Several New Japan Pro-Wrestling stars are currently out of action with career threatening injuries, and now we have some small updates on their wrestling futures. These come courtesy of the most recent issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter (subscription required).
The saddest news of the bunch concerns Katsuyori Shibata. The veteran wrestler has been out ever since suffering a brain injury due to taking a headbutt while dehydrated. Despite doctors continuing to say that he’ll never be cleared to wrestle again, Shibata is still training for a comeback and pushing forward.
In better news, while it was previously in doubt whether or not Hiromu Takahashi would return to NJPW, it now appears that he’s “expected to return.” However, he’s still recovering and it isn’t likely to happen any time soon. Finally, Katsuya Kitamura, who suffered a severe leg injury in a scooter accident, has had his contract renewed by NJPW for 2019. It’s unknown if he’ll wrestle again, but this has to give fans some degree of hope.
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