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Yuji Nagata to undergo medical tests for stroke-like symptoms
By Zach Arnold | February 17, 2008
Update: More details added to the post.
For most hardcore MMA fans who don’t follow professional wrestling, Yuji Nagata is known as the poor guy who got his clock cleaned by Mirko Cro Cop on NYE 2001 at the Inoki Bom-Ba-Ye show in Saitama and by Fedor on NYE 2003 at the Inoki Bom-Ba-Ye event at Kobe Wing Stadium.
There is no shame in losing to two of the scariest MMA fighters in the world. While those losses have defined Nagata’s career with hardcore MMA fans, most pro-wrestling fans understand what a legitimately tough individual Nagata is. If there is one word to define Nagata, that word would be ‘professional.’
Yoshihiro Takayama is another Japanese pro-wrestling star who became a cult icon in Japan after some of the beatings he endured in MMA fights against Don Frye and Bob Sapp. Takayama ended up suffering a stroke in 2004 (in a G-1 tournament match in Osaka) against Kensuke Sasaki and hasn’t physically been the same since then.
Like Takayama, Nagata has taken a lot of physical punishment in pro-wrestling matches throughout his career and it appears that he is now paying a price for it.
Nagata was booked to wrestle New Japan young star Hirooki Goto on Sunday in Tokyo at Ryogoku Kokugikan. However, Nagata told a New Japan doctor that he lost feeling in his left hand and that he could not regain any feeling in his left leg. The concern against New Japan’s medical staff is that Nagata may have suffered a stroke, although Nagata has defiantly denied this taking place. Nonetheless, Nagata is scheculed to undergo a battery of medical tests Monday to determine his physical condition and whether or not he will be able to return to action as a pro-wrestler. Daily Sports in Japan filed a report stating that Nagata was having trouble dragging his left leg while getting into the back of a taxi.
If Nagata cannot return to action, it will be a sad end for a man who has had an excellent career as an in-ring performer and an even better reputation outside of the ring as a true gentleman in an industry full of carnival barkers, sycophants, and ruthless thieves. In order to survive in the cutthroat world of professional wrestling, you have to be a very dedicated and tough individual.
Whether you are an MMA fan or a professional wrestling fan, please keep Nagata-san in your thoughts. Let’s hope that everything checks out well in the battery of medical tests he is undergoing.
Monday morning update
According to New Japan’s company president, a battery of medical tests showed no abnormalities in Nagata’s brain. However, he will continue to undergo further medical examination(s). The company is booking Nagata for their 3/9 Aichi Prefectural Gym event in Nagoya (16-man New Japan Cup tournament).
Topics: Japan, Media, MMA, Pro-Wrestling, Zach Arnold | 3 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
The saddest thing is that he never got paid by Inoki or Kawamata for taking the beating from Fedor
hope he’s ok
Fedor should have gone easy on him 🙁
Sad news. A real star for New Japan. The last 18 months he has been superb. When the title was dragged through the mud (Inoki) for years the one guy who brought some prestige and respect back to the belt was Nagata. His last title run was superb. Get well soon Mr IWGP!!!
Good to see Nagata will probably turn out all right from this. I hope he gets well soon. He is one of my all time favorite wrestlers.