the most talented performers in the world, both past and present, regularly performing there. However, the wrestling industry has been hit hard by the virus, with several promotions halting events. That might not be the case much longer.

According to 411mania.com, the DDT promotion ran a show in Japan with a live audience. Dragon Gate will be holding a show on March 22 and Stardom will hold a tournament on March 24. All fans will have their temperatures taken on the way into the venue and medical masks will be handed out. The Japanese government has concluded that the virus has been mostly contained to three areas of Japan, meaning that other areas with small outbreaks can hold limited gatherings, such as classes or sporting events. Large gatherings are still currently discouraged.

It’s a big step. Check out a bit of all three promotions:

Opinion: This sounds like something that is limited to Japan at the moment but the fact that wrestling is taking place in front of fans is a good sign for the future. I’m not sure how long this is going to last, but even a little bit is better than nothing. I’m sure wrestling will be back in America at some point, but it might be a long time. Until then, this is certainly worth seeing for the time being.

Should wrestling have an audience yet? What happens if American wrestling continues this way long term? Let us know in the comments below.

Thomas Hall has been a wrestling fan for over thirty years and has seen over 50,000 wrestling matches. He has also been a wrestling reviewer since 2009 with over 5,000 full shows covered. You can find his work at kbwrestlingreviews.com, or check out his- Amazon author page with 30 wrestling books. Get the latest and greatest in professional wrestling news by signing up for our daily email newsletter. Just look below for “GET EXCLUSIVE UPDATES” to sign up. Thank you for reading!