Former NJPW Young Lion Katsuya Kitamura Passes Away At 36

Former NJPW young lion Katsuya Kitamura has passed away at the age of 36.

Tokyo Sports reported that Katsuya Kitamura passed away on October 12 at 36 years old. Kitamura “felt an abnormality in his physical condition on the same day and called an ambulance himself to the hospital.

After this, his condition changed suddenly. However, the cause of death has not been publicly disclosed.

During his time as a young lion, Kitamura earned the nickname of “Wrestling Monster”. He was a three-time All Japan Champion in the Greco-Roman 96-kg class and was a contender to represent Japan in the 2012 Olympics in London.

However in June 2011, the former NJPW star received a two-year ban from the sport after testing positive for anabolic steroids.

Kitamura went on to join New Japan Pro Wrestling in 2015 and made his televised wrestling debut in 2017.

Though his time in the company was short, Katsuya Kitamura won the 2017 Young Lion Cup, which included such stars as Ren Narita and Shota Umino.

In March 2018, Kitamura suffered a severe concussion that caused him to retire in 2019. Following his retirement, he shifted his focus to bodybuilding and mixed martial arts in his final years.

Our condolences to the friends and family of Katsuya Kitamura.