Shinjiro Otani Injury: Otani, who was born in Yamaguchi, grew up as a fervent supporter of professional wrestling, especially New Japan Pro Wrestling under Antonio Inoki. He idolized Kengo Kimura and went to the two NJPW events held in Yamaguchi each year. Antonio Inoki signed the young Otani’s (fighting spirit) hachimaki after he managed to sneak into a hotel during his boyhood and convince security to let him in. The young Otani then promised Inoki that he would one day make it to NJPW.
Shinjiro Otani Injury
On Sunday, veteran Japanese wrestler Shinjiro Otani was seriously hurt at a ZERO1 performance. Otani is ZERO1’s interim president. He competed in NJPW until 2001, but since he left New Japan, he has been closely associated with the ZERO1 company. After Hashimoto left in 2004, Otani rose to the position of top star at the promotion. The 49-year-old wrestler has performed consistently in the ring and has collaborated with prominent Japanese stars despite his advanced age.
Unfortunately, he received a deadly German suplex into the turnbuckle during his most recent bout against Takashi Sugiura in the main event of the ZERO1 show. The maneuver didn’t go as planned, and Dave Meltzer said that after the German suplex, he could not continue and needed to be taken to the hospital outside of Sumo Hall.
According to a subsequent Hochi News story, Dr. Hayashi, the ring doctor, thought there could have been “cervical spinal damage.” He answered the call, but his body was completely immobile. Even the doctor’s words were comprehended by him. The integrity of the probable spinal damage will be shown by additional reports.
Match Referee Katsumi Sasazaki Explained Shinjiro Otani’s Condition Shortly After the Incident
According to a report by Tokyo Sports, Sasazaki claimed that Otani was cognizant after the maneuver, although he was immobile. He also lost feeling in his hands. Antonio Inoki, a Japanese wrestling legend and WWE Hall of Famer who spent most of 2021 in the hospital, has updated his condition.
According to reports from the previous year, Inoki spent a significant amount of 2021 in the hospital because of problems with his lower back, diabetes, and systemic transthyretin amyloidosis, which affects blood circulation. Inoki had emergency surgery for a volvulus, or twisting of the intestines, in the summer of 2021.
Inoki recently stated in an interview with Tokyo Sports that despite appearing to be in good health, he is unable to push himself without being in top physical condition. Inoki disclosed that he came close to passing away four times.
Shinjiro Otani’s wrestling career
On June 25, 1992, Otani competed for the first time, losing against Hiroyoshi Yamamoto at a home show in Fukushima. A little less than a month later, he made his television debut in Gifu and lost to Osamu Nishimura. Otani rose to prominence early in his career because of his corner face wash and springboard dropkick, his sympathetic performances, and his desire to take on more experienced wrestlers, particularly Jushin Thunder Liger. He also earned a reputation as a charming underdog.
On May 25, 1993, the two initially faced off in a Top of the Super Juniors tournament bout at Korakuen Hall, with Liger coming out on top. Otani would struggle during his initial participation in the competition, failing to get past the first round but succeeding in securing a lone victory over Eddie Guerrero in Hamamatsu. He traded wins and defeats with fellow dojo students like Tatsuhito Takaiwa, Tokimitsu Ishizawa, and Yuji Nagata throughout 1992 and 1993, as is typical for young wrestlers in Japan as they advance and secure their position within the organization.
On January 16, 1994, he competed for NJPW in their conflict with Wrestle Association-R (WAR), losing to Masao Orihara at a WAR Super Revolution show. That summer, he would compete in the Best of the Super Juniors tournament again, and this time he would do considerably better, defeating players like Taka Michinoku and Black Tiger but also falling victim to Jushin Liger and failing to reach the finals.
In October, he joined forces with Wild Pegasus to compete in the Super Grade Junior Heavyweight Tag League. On October 18, the two defeated Dean Malenko and Tokimitsu Ishizawa to go to the semifinals. They then defeated Black Tiger and The Great Sasuke in the tournament’s championship match, giving Otani his first taste of professional victory. His consistent efforts throughout 1994 earned him his first shot at the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship on October 30 at Ryogoku Kokugikan.
Still, he could not defeat the champion Norio Honaga and lost by the referee’s decision. On October 30, he was given a significant opportunity when he lost a singles match to one of New Japan’s top performers, Keiji Muto, at the annual “Dream Win” card. On December 13, 1994, Otani defeated Norio Honaga to win the UWA World Welterweight Championship, earning him his first professional title.
In a double championship bout on April 16 in Hiroshima, he lost the title to IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion Koji Kanemoto after two successful defenses. Otani then focused on the Finest of the Super Juniors competition in June, where he had his best performance to date, making it to the final where he was barely beaten by old teammate Wild Pegasus.
Shinjiro Otani Personal life
Eriko and Otani were wed on February 16, 2014.
For almost 4 years, Jason Martin has been a freelance writer for newspapers, journals, blogs, books, and online material. He covers the most recent news as well as many other topics.