NJPW star Tomoaki Honma suffered a very serious injury during a New Japan live event last week in Okinawa.
Honma took a draping DDT during a tag match involving himself, Michael Elgin and Togi Makabe against members of CHAOS from Jado and in doing so, his foot got caught up in the ropes, leading to Honma landing directly on his head. Honma was unresponsive and did not move after taking the DDT, leading to the match being stopped and Honma being stretchered out and rushed to a hospital.
Soon after, it was announced that Honma suffered a cervical spine injury to the C-3 and C-4 vertebrae in his neck. In the last couple of days, it is said that he has begun to regain feeling in his extremities and has been moved from the hospital’s emergency care unit. Honma was to compete on this past Monday’s 45th Anniversary iPPV in a match for the IWGP Tag Titles and in the upcoming New Japan Cup tournament, but has been pulled from both events due to his injury. Honma has said that he will make a return to the ring once fully recovered from his injury.
Sources: F4WOnline.com, Puroresu Spirit