Ouch…New Japan announced today that FOUR wrestlers are out of the rest of the New Japan Road Tour that wraps up over the next week: Alex Coughlin, Yoh, DOUKI and Yuto Nakashima. Here’s why:
Coughlin-left calf injury.
Yoh-coronavirus.
DOUKI-coronavirus close contact (precautionary isolation).
Nakashima-left elbow injury.
Yoh can return on 7/5 so the NEVER 6-Man Tag Team Championship match he is part of that day is on as planned. The rest are out indefinitely, but with the G1 CLIMAX next they may not see much action anyway. The one I really feel bad for is Nakashima, as a similar injury in his debut match last year kept him out for a long time.
As far as replacements in their scheduled matches go, Yuji Nagata will replace Coughlin, TBA will replace Nakashima, TAKA Michinoku will replace DOUKI, while planned 8-man tag matches with Yoh involved will see both Yoh & Sho removed to make them 6-man tags.