Even though you might not be a fan of New Japan wrestling, there are still a few names most casual wrestling fans can probably name from NJPW. One of those names is currently hospitalized with a serious injury. Katsuyori Shibata has been hospitalized and pulled from all New Japan tour dates because of a severe case of subdural hematoma.
Shibata suffered this injury during a horrible headbutt from Kazuchika Okada at Sakura Genesis. Shibata was challenging Okada for his IWGP Championship at the time of the injury.
New Japan is no joke and there’s a reason why Shinsuke Nakamura came from this sea of stiffness. Nakamura might be The King Of Strong Style, but Okada is a beast.
To cut through the medical jargon, Shibata is suffering from a pool of blood between his brain and the covering around his brain. This is a serious injury and New Japan is no joke. Seriously, if WWE bores you whatsoever with their ring work please check out New Japan and you won’t be disappointed.
What is disappointing is the fact Shibata is injured like this. But, if you’ve ever seen any of these guys lay down a headbutt you would know why. Okada’s headbutt is one of the hardest hitting. Shibata had to undergo emergency surgery to correct the damage. There is no word yet as to how long he’ll be out of action, but we’re hoping for the best.
New Japan released a statement saying Shibata was conscious and able to communicate while being admitted to hospital. The surgery was successful, but this is still a very serious injury.
The 37-year-old Shibata is a former International World Grand Prix Tag Team Champion. He uses the G2PK as his finisher which is a Got To Sleep followed by a football kick to the chest. Yeah, New Japan doesn’t mess around.
We’re wishing Shibata the best of luck and hope he’s able to make a speedy recovery. This is a very scary situation, to say the least. We’re just glad they were able to get him into surgery as soon as they did.
