Top Champion To Take ‘Off Season’ After Working Through Injury

NJPW IWGP World Heavyweight Champion SANADA has revealed that he was working through an injury while competing in the G1 Climax tournament.

The G1 Climax tour is one of the most gruelling challenges for members of the NJPW roster, with wrestlers competing in the round robin group stage, before the eight block leaders advance to the knockout stage of the tournament.

SANADA made it to the quarterfinals of the tournament before he was knocked out of the competition by his former tag partner EVIL.

The IWGP World Heavyweight Champion has now revealed that he was dealing with a torn distal biceps tendon during the tournament.

SANADA took to Instagram to reveal this, noting that he will take the ‘off season’ to heal up.

The champion’s former Los Ingobernables de Japon faction-mate Tetsuya Naito ultimately won the 2023 G1 Climax, defeating Kazuchika Okada in the tournament finals.

Naito will meet SANADA at Wrestle Kingdom 18 next January if SANADA remains champion, and Naito defends his right to challenge for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship.

Elsewhere in NJPW news, a current champion has made a major change to an IWGP title, which you can read about right here.

A controversial former WWE star is also preparing for his NJPW debut.

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