Lance Archer Discusses How Backstage Politicking Differs In Japan And The United States

A 22 year veteran of the squared circle, AEW star Lance Archer has seen about everything there is to see when it comes to the US wrestling scene and the Japanese wrestling scene. As such, he also knows the difference in politics between the two scenes, which he discussed in an appearance Tuesday on "Busted Open Radio."

"I think the big thing in Japan is it's very heavy on tradition," Archer said. "The guys start out, Japanese boys specifically, though more recently you get guys like Bad Luck Fale, Jay White, who have gone through the full system as Young Lions, as they come up, they get a lot of opportunities that a lot of guys didn't get. It's a respect thing, it's a tradition thing. And I think that's kind of where the politics exist in Japanese wrestling, because it's kind of a structured system. You start here, you move to here, you go to here and keep continuing to go up, depending on how well you do."

As Archer pointed out though, not every talent handles the steps the same way.

"Some guys obviously do better," Archer said. "Okada was a great example of somebody that started in the system, he went to the States, he was very underutilized, badly utilized in his time in TNA, he's brought back to New Japan, and I was here when they first brought him back. They put the rocket ship under his ass. He immediately became a mega star here." 

"But he was so humble at the way he handled things," Archer continued. "Even when he was the IWGP Heavyweight Champion, he was still changing in the hallway. This is 2011, 2012 when he first came back. Like the Young Lions do, he was earning his spot. And he knew where he had started, he knew where he was, he knew where he was going, but the politics existed in the sense that he was given the rocket ship stuck up his butt and shot up to the moon."

Archer then turned to the US scene.

"In the US, western wrestling, or whatever, I think a lot of times it's a flavor of the month type situation," Archer said. "Who has the better relationship with someone who's in the position to make those decisions and stuff like that. And that's just life in general. We're talking about wrestling because that's what we're doing right now. But I think life in general works and exists in the same way. 

"If you're close to somebody who's in a good position of power, there's a better opportunity that you're going to advance with whatever you're doing, whether it's wrestling or working at 7-Eleven. It's going to help you move up. I think that's kind of how wrestling works, especially on the western side. And the Japanese side is steeped in tradition."

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit "Busted Open Radio" and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.