A new report has shed light on the knee injury that forced IWGP Global Heavyweight Champion Gabe Kidd to withdraw from the NJPW G1 Climax 35 tournament.
According to Fightful Select, initial fears within New Japan Pro-Wrestling were that Kidd had suffered a torn MCL, an injury that could have sidelined him for an extended period. However, the final diagnosis was more optimistic, a hyperextension of the knee. Despite the less severe nature of the injury, NJPW made the decision to remove Kidd from the remainder of the tournament to allow for proper healing and avoid the risk of further aggravation.
Sources within NJPW stated that Kidd was not originally booked to reach the tournament semifinals, which made the process of adjusting the G1 Climax standings more manageable. His matches will now count as forfeits, but no major booking disruptions were required as a result of his withdrawal.
The injury occurred during Kidd’s opening night match against Konosuke Takeshita, and despite the setback, the reigning IWGP Global Heavyweight Champion has already vowed to come back stronger. Kidd vowed to return as the “best version” of himself following the news.
At this time, New Japan has not issued an official statement on the status of the IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship or whether Kidd’s injury will impact his title reign going forward.
PWMania.com will continue to provide updates as more information becomes available on Kidd’s recovery and NJPW’s next steps.
