July 17, 2006 Observer Newsletter: Kenta Kobashi, UFC 61 recap
Kenta Kobashi underwent a five-and-a-half hour operation on 7/6 in a Tokyo hospital that wasn’t released publicly to remove the cancer in his right kidney. While we don’t have this confirmed, it is believed they had to remove the kidney.
The good news was there was no sign of the cancer having spread. He is currently still in a hospital in Tokyo, the name of which has been kept secret. Very little in the way of details were publicly released the next day by Pro Wrestling NOAH to reporters at the house show in Takasago. The company has not publicly addressed the issue of if or when he will come back, other than rumors have surfaced that at some point he will wrestle again.
Haruka Eigen, who works in the company’s office after retiring in March, went to visit him in the hospital on 7/10 and reported he was doing well and he can walk. With all of the wrestlers on tour, the belief is many will visit him in the hospital on 7/15 or 7/16, when the tour hits Tokyo for the Budokan Hall show.
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Dave Meltzer is the founder and lead writer on the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, the weekly constant when it comes to news and reviews in pro wrestling and mixed martial arts for more than 40 years. Dave also co-hosts Wrestling Observer Radio with Bryan Alvarez and had had bylines for The National, Yahoo Sports, MMA Fighting and others.