During this past week’s ROH War of the Worlds tour of live events featuring talent from New Japan, two of ROH’s top stars in Jay Lethal and ROH Champion Dalton Castle transpired.
ROH Champion Dalton Castle was kept off the tour due to injuries Castle has been dealing with for over a month to his hand and his back. Castle cut a promo on the May 9th show in Lowell explaining why he couldn’t work his scheduled ROH Championship Match where he was supposed to defend against Matt Taven, but that he was not relinquishing the ROH Championship. ROH is said to be hopeful that Castle will be ready to return to in-ring action by their next PPV, Best in the World, scheduled for June 29 in Baltimore.
Jay Lethal was injured during the main event of the May 11th show in Toronto after taking a Sunset Bomb from the apron to the floor by Hiromu Takahashi. Lethal was not medically cleared and was pulled from the May 12th show in Royal Oak, Michigan and the May 13th TV Tapings in Chicago. Lethal sustained concussion-like symptoms from the move, but will reportedly be OK.
Hangman Page was also used minimally during the tour, as he is reportedly still feeling the effects of injuries he sustained during his match with Kenny Omega that main evented the first night of the two Wrestling Dontaku iPPVs last week in Fukuoka, Japan. Page was kept in short brawls with Punishment Martinez, who ROH has been building a feud between the two with, during the tour that will likely culminate in a match at the Best in the World PPV.