Bushiroad fires Stardom founder Rossy Ogawa

Stardom founder Rossy Ogawa is no longer employed as their parent company announced Sunday night that they have terminated his contract.

In their statement, Bushiroad stated the reason was because they learned he had “poached many Stardom players and staff.”

From their statement (via Google Translate)

“Since 2019, our company has entered into a contract with Rossy Ogawa, the founder of Stardom, and has appointed him as an executive producer and outsourced work related to Stardom. However, we would like to inform you that we have come to know that he has poached many Stardom players and staff, and we have decided to cancel this contract.

We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause you. As a company, we will continue to aim for the further development of Stardom, and the players and staff will continue to work together to deliver excitement to all the fans, so we will continue to receive the same compliments as before. I am very fortunate.”

The release didn’t go into further detail about Ogawa’s alleged actions.

Ogawa posted on X Sunday night that he was told about his firing after Stardom’s Saturday night event and that “the truth of the matter may be told someday” and that he is “worried about the players right now.”

After thanking Ogawa on X for creating the company ten hours prior, the company later announced on X that wrestlers and staff were told about his firing after the event.

The 66-year-old promoter founded Stardom in 2010, selling the company to Bushiroad, owners of New Japan Pro Wrestling, in 2019.

This website’s Bryan Alvarez posted on X that “the Stardom story is way bigger than just Rossy leaving” and that he and Dave Meltzer will have more on the situation on tonight’s Wrestling Observer Radio.

AEW head and NJPW partner Tony Khan seemed happy with the news, sharing the following on X: