Various: Shota Umino Provides Update on His Ankle Injury, Jun Saito Wins AJPW Triple Crown Title, Mina Shirakawa on Her Match with Mercedes Mone at Wrestle Dynasty

Dec 31, 2024

Shota Umino Provides Update on His Ankle Injury & Recovery Status

As noted before, NJPW talent Shota Umino suffered an ankle injury this past November and was pulled from a World Tag League 2024 event earlier this month as a result for treatment.

Proresu-TODAY held a recent interview with Umino. One of the topics discussed included Umino providing an update on his recovery from his ankle injury.

“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.”

Jun Saito Wins AJPW Triple Crown Title

Tuesday’s New Year’s Eve 2024 event for All Japan Pro Wrestling in Tokyo, Japan featured Jun Saito defeating Davey Boy Smith Jr. to become the new AJPW Triple Crown Champion.

JUN SAITO IS THE NEW TRIPLE CROWN CHAMPION!!!!

WE HAVE DONE IT. THE ERA OF DOOOOOOM HAS STARTED#ajpw pic.twitter.com/LK0Vng5AiN
— Peps🪭 (@Peps_Wrestling) December 31, 2024

This was Saito’s first Triple Crown Championship victory and his first major singles championship victory in his AJPW and wrestling career.

Mina Shirakawa Comments on Her Upcoming Match with Mercedes Mone at Wrestle Dynasty

Following her match at Stardom’s Dream Queendom 2023 event this past Sunday in Tokyo, Japan, Mina Shirakawa gave her thoughts in a post-match backstage press conference about her upcoming NJPW Strong Women’s and RevPro Undisputed British Women’s Championships title vs. title match against Mercedes Mone at NJPW and AEW’s upcoming Wrestle Dynasty event.

“My match with Mercedes Mone is something I have dreamed about for a long time. I met her as a friend when I was in my previous organization. When she first came to Japan, I attended her through a mutual acquaintance because we could speak English. Since then, she has been a friend of mine and we have become good friends. But when she came to Japan (at the Yokohama Arena), she had the IWGP Women’s Title match, I had a white belt match, and I had a fight with Mariah May at AEW, so we didn’t have much chance to be in the same ring. I am so happy to be able to compete on the highest stage, the Tokyo Dome, and for the title. But I think I am in a place where it is not enough to just say that my dream has come true. I used to watch the matches from the audience in the Tokyo Dome, write columns as a reporter, and have the frustrating experience of being second-guessed but not being able to get into the ring. My current goal is to finally win in front of all the Japanese fans at a big venue like the Tokyo Dome.”

Transcript h/t: Proresu-TODAY