Ryusuke Taguchi pulled from NJPW shows due to bicycle accident injuries
NJPW veteran Ryusuke Taguchi has been pulled from upcoming shows due to injuries sustained in a bicycle accident.
It was announced that Taguchi suffered wounds to his face, hands, and knees in the accident along with injuring his neck. Because of that, he’ll no longer be competing at NJPW’s events that are taking place from April 20 through May 4. Most of those are shows on the Road to Wrestling Dontaku tour. Taguchi is also missing Wrestling Satsuma no Kuni and both nights of Wrestling Dontaku 2024.
NJPW’s announcement included the following statement from Taguchi:
Hello to all 69 of my fans across Japan. Although I can’t remember the exact accident due to my concussion, I apparently fell off my bicycle while swerving to avoid a dog. I will rest, recover and be back better than ever!
At the shows he’s missing, Taguchi will be replaced in his matches by:
- April 20 & April 22: Shoma Kato
- April 23: Katsuya Murashima
- April 25 & April 26: Hiroyoshi Tenzan
- April 29: Tomoaki Honma
- April 30: Katsuya Murahshima
- May 1: Shoma Kato
- May 3 & 4: Tiger Mask
Taguchi is scheduled to be one of the participants in this year’s Best of the Super Juniors tournament that begins on May 11. Over his career, Taguchi has competed in the tournament 20 times and won it once.
Joseph Currier is the lead editor of F4WOnline.com, directing daily news coverage and writing articles on professional wrestling. He is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts, obtaining a journalism degree in 2016. Joseph joined F4W during his time at UMass and has now been writing about the industry for nearly a decade.
In addition to his work with F4W, Joseph has previously contributed to Sports Illustrated's wrestling coverage. He lives in Massachusetts and is a diehard fan of the Boston sports teams and Liverpool Football Club.