Jun Akiyama Stepping Down As President of All Japan Pro Wrestling

The Wrestling Observer Newsletter reports that Jun Akiyama is stepping down as the President of All Japan Pro Wrestling and will be replaced by current CEO Tsuyoki Fukuda. Before he joined AJPW, Fukuda worked in real estate and hotel management. He is the actual owner of the company. Akiyama, however, will stay on as the booker, which he previously did with Atsushi Aoki prior to his death on June 3. He will also run the locker room on a daily basis but won’t handle the business side of things. AJPW is considered the #2 promotion in Japan, although it’s not by a close margin with other popular companies like DDT and Dragon Gate.
Akiyama said: “It’s better to have the owner run the business to make the group bigger. I’ve been working hard for five years, so I’d like t focus on the fight in the ring instead of following the numbers.”
Fukuda added: “There is a foundation President Akiyama has built up until now, so I want it to grow further in the hands of the fans. We would like to expand the fan base by making All Japan Pro Wrestling known to those who have never seen pro wrestling or to those who have only seen other groups.”
Akiyama took over in June 2014 when it was a bad way and turned things around from a business perspective, as it is now able to fill Korakuen Hall and has a top star in Kento Miyahara.