NJPW Star Hospitalised After In-Ring Collapse
One major NJPW star has suffered a serious injury scare that saw them taken to hospital after their match was cut short.
NJPW star Minoru Suzuki was competing for Tenryu Project at their Osaka Crush Night show on July 6th when a frightening moment saw the referee stop the match. Suzuki was then taken to hospital and now his condition has been confirmed by the promotion.
Tenryu Project has released a statement confirming that Suzuki suffered a concussion but that he has been released from hospital:
Regarding Minoru Suzuki
Thank you very much for coming today.
During today’s main event, an accident occurred with Minoru Suzuki, so the match was canceled at the discretion of the referee and Tenryu Project.
Fortunately, Minoru Suzuki was examined at an emergency hospital and diagnosed with a concussion, with no bleeding in the head or other areas. He has been given permission by the doctor and is on his way home. He has not shown any significant symptoms, and is able to walk and talk properly. As instructed by the doctor, we will monitor his progress for 2-3 days, and if necessary, we will conduct further examinations.
We sincerely apologize to all the customers who came to the event, those who watched the live stream, and other pro wrestling fans for the great concern caused by this incident.
Also, because Tenryu Project decided to cancel the match, you may not have been able to enjoy the match to your satisfaction. However, the most important thing to protect is the lives of the wrestlers.
We hope you will understand that we made this decision as a priority.
As the match was stopped at 1-1, it ended in a draw and, in accordance with PWF rules, the champions will defend their titles. We would like to express our sincere gratitude to the players and fans involved in the match, as well as to everyone who acted swiftly to deal with the situation.
We understand that the players’ disappointment is immeasurable, and although various adjustments will be necessary, we will do our best to somehow arrange a rematch, so we would appreciate your understanding in this matter as well. We sincerely apologize for the concern and inconvenience caused.
Tenryu Project
Representative Shimada Ayana
Minoru Suzuki has taken to social media himself to give his take on the situation and says there’s nothing to worry about (translation by Google):
I’ll report it for now. I did a CT scan and other tests, but there were no particular problems. I was kicked out of the hospital with a “If you’re feeling fine, go home!” feeling. I remember everything. I even remember how I fell at the end. So there’s no need to worry. For now, I’ll just say one thing… “If I see you again, I’ll beat you all up!”
とりあえず報告。CTやらなんやら一応色々検査したけど特に問題なし。病院から「そんな元気なら帰って！」という感じで追い出されたくらい。記憶もちゃんとある。最後どうやって落ちたかまで覚えてる。だから心配なし。とりあえず一言…「てめぇら今度会ったら全員ぶちのめすぞ！」
— 鈴木みのる (@suzuki_D_minoru) July 6, 2024
NJPW’s Minoru Suzuki Challenged AEW Star
Minoru Suzuki was sought by Chris Jericho to join The Learning Tree for the third AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door show in a row. Suzuki had teamed with Jericho and Sammy Guevara in 2022 and 2023 but this time the ferocious NJPW star refused.
Chris Jericho had hoped the 56-year-old would join himself and Big Bill against HOOK, Samoa Joe & Katsuyori Shibata at Forbidden Door but instead, Minoru Suzuki challenged Jericho for his FTW Championship. No match has yet been confirmed between the two men.