A new report has provided more clarity on the knee injury that forced Gabe Kidd to withdraw from the NJPW G1 Climax 35 tournament. The report from Fightful Select reveals that while the injury was not as severe as initially feared, the company felt it was best to remove him from the tournament.
Hyperextension, Not A Tear
According to New Japan Pro Wrestling sources, there were initial fears that Kidd had suffered a torn MCL. However, the final diagnosis was a hyperextension of the knee. Despite the less severe diagnosis, NJPW officials still felt it was in Kidd’s best interest to be removed from the remainder of the grueling tournament to allow for a full recovery.
No Semifinal Plans Eased Booking Adjustments
The report also notes that Kidd’s unfortunate withdrawal did not cause a major disruption to the tournament’s booking, as NJPW sources specified that he was not slated to advance to the semifinals. This reportedly helped ease the process of adjusting the tournament standings following his forfeitures.
Kidd, the reigning IWGP Global Heavyweight Champion, suffered the injury during his opening night match against Konosuke Takeshita. He has since vowed to return as the “best version” of himself. New Japan Pro-Wrestling has not yet made an official announcement regarding the status of the IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship.
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