According to the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter, top NJPW superstar Kazuchika Okada is currently dealing with two slipped discs in his lower back, an injury that reportedly has the Rainmaker “hurting bad” backstage. The former IWGP Heavyweight champion has yet to miss any of his scheduled events, including his recent high-stakes grudge match against the Bullet Club’s EVIL.
Okada is also participating in this year’s New Japan Cup, a tournament that he won back in 2019 and reached the finals in 2020. NJPW has yet to issue a statement on Okada’s condition or confirm his injury. His next bout will be against LIJ’s Shingo Takagi in the first round of the NJ Cup.
Stay tuned.