New Japan Pro-Wrestling resumed live shows on 5/22 after taking a hiatus for several weeks because of the rise of COVID-19 cases in areas of Japan. Over the past several days, the likes of Kazuchika Okada and Taichi have publicly revealed that they’ve contracted the virus.
The current IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion El Desperado took to Twitter and revealed that he contracted Coronavirus as well. Desperado listed off symptoms he is dealing with such as: 39 ℃ Fever, back pain, incredible levels of malaise, dizziness, decline in cardiopulmonary function, coughing, a strange taste of drinks, Gastrointestinal issues and pain in his muscle and joints.
ほっしゃんだったら「コォッ!」つって口から出すわ!というくらい過去一番深く入れられたPCR検査にて陽性
そこから隔離生活になったが「ご飯食べてよく寝る」という基本的なことが不可能に
腹は減るが食欲はない
寝るが熱で起きたり腰痛で起きたり
寝てるような起きてるような日が何日か続いた
— El Desperado (@ElDesperado5) May 26, 2021
Desperado was scheduled to defend the Junior Heavyweight Title against YOH at Wrestling Dontaku but that match was pulled from the show. NJPW announced that a multitude of their wrestlers tested positive for COVID but the names of those wrestlers were kept confidential until several of them went public.
New Japan’s next show is on May 26th and it is a five match card that is being headlined by Hirooki Goto and YOSHI-HASHI taking on Tetsuya Naito and SANADA.