The consequences of a false report didnt stop with headlines. According to Michael Craven, the aftermath inside NJPW got uglyand fast.
On Podcast Heat Wrestling, Craven says the 2018 Wrestling Observer report forced NJPW into action. With only a six-month probationary contract at the time, he was placed under immediate internal investigation.
If any part of the report had been proven true, I wouldve been immediately fired. I hadnt even become a full-time employee yet, Craven said. I was terrified of being firedand I hadnt done anything wrong.
Craven believed he became a scapegoat in an internal power strugglepossibly targeted by a disgruntled NJPW staffer who wanted to hurt President Harold Meij. I was the easier target, so they went after me in order to hurt the president by association, he said.
He added that NJPW leadership initially wondered if the leak came from the Young Bucks, but suspicion later shifted to someone inside the company who resented foreign executives gaining influence.
Craven said the experience didnt just hurt him professionally. It took a massive toll on his family and mental healthand the worst was still to come.
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