NJPW star Gabe Kidd has announced that he is not cleared to compete in the remainder of the G1 Climax 35 Tournament and has officially withdrawn his entry.
The announcement was made by Kidd on July 25, who stated that he would not be continuing in the round robin tournament. The reigning IWGP Global Champion suffered the injury in his opening match against Konosuke Takeshita, and missed the second and third matches against Zack Sabre Jr. and Shingo Takagi, respectively.
Kidd noted that it “f*cking sucks” that he can’t be cleared to compete, adding that it as been a mental battle but thanked the fans for all their suport during this time:
“I was really hopeful that I could come back and power through this and continue in this G1 Climax, but I’ve spoke to the doctors and there is no way I can be cleared, so I have no other choice [but] to withdraw from the G1 Climax,” Kidd announced. “And this is sh*t, man. It really f*cking sucks. It’s been a mental battle these past few days since I found out this information.”
Kidd was a strong favourite to win the tournament, given his run in 2025 so far. Beginning wth being the return opponent for Kenny Omega at the start of the year, Kidd has also been heavily involved in The Deathriders storyline on AEW TV, assisting Jon Moxley and co at multiple events.
Will Gabe Kidd Forfeit NJPW Global Championship?
Although Kidd is injured, there has been no update regarding his future as NJPW Global Champion. It should be noted that although no specifics on the injury have been provided, knee injuries are generally long term and keep the wrstler sidelined for months, if not more than a year.
Features of Wrestling would like to wish Gabe Kidd a full and speedy recovery.
Featured image: AEW
