Top NJPW Star To Undergo 2nd Eye Surgery

For the second time in three years, Tetsuya Naito's right eye is going under the knife.

Tetsuya Naito
NJPW

Top New Japan Pro Wrestling star Tetsuya Naito is set to undergo surgery on his right eye for the second time in three years.

Per Tokyo Sports, the former IWGP Heavyweight Champion has been suffering from double vision, a narrowed field of vision and poor depth perception, having experienced a flare-up of the superior oblique muscle paralysis that first struck him in 2019. Surgery that November proved only to be a temporary fix, with Naito stating that he feels worse today than he did back then.

The 39-year-old has been suffering since last summer. Speaking after his defeat to Kazuchika Okada at Sunday's Wrestling Dontaku 2022 event, Naito confirmed he would be undergoing what he called "emergency surgery."

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NJPW's next tour, Best of the Super Jr. 29, provides a much-needed break in Naito's schedule. As a heavyweight, he will not be required to participate in the promotion's signature junior heavyweight round-robin competition.

There is currently no word on how long Naito will be sidelined, though Naito told Tokyo Sports that he was "not too pessimistic" about the situation. As one of NJPW's biggest names, one would imagine he is hoping to return for the collaborative AEW show, Forbidden Door, in June.

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Andy has been with WhatCulture for six years and is currently WhatCulture's Senior Wrestling Reporter. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.