New Japan Pro Wrestling’s Best Of The Super Juniors 25 continued today (this morning for those of us in the US) and fans in attendance were treated to a nice surprise on top of all the action from the Block Finals. NJPW star Tomoaki Honma made an appearance and subsequent announcement, stating that he will finally be returning to the ring after suffering a devastating injury that kept him on the shelf for 15 months. Honma’s return will come on June 23rd in Yamagata at Kizuna Road, as he issued an open challenge for any two men to face himself and his old tag team partner, Togo Makabe.

If you don’t know the story, Honma was injured during a match back on March 3rd, 2017 while taking a rope-hung DDT from Jado. The match had to be stopped, as the maneuver rendered Tomoaki paralyzed, however he could move his head and speak. Medical personal rushed Honma off on a stretcher for what was later revealed to be a cervical vertebrae injury and he remained paralyzed until March 6th, regaining some movement in his hands and lower-half.

It was announced on March 31st that Honma underwent successful spinal canal surgery which led to three and a half months in the hospital, but the 20-year veteran was undeterred and vowed to return to the squared circle.

Andrew Balaz’s Take: I mean, it’s a feel good story. Tomoaki Honma, ‘The Vampire Chicken’, was basically the lovable loser before he joined up with Makabe in the tag tournament. Honma had a streak that lasted I believe over one year of getting no points in the G1. Think Tommy Dreamer in ECW. He’s beloved, Makabe and him are a good team, and this could also get some hopes up where if Honma can come back, maybe there’s hope for Shibata.

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