For the third time in a ten-day stretch, Kota Ibushi has been pulled from an NJPW event.
NJPW announced Friday that Ibushi is off the Monday, July 19 Summer Struggle card in Ryugasaki due to illness. In its announcement, NJPW noted that Ibushi took a PCR test, which came back negative for COVID-19.
Previously, NJPW cited side effects from COVID-19 vaccination as the reason for removing Ibushi from the July 10 and July 11 Summer Struggle in Sapporo events.
Ibushi last wrestled on the July 2 NJPW Kizuna Road event.
Monday’s scheduled Ibushi, Master Wato, Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Satoshi Kojima vs Shingo Takagi, Tetsuya Naito, BUSHI & SANADA match has been changed to Yuji Nagata, Wato, Tenzan & Kojima vs Shingo, Naito, BUSHI & SANADA.
Ibushi is currently still scheduled to challenge Shingo for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship in the main event of Wrestle Grand Slam in Tokyo Dome on Sunday, July 25.