NJPW star Shota Umino recently spoke with Proresu-TODAY about several topics, including his use of painkillers during the company’s World Tag League events due to an ankle injury.
Umino said, “I was diagnosed with a one-month recovery, but I chose not to miss any matches during that time. I thought it was necessary to know how much I could move with the injury and what kind of movement I could not do in order to win at the Tokyo Dome. The company suggested that I take some time off, but I was more worried about going on the big stage without knowing the status of my ankle. The experience of running through the tag team league while on painkillers for the injury was great, and I feel that my condition is improving day by day. As a professional wrestler, I am most worried about losing the feeling of a match. There is a sense of tension and severity unique to matches that you cannot get from weight training and sparring alone. It was important for me to keep experiencing that in order to maintain myself. In fact, at the G1 Climax, I competed despite having a hiccuped back and fatigue fracture. Regardless of having injuries, I can give 100% of Shota Umino. I will step into the ring with confidence.”
(H/T to Fightful for transcribing the above quotes)
