New Japan Pro Wednesday (4/25) Huge Shows Set For 4/27 & 4/29, Taguchi Added To Lionsgate 12, Tsukisamu Dome Demolition Begins, More

Back Page Editorial: Injuries Show Depth Of Young Lion Roster

By Ross W Berman IV

Tetsuhiro Yagi has joined Katsuya Kitamura on the disabled list. Yagi fractured his ulna, and will not be back until sometime in May. Kitamura’s return date has yet to be announced. In many promotions, it’d be pure bedlam to have two top rookies out with injury. New Japan’s ability to adapt to these injuries have proven just how good they are at scouting Young Lions.

To say that Katsuya Kitamura is a blue chip prospect is an understatement. Built like a brick sh*thouse, he won the Young Lions cup back in January. He was pulled just as he was set to finish his Best of Seven Series against the elder statesmen of New Japan. Losing a marquee rookie like this seemed detrimental when he was pulled from action. Enter Tomoyuki Oka.

Oka is the wrestler that Kitamura defeated for the Young Lion cup. Though he doesn’t have the same asskicking aesthetic of Kitamura, Oka has always been the more solid worker. With the blockbuster muscles of Kitamura out of the spotlight, Oka has found himself teaming with the likes of Yuji Nagata & Hiroyoshi Tenzan, even picking up submission victories over his Young Lion colleagues, via his vicious bouncing Boston Crab.

Now, with Yagi injured, the newly-debuted Yota Tsuji & Yuya Uemura are getting more time in the spotlight than even they must’ve imagined. Tsuji is currently lighting the ring on fire and has already had a standout moment, when he slapped the taste out of Ren Narita’s mouth.

It is always unfortunate when wrestlers have to miss time, but a deep roster keeps the fallout contained. After WWE has seen PPVs from TLC to even WrestleMania 32 fall to the injury bug, the fact that New Japan always has a fresh rookie to bring up is pretty special. Kitamura and Yagi will come back as popular as ever, but the division is stronger for their time away.

-30-