NJPW star out of G1 Climax due to concussion
Just one night into the tournament, NJPW’s G1 Climax has been dealt a big blow.
The promotion announced on Wednesday that, due to a concussion, Shota Umino has been removed from the G1 and will forfeit all of his remaining matches. Umino began the tournament with a loss to Zack Sabre Jr. in Chicago this past weekend. He still had eight B Block matches left, and all of those opponents will automatically receive two points.
“On July 11, during his match with Zack Sabre Jr. in Chicago, Shota Umino displayed symptoms of a concussion,” NJPW wrote. “After careful consultation, the decision has been made by medical staff to remove Umino from the remainder of G1 Climax 36
“Each of Umino’s remaining tournament matches will be deemed forfeits, with his scheduled opponents receiving two points by default. Further changes will be made to forthcoming cards as a result of Umino’s withdrawal. Announcements will be made when cards have been determined.”
Umino had a brief reign as IWGP Global Heavyweight Champion before dropping the title to Gabe Kidd shortly before the G1 began. At a Road to G1 show on July 6, there was a pre-match angle where Kidd bloodied Umino before their title bout even began. Umino still chose to continue but lost to Kidd. The two were set for a non-title rematch during the G1 on August 8.
G1 Climax resumes in Hokkaido, Japan this weekend —
After a week off, the G1 is back with nights two and three being held this coming weekend. The Sunday, July 19 event is a B Block card where Umino was set to face Aaron Wolf.
Wolf, Ren Narita, Yuya Uemura, HENARE, Callum Newman, Kidd, OSKAR, and Drilla Moloney were scheduled to be Umino’s B Block opponents for the rest of the tournament. It runs through August 16, with the winner (if not current champion Yota Tsuji) earning a shot at the IWGP Heavyweight Championship.
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.