David Finlay has been pulled from the upcoming New Japan Cup. NJPW (New Japan Pro Wrestling) recently announced the news after he suffered an injury while competing at NJPW-ROH Honor Rising event on February 23rd.
As of this writing, the promotion has yet to name his replacement in the tournament but he was scheduled to face Hiroyoshi Tenzan in the first round on March 10. There is no timetable for Finlay’s return.
Finally suffered the shoulder injury by teaming with Juice Robinson, battled the Briscoe Brothers for the ROH Tag Team Titles at the show. NJPW issued the following statement:
“David Finlay injured his left shoulder on 23rd February during his match in Korakuen Hall. As a result, he will not participate in the New Japan Cup tournament as originally planned. The date of his return is as yet undecided. Additionally, David Finlay’s replacement in the New Japan Cup is also undecided. We are truly sorry to all to all the fans who were looking forward to seeing David Finlay’s matches. We are hoping for his speedy recovery. Thank you very much. New Japan Pro Wrestling Co., Ltd.”
The Cup will take place over the course of 12 events from March 8 to March 24. The promotion will air these events live on NJPW World, which is their streaming service, with live English commentary.
The winner of this tournament will receive an opportunity to challenge for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship at the G1 Supercard in Madison Square Garden. The current champion is “Switchblade” Jay White.
