Kitamura, Hikuelo out of New Japan Cup tour due to injuries

Two of New Japan’s young lions have been sidelined with injuries serious enough that they are being kept off of the next tour.

New Japan’s English website last night reported that Kitamura has been sidelined since March 4 with a concussion. He was originally set to take on Manabu Nakanishi a couple of days ago on the 46th anniversary show, but that match was postponed following the injury. Hikuleo has been out since March 3 with what the website described as ACL damage. Currently, there is no timetable for either’s return.

Tanga Loa will be taking Hikuelo’s place on the New Japan Cup tour. He will be teaming with various other members of the Bullet Club in multi-man matches.

Hikuleo had been wrestling with New Japan since the end of 2016, normally teaming with Tama Tonga and Tanga Loa. Katsuya Kitamura had been doing a best of seven series since winning the Young Lion’s Cup in December at Lion’s Gate Project 10.