Episode 5: I'm not broken

January 9, 2025

The Tokyo Dome show is now over, and today's post just made the deadline again! On Jan 4, I became the youngest IWGP champion in history, and the next two weeks I will be on break. Now that the Dome show is over, I thought I'd write a little about my shoulder. 

At the beginning of August, I injured my shoulder in a match and tore the ligament that connects my collarbone to my shoulder. When I went to the hospital, I was told that the ligament was torn, so I had no choice but to rest. Rather than feeling depressed after hearing that, I started to feel an endless distrust for doctors, wondering if ligaments could even be torn. lol 

 
I was told that if I rest for about 3 or 4 months, my shoulder will gradually stiffen back up, but I came back early because I had received offers to wrestle from other promotions and overseas and I really wanted to take that chance. I think people said that I should think a little further ahead, but looking back now, I think it was good that I came back early even if it meant pushing myself a little. I don't tape my shoulder during matches because it hurts, but because it's loose, so I haven't been able to do any weight training since August. I've been doing cardio and training with resistance bands over and over to stiffen my shoulder, and I'm finally going to start weight training again next week. It's going to be a skinny summer and a fat spring, so please wait for me!!  

I haven't mentioned anything like this to the public until now, but I hope I've been able to explain a little to those who are premium subscribers. I don't write about this because I want you to worry about me or sympathize with me, but because I don't want you to watch my matches and know why I tape my shoulder and understand why I feel anxious! I think I'll be able to remove the taping in the first half of 2025, so just wait. 

I took this photo of Tam Higashinakano when I went to see BAKA GAIJIN. He had hairy arms and was super cute.  

See you next week!