NJPW’s Francesco Akira out of action, will undergo surgery

NJPW junior heavyweight star Francesco Akira has been forced out of action with an injury that will require surgery.

The injury is a right wrist fracture that happened at Revolution Pro Wrestling’s Global Wars UK event in London last Friday. In the opening match of the show, Akira lost to TNA’s Leon Slater.

“On August 22, while competing at RevPro’s Anniversary Event in the UK, Francesco Akira sustained a fracture to his right wrist, and will be missing action to allow the injury to heal,” NJPW announced. 

“We apologize for any concern caused and appreciate your understanding. NJPW joins fans in wishing Akira a speedy, full recovery.”

Akira confirmed that he will need surgery to repair the injury, apologizing to the fans and thanking them for their support. He promised to come back stronger when he’s ready to return but did not provide a timeline for how long he’ll be out of action.

“Last Friday, I suffered an injury during a match in England and will require surgery,” he tweeted. “I will be taking some time off. I apologize for this sudden announcement, but thank you for your constant warm support. I will absolutely not let this defeat me and will return even stronger!”

Akira is from Italy and has been featured in NJPW as a member of the United Empire. From 2022-2024, he and TJP had three reigns with the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team titles. Akira also worked several matches for CMLL in Mexico earlier this summer.