Go Shiozaki's return - the real situation from right shoulder injury to comeback

1st December 2021

Weekly Pro

Go Shiozaki challenges Katsuhiko Nakajima for the GHC Heavyweight Championship on the 1st January at the Nippon Budokan. He returned to the ring in Nagoya in December 5th for the first time in nine months, and took the pin from the champion, Katsuhiko Nakajima at Korakuen Hall on December 7th. At Korakuen Hall on December 27th he was defeated by Nakajima who pointed out to him that, "If you lose never say "I AM NOAH" again, I'm Noah!". 

With the 1st January Nippon Budokan approaching, how did Go Shiozaki reach the GHC Heavyweight Championship challenge? He wants you to know the story of the injury to his right shoulder in August of last year to the present. 

The first time he felt a strong sense of discomfort in his right shoulder was on August 10th 2021, at Noah's last event at the Yokohama Bunka Gym. The match was title vs title, Shiozaki's own GHC Heavyweight Championship vs Kenoh's GHC National. Twenty five minutes into the match he experienced a severe pain in his right shoulder after an over the top rope plancha. 

"At that time on inspection it was a partial dislocation, but to put it simply, it felt like the ligament that held down the joints to the shoulder had slipped off, and the part that connects to the biceps had slipped". 

Although it caused a great deal of damage to his opponent, Kenoh, Shiozaki held his right shoulder and fainted in agony. Could he really fight? He got in the ring and checked the condition of the injured part.

"I was in pain, and didn't have much power. However, I thought it was okay because I could still move it, so I continued the match (laughs). It wasn't as if I couldn't move, and I still had some power. When I think about it now, it felt like it had dislocated once and so when I returned to the ring and it moved, I thought it had gone back in".

The match was finally settled in a sixty minute full time draw. Shiozaki had a right shoulder dislocation, but although he couldn't defeat Kenoh by struggling to the end with all his might, he succeeded in defending the GHC Heavyweight Championship for the fourth time. Shiozaki continued to fight without his right shoulder being inspected for a while. On August 30th at Kultz Kawasaki, he faced the GHC Tag Team Championship, but was defeated by Takashi Sugiura and Kazushi Sakuraba. After the match, he was betrayed by his tag partner, Katsuhiko Nakajima, and the tag team AXIZ dissolved. The condition of his right shoulder was growing worse day by day, and this was becoming more influential during matches. 

"I felt like I couldn't get enough strength, and when I went to do the lariat, I felt that the timing of hitting my arm against the opponent's neck was delayed, so I decided to go to the hospital thinking that I should have at least one test."

When his shoulder was examined the right biceps tendon had dislocated, and the situation was such that it had come off the right shoulder and slipped down and the muscles had come in. His right shoulder was in no condition to fight, but still he took painkillers, taped up and went to matches. Naturally, he was advised to have surgery and miss time rehabilitating for a long time, but Shiozaki had no choice but to continue fighting. 

"I didn't know when I was going to get shoulder pain. When I did a chop I thought, "This is okay", but when I did the next move, I sometimes had severe pain. It was like that every match. It like I was fighting with both my opponent and my right shoulder. But, I couldn't help but hit chops and lariats. I had no choice but to think that "it should be fine!" I thought it couldn't be helped if the match ended, and it stopped working. Why? Because I am the GHC Heavyweight Champion. It would have been wrong to return the belt, miss time and have surgery. If I did that I would be sorry for the belt and for the fans, so I thought I would go as far as I could. It may be wrong to say this, but if you become injured and return the belt, what you have done so far becomes worthless. I didn't want to regret it. I wanted to keep fighting to the limit. I had an image of fighting as far as I can and as fast as I can, was more like a pro wrestler. I thought it would be okay if something happened to my right shoulder during the match, and it really stopped moving, then I would have my left arm and my legs. I was the GHC Champion, and I was prepared to do that much."

From a young age Shiozaki has seen close up how the founder of Noah, Mitsuharu Misawa, and his teacher Kenta Kobashi, have increased the value of the GHC Heavyweight Championship. It is not only with the challenger before you, but it is also a competition with your inner self to overuse your body to its limit, and sharpen your soul. In any situation, he will do his best to exceed his limits. The intensity of the sublime fight depicted in the ring, fascinates the viewer. 

Since becoming the GHC Heavyweight Champion in January of last year, Shiozaki has finally built the ideal image of champion that he wanted. At the same time as increasing the value of the belt in each defense, he has also accelerated the updraft of Noah. That's why he wanted to keep fighting, no matter the condition of his right shoulder. 

