June 19, 2000 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: Goldberg turns heel at Great American Bash, All Japan changes, more

In a week where the entire landscape of the pro wrestling industry is expected to change, the first tree to fall, All Japan Pro Wrestling, at least in the form it has been for the past 28 years, is no more.

Tokyo Sports confirmed on 6/12 that the long-rumored split talked about in this publication had started with Mitsuharu Misawa, the President and top star of the company, resigning on 5/28. The news was kept quiet by all parties until the end of the tour and they were hoping to keep it quiet for several more days in an attempt to present a smoother public transition. On 6/13 at an emergency meeting of the board of directors once the story had broken publicly, five more members, Kenta Kobashi, Akira Taue, Mitsuo Momota, Yoshihiro Momota (the oldest son of Rikidozan who is a retired pro wrestler who works in the front office) and Kenichi Oyagi (the Managing Director of All Japan) all formally resigned, confirming what was already known by insiders that virtually the entire company was leaving Motoko Baba.

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