NOAH Pulls Concussed Sato, Moves Jr. Grand Prix Opener to Nov. 14

Summary: Pro Wrestling NOAH said on Nov. 3 that Michinoku Pro's Tsunagu Sato will miss its Nov. 9 Korakuen Hall show after a concussion on Nov. 1. The Jr. Grand Prix 2 first round is now set for Saturday, Nov. 14, in Osaka.

The quick version

  • NOAH says Tsunagu Sato of Michinoku Pro Wrestling suffered a concussion in a match on Nov. 1 and will not appear at Korakuen Hall on Monday, Nov. 9.
  • The Jr. Grand Prix 2 first round is now on Saturday, Nov. 14, at Stella Hall in Osaka, where Sato is set to face Kid Lykos No. 2.
  • NOAH says some wrestlers may not be able to take part on Nov. 14, depending on the circumstances that day.

Pro Wrestling NOAH said in a notice dated Nov. 3 that Tsunagu Sato will not wrestle at its Monday, Nov. 9, show at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, after he was concussed in a match on Nov. 1. NOAH also said the first round of "Maruhan presents NOAH Jr. Grand Prix 2" will now be held on Saturday, Nov. 14, in Osaka. Fightful and TPWW reported the change.

What NOAH said

The notice says that after talking with Michinoku Pro Wrestling, NOAH decided to put Sato's safety first. It adds a new first-round match, Kid Lykos No. 2 vs. Sato, and warns that "some wrestlers may not be able to participate" on Nov. 14, depending on circumstances. The notice, in English on NOAH's site, apologizes to fans.

Key facts

  • Nov. 14 show: Stella Hall, Umeda Sky Building, Osaka. Doors 5 PM and bell 6 PM, local time. Live on Wrestle Universe.
  • Other first-round matches NOAH lists for Nov. 14: Hiroya Namiki vs. Alejandro, and Daiki Odajima vs. Jun Masaoka.
  • NOAH's own Nov. 4 interview with Odajima says he faces Masaoka in his "first match on November 14th in Osaka."
  • Nov. 9 is still a NOAH show at Korakuen Hall. Sato is only removed from it.

What we do not know

NOAH did not say how long Sato will be out, and TPWW reports he could also be pulled from Nov. 14 depending on his condition. We have not seen a medical update from NOAH or Michinoku Pro. The wording of NOAH's notice leaves open whether any tournament matches will be held on Nov. 9. The interview page still describes a Nov. 9 opening, so we have not claimed more than NOAH has said.

How we know

Source: NOAH's official news notice of Nov. 3 and its Nov. 4 interview page, with TPWW and WrestlingHeadlines for the reports. Nothing in this story is a rumor.

Sources

How we credit sources: Editorial standards.

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