The single league, the "N-1 VICTORY 2020" started on September 18th. Kaito Kiyomiya in 2019, Naomichi Marufuji this year and the GHC Heavyweight Champion had the option of not participating. Shiozaki entered. He struggled in the midst of full blown injury, but he did not advance to the finals with three wins and two losses. The winner of the N-1 was Katsuhiko Nakajima, who had betrayed Shiozaki two months before and joined the rebel group "Kongoh". The finale of the grudge match between the two, was held at the Yokohama Budokan on November 22nd for the GHC Heavyweight Championship. Shiozaki smashed Nakajima with four powerful lariats in a row, while his right arm was thoroughly attacked. He succeeded in defending the GHC Heavyweight Championship for the fifth time at no small price.

"When I went to moonsault in the match against Nakajima, I had the sensation that after I had touched the ring, my body is continuing and there was a feeling that, "Ah, I missed." Even so, I thought that surgery would never be possible as long as I continued to defend." 

Shiozaki chose to continue fighting as the GHC Heavyweight Champion, even with full blown injuries. 

Following Nakajima, Shiozaki overcame Takashi Sugiura's challenge at the Yoyogi Stadium No.2 gymnasium on December 6th, and succeeded in his sixth defense of the GHC Heavyweight Championship. It was a fight to the death for 51 minutes and 44 seconds. At the same event it was announced that Noah would return to the Nippon Budokan for the first time in ten years and two months. After the match, Keiji Mutoh put his name forward as challenger. 

"As "I AM NOAH", I wanted to return with the GHC to the Nippon Budokan after such a long time. I did not want to end it with this one chance, I wanted to keep going, and I wanted to protect this belt and go to the ring at the Budokan."

The main event of the Nippon Budokan event was held on February 12th. Before the match there was a controversy about "aerobic wrestling" and "deflation of technique", but this would also be a match about which world view the title match would be. Meanwhile, Shiozaki took the initiative in the match from beginning to end as the champion. In the ring he was able to draw on the fight of Noah, to which Mutoh said "I don't want to be made." However, the result was that Shiozaki was defeated by a sudden Frankensteiner. For Shiozaki, who had dominated more than 90% of the matches, the biggest highlight was Mutoh's "Moonsault indecision", and even if the match was selected as the best bout of this years Pro Wrestling Awards, it can be said that it is a match that leaves regret. 

"Keiji Mutoh's tactical skill. I never thought of a final frankensteiner, it was over the moment it was done. I'm still disappointed. I am grateful that it was chosen as the best bout, but I lost". 

After losing the GHC Heavyweight Championship, the long term absence, the surgery and the rehabilitation began to cross his mind. He had decided to keep fighting to defend the belt for a long time, but as his waist was lighter now, after a few days he could think calmly and he came to a conclusion; "I can only do this at this timing."

At that time he could not exert 100% power in his right shoulder. In fact, even in the match against Mutoh at The Budokan, when he set up an avalanche brainbuster, his right shoulder collapsed suddenly without warning. The imperfect form of his own technique further exacerbated the regret of losing the belt in the title match. Shiozaki knew that he couldn't challenge for the GHC Heavyweight in such a situation. To reach the top of Noah again, he needed to have an operation on his right shoulder. At the hospital he was told, "With surgery it would be better immediately." Still, he was worried that "Would the condition really be better immediately?", but he decided that it couldn't be worse than it was now and on March 14th after the Fukuoka event, he began a long term absence.  

Surgery was carried out on April 7th. After the operation he could not move his right shoulder, so his muscles shrunk. Shiozaki consulted with his doctor, and trained as much as possible before surgery to recover as soon as possible and increase the muscle. 

"The surgery was done under general anesthesia. It was done with an endoscope. The surgery itself ended while I was unconscious, but it was really hard after that..."

For about two months after the operation, he had to wear a brace to firmly fix the tendon in the right shoulder and ligament until it settled. When taking a bath a 2 liter bottle of water was sandwiched between his right arm and abdomen, with the right arm hung in a sling. He had to wear an orthotic device when sleeping, and pillows were stacked to restrict movement and to prevent rolling over to the right when sleeping. It was hard to even change clothes as all the movements cannot go as expected. 

"T-shirts were hard to put on, so I wore 5XL, which was as big as possible. As I couldn't wear long sleeves, I am glad it was warm (laughs). But, while I had the desire to return early, I couldn't move my right shoulder anyway. Rather, it hurt when even a little force was applied to it and so I couldn't do any training. It was extremely stressful, and for such a long time I was worried if I could really recover with almost no physical activity. It was hard at that time."

It was June when he finally removed the equipment and started rehabilitation. Rehabilitation was also harsh because it was around this time that he had gotten used to doing everything with his left arm. 

"After removing the brace, even if I tried to move my right shoulder, it would hardly move. I can't really explain it, but it was like I didn't know how to put any effort into it. It felt like I had forgotten how to move it. At first I could only move it about 5cm, and from there by rehabilitation I was able to expand the range of motion. My Doctor gave me a range of movements and little by little the muscles that had been hardened loosened and spread out. I did my best each day, and the range of motion expanded by about 1cm. I was always thinking of shortcuts to see if it would come back sooner, but there was no such thing. Anyway, don't be impatient and take it little by little. I honestly thought it was going to be long." 

