Tetsuya Naito provides an update on his eye.
NJPW star Tetsuya Naito had surgery on his right eye in November 2023, and the procedure marked his third operation on the upper oblique muscle paralysis in his right eye. He has been affected by the issue since 2019. Naito also suffered an eye injury at NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 18. He won the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship by defeating SANADA, but he came out of the match with a black eye.
In an interview with NJPW's official website, Naito was asked about the black eye he sustained in his match against SANADA. He noted that he had to get six stitches after the match. He also revealed that he had to get another three stitches on his other eye following another show.
"Right, my eyelid. We clashed heads when I went for that last Destino. So after the match, I got to the back, gave my comments, went to the trainer’s room and got six stitches. I really didn’t want them and asked if there was another way, but didn’t have a choice. Those stitches hurt like hell. The anesthetic before- can you imagine getting a shot on your eyelid? But the doctor’s all happy go lucky about it. Actually on the last Korakuen shows of the year I got hit on the other side, and that was three stitches on that eyelid. So I had nine stitches across two eyes within two weeks of one another," Naito said.
Naito was also asked about how his eye is doing following his latest surgery in November. He stated that getting the procedure done multiple times led to diminishing returns. Naito noted that his eye is not completely healed, but it is better.
"Well, the more you get this, it is diminishing returns. in all honesty, things aren’t right, but they are better than before," Naito said.
Click here to see what Tetsuya Naito had to say about winning the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship.
Naito is set to defend the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship against SANADA at NJPW The New Beginning in Sapporo. More information is available here.
At NJPW Windy Cuty Riot, Naito is set to face Tetsuya Naito. More information is available here.
