NJPW Star Withdraws From G1 Climax Due To Injury
:njpw:
NJPW star Gabe Kidd has officially withdrawn from the G1 Climax 35 tournament due to a right knee injury. The current IWGP Global Heavyweight Champion made the emotional announcement to fans during Friday’s NJPW event in Tokyo.
Appearing in the ring on crutches, Kidd confirmed that he could not continue in the prestigious tournament. The injury was sustained during his opening night match against Konosuke Takeshita on July 19.
“I was really hopeful that I could come back and power through this and continue in this G1 Climax, but I’ve spoke to the doctors and there is no way I can be cleared, so I have no other choice [but] to withdraw from the G1 Climax,” Kidd announced. “And this is sh*t, man. It really f*cking sucks. It’s been a mental battle these past few days since I found out this information.”
Despite the setback, Kidd thanked the fans for their messages of support and made a promise for his eventual comeback. Further details about the specific nature of the injury and a potential return date have not yet been provided.
“I can only promise you one thing, is that when I am back fighting on this blue mat that it is going to be the best version of Gabe Kidd that you’ve ever f**king seen,” he declared.
The injury also puts the status of the IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship in question. Kidd won the title from Yota Tsuji in June at Dominion and recently made his first successful defense against Hiroshi Tanahashi. New Japan Pro-Wrestling has not yet announced whether Kidd will be forced to vacate the championship due to his injury.