Although he had been injured before and missed time in an eighteen year career, this was his first time having to rehabilitate. He was warned that if he was impatient and tried to move forcibly, then he would only get worse and his return would be far away. Therefore, as much as possible, he shut out information on pro wrestling and focused only on rehabilitating his right shoulder. It wasn't until October that he was able to train properly. He took it step by step, as he took a 1kg dumbbell and held it gently to train his muscles. He couldn't increase the weight immediately, and he applied a light load to his muscles slowly and continuously. It was completely different from his previous training. It was an extraordinary rehabilitation life, but Shiozaki desperately worked hard to return to the ring and his goal to return was decided when Noah announced on August 15th they would be running the Nippon Budokan on January 1st 2022. Shiozaki planned to return to the ring before that. 

"I had the feeling that "I AM NOAH" would have to be there at The Budokan on New Year's Day, but returning at The Budokan would be a little different. I decided to return in December before that." 

The Noah dojo has a huge 350kg tire that had been introduced by Yoshiki Inamura for Strongman training. Shiozaki decided to return if he could beat it by raising it, and he was able to reach this decision in mid November. 

"Pro Wrestlers are amazing. Noah is amazing. I was doing something where I was hit, thrown and squeezed...I thought did it hurt so much? What? But, I felt that the ring was the place I should be". 

After nine months, Shiozaki once again felt the greatness of pro wrestling. The kicks and suplexes that he had once taken for granted until now, where fresh, or perhaps he wasn't used to the shock yet. It may not have been possible to say that he had decided to challenge for the GHC Heavyweight, but it couldn't be helped because he honestly felt how harsh pro wrestling was. However, because of such reflection, he faced the pre match two days later with no sense that he had been away for a long time. 

"My right arm is okay. Both chops and lariats can be done with all my power. The return battle was okay, and the doubt disappeared. However, since undergoing surgery, my shoulder does hurt when it is attacked and I am completely afraid that I will get pain when I try to attack. Mentally, that is big". 

At the Korakuen Hall event on December 7th, he took the pin from the GHC Heavyweight champion Katsuhiko Nakajima with a powerful lariat. He was impressed with the complete revival. 

"I'm not used to chops yet. After the match on the 5th and 7th, my right hand was bruised (laughs). That was my first time, I hadn't hit anything for nine months. Maybe my hands were weak. I has healed now, but I was really excited to return to the ring and see it."

Nakajima, who became the GHC Heavyweight Champion while Shiozaki was absent, continues to shout "I'M NOAH" to counter Shiozaki's "I AM NOAH". What are his thoughts on the presence of what can be said to be his eternal rival, who made his debut in the same year, 2004? 

"Behavior, the way he thinks about matches...he may not be so aware of it, but I feel the pride, the morale and the strength of the GHC Heavyweight Champion. Rather than shooting with a changeable feeling like before, he has the countenance to take all the techniques of opponents head on. I can see it in a big way in the ring. I think he has had a lot of confidence in himself since he became champion, and I am looking forward to breaking it. I have confidence too. We have been aware of each other since making the debut in the same year. You will see a fight that can never be done with any other wrestlers and from New Year 2022, we will do an amazing title match, and I will return the amount I made everyone wait in the match. I will prove at The Budokan, which one of us is Noah". 

Following the 1st January Budokan, participation in New Japan's 8th January Yokohama Arena has also been announced. I asked Shiozaki about the big match that is attracting attention in the industry...

"I wasn't informed in advance, and I saw the press conference on YouTube. I didn't know where to vent my anger (laughs). That joke aside, there is only one thing that we can show, Noah's fight. It goes without saying that I will win this rivalry, and become the GHC Heavyweight Champion at the Budokan on New Year's Day, and show off "I AM NOAH" at New Japan. I am looking forward to seeing how all the fans will feel after the event is over. I think it is a great stage for you to see the wonderfulness of Noah and to show the struggle that resonates throughout the world of pro wrestling and turn everything over. Definitely now, because Noah is good, I think you cannot look away from its fight. In order to make this more secure, Noah's greatness is to show the fight not only at the Budokan on New Year's Day, but also at the Yokohama Arena at New Japan and all other competitions too. I think that it's important to maintain a solid fight." 

In 2022, Noah will continue to have big matches from the start of the New Year and with the conviction that only he can steer The Ark, Shiozaki will look towards the GHC Heavyweight Championship on the 1st January at The Budokan. 

Translated from Weekly Pro

Picture credit: Weekly Pro

GIF taken from WrestleUniverse

Many thanks to JenJ for sending me the article