Tiger Mask IV Says He Will Undergo Back Surgery After Retirement Match

Tiger Mask IV says that he will need to have back surgery after he has his retirement match next month. The legendary wrestler is set to have his last match at his retirement show on July 7th, where he will be competing against Black Tiger and ‘Dynamite Kid’ Tommy Billington.

Tiger Mask IV spoke with NJPW for a new interview ahead of his retirement and talked about what’s next for him after his retirement. He noted that he will need to undergo back surgery and had a message for his fans. You can see highlights below:

On Needing Back Surgery:

“My body is a mess. You learn to work around and cover for one injury and that just damages something somewhere else. I need back surgery after I retire, and my doctor’s always amazed I can still wrestle at all. My neck isn’t great either, but for some reason when the bell rings, I can still go somewhat. Who knows? Maybe something Satoru Sayama instilled in me. But I have pride in myself to be Tiger Mask to the very end.”

His Message to His Fans:

“Thank you so much for all the support over the years, and I’m sorry I haven’t always been able to live up to expectations, but I’ve always been aware of just how important all of you are to me. It’s thanks to every one of you that I’ve been able to wrestle for so long, and even though Tiger Mask IV the wrestler is retiring, I’ll still be around, I’ll still be working and I’ll be keeping a stern eye on NJPW, so I hope you’ll keep supporting New Japan. Thank you for these 31 years!”