ZERO1 announces benefit show for Shinjiro Otani

  • Ian Carey
  • By 

ZERO1 has announced a benefit show with proceeds going to Shinjiro Otani. 

“ONE TEAM” will be held on Saturday, June 4 from the Ota Ward General Gymnasium in Tokyo. NJPW’ Yuji Nagata, Tomoaki Honma, and Togi Makabe are scheduled to take part. Pro Wrestling NOAH has also committed to sending wrestlers to the show. 

Otani sustained a cervical spinal cord injury on April 10 while wrestling Takashi Sugiura. The 49-year-old remained motionless in the ring after taking a German suplex into the corner. He later underwent surgery to prevent further deterioration of the injury on April 13. According to the most recent updates on his condition, Otani is unable to move his arms or legs. 

ZERO1 President Takahito Kami had the following to say about the event (translations via Post Wrestling):

“Since we are a professional wrestling organization, we decided to hold this event in the hope that we can be of help by holding this kind of event. We want to bring smiles to Otani’s face through professional wrestling and to be a beacon of hope.”