Impact Wrestling Execs Headed To AAA, Japanese Legend Announces Retirement, Tomoaki Honma Update
- 46-year-old Japanese women's wrestling legend Manami Toyota announced that she will wrestle her last match on November 3rd due to nagging neck and shoulder injuries. Toyota had made her pro wrestling debut in 1987 at the age of 16.
- As we reported earlier this month, Tomoaki Honma was injured at a New Japan Pro Wrestling show in Okinawa, Japan on March 3rd. During a match pitting Honma, Togi Makabe & Michael Elgin vs. Tomohiro Ishii, Toru Yano & Jado, Jado hit Honma with a DDT from the second rope. Honma was unresponsive after taking the move and the match was stopped. Honma was stretchered to the back and then rushed to a nearby hospital. Honma wrote a message on New Japan's English website and promised to return.
"Jado's DDT that match was definitely the hardest one I've ever felt," Honma stated. "After it hit, I noticed I couldn't feel anything below my neck. I could hear everyone rush to my side, but I couldn't hear my own voice. I tried to speak, but nothing?Then little by little, things went black. "Ahhh, guess this is what it's like, crossing the river Styx,' I thought. That's when I heard a voice calling me. It was an enlightening experience to say the least.
"I've been able move my feet and hands quite a bit since then, but currently I'm still paralyzed from the neck down. So the staff is kindly typing this journal entry for me. While my body may be what it is now, I'm getting better day by day. I'll focus on my rehabilitation and be back in the NJPW ring for sure. Nothing can quell this burning desire I have to get back in there.
"Pro wrestling is not broken or at fault here. This was simply an accident between two professionals."
You can read Honma's full message at NJPW1972.com by clicking here.
- Jeff Jarrett noted on Twitter that he's headed to Monterrey, Mexico to for AAA's annual Rey de Reyes tournament and said that it "was a big day for" Impact Wrestling.
Wheels up on @Delta and headed to #ReyDeReyes ...Big day for @IMPACTWRESTLING ...@karenjarrett @luchalibreaaa ... https://t.co/VyaSUhhQKG
— Jeff Jarrett (@RealJeffJarrett) March 19, 2017
Impact Wrestling President Ed Nordholm and Jeremy Borash are also in Mexico for the event:
@luchalibreaaa the journey continues #MakeImpactGreat @JeremyBorash @IMPACTWRESTLING @fightnet pic.twitter.com/LJGCPV2R1C
— Ed Nordholm (@EdNordholm) March 18, 2017
Himanshu D contributed to this article.