A loss in the family has forced Don Fale (formerly Bad Luck Fale) out of his upcoming NJPW G1 Climax play-in match.
NJPW announced Wednesday that Fale has withdrawn from the rest of the New Japan Soul tour due to the loss of a family member. He’ll miss the remaining four shows on the tour, which runs until July 6.
His withdrawal from the upcoming cards means he won’t be able to appear in a match that was set to determine if he could compete in the 35th G1 Climax tournament.
Fale was scheduled to take on Ryohei Oiwa on July 4 at the Tokyo Budokan in a G1 play-in match, with the winner earning a spot in the tournament’s A Block.
Oiwa will now instead face Satoshi Kojima in a play-in match.
NJPW booked four play-in matches for the G1 Climax this year, determining who will earn the final spots in the 20-man tournament. Earlier this month, Drilla Moloney and Callum Newman secured spots in the tournament following successful performances at Korakuen Hall.
Along with the matchup between Oiwa and Kojima, a B Block spot will be on the line on July 4 when YOSHI-HASHI and Chase Owens face off.
