This doesn't look good at all.
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It's already been speculated that New Japan Pro Wrestling's (NJPW) Katsuyori Shibata will never be able to wrestle again after suffering a subdural hematoma during an April 9 IWGP Championship match against Kazuchika Okada. In a recent blog post, Shibata (via STRIGGA of PuroLove.com and Major League Wrestling) updated his condition, saying that his eyesight has worsened after the injury and that therapy is currently taking a heavy toll on his body.
Summary of Katsuyori Shibata's newest blog entry: pic.twitter.com/Bq3UJLV0kr
— STRIGGA (@STRIGGA) June 22, 2017
Shibata also says that he previously had problems with his eyesight, and that more problems have risen after suffering the injury during the match with Okada.
Shibata's head injury is expected to keep him out of wrestling for at least three years, and it looks like it could be career ending if it is already affecting him this greatly.
Background of Shibata's injury
It is believed that Shibata's injury happened during this headbutt that occurred 30 minutes into the 38-minute classic match against Okada for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship at the April 9 Sakura Genesis show.
The hard & stiff bout ever @rainmakerXokada VS Shibata on IWGP Championship! Watch the full video @njpwworld pic.twitter.com/abo2DuuWWd
— NJPW Global (@njpwglobal) April 9, 2017
Shibata had to be rushed to the hospital after the match, where he underwent an emergency five-hour surgery.
Subdural hematomas can often be fatal if not treated properly, and even though Shibata is recovering, it is looking more and more like this will be the end of his career. It is a real shame, too, as Shibata truly looked like a superstar when facing Okada — the top star in Japan — for the title.
This is the second time in Shibata's career where someone has suffered a traumatic head injury during a match; the first being back in 2000 when Masakazu Fukuda passed away after suffering an injury against Shibata after a flying elbow gone wrong.
This is also the second serious injury for NJPW recently as Tomoaki Honma suffered a severe neck injury in March that left him paralyzed for several days. Honma has since undergone surgery and he has regained movement in his extremities. His career, however, is still in question as he faces a long recovery.
Shibata is a former three-time NEVER Openweight Champion and tag team champion in NJPW. He had recently won the 2017 New Japan Cup, which had granted him a match against Okada for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship — the most prestigious title in Japan.
