Go Shiozaki is leaving Pro Wrestling NOAH after his contract expired.
The promotion announced on Monday evening that the five-time GHC champion will not have his contract renewed after discussions between the two sides.
Shiozaki posted to X:
My days as a professional wrestler were a relentless series of sacrifices, putting my life and body on the line. At times, my heart wavered under misunderstandings or harsh criticism, and I experienced moments of frustration. I am deeply grateful to the comrades and staff who fought alongside me throughout this journey. Thank you very much. Above all, it was the unwavering support from all the fans that enabled me to keep fighting this far. Thank you so much. From now on, I will continue to challenge myself in places where I am needed. I humbly ask for your continued support for Go Shiozaki moving forward.
Shiozaki was a product of NOAH’s Dojo and debuted in 2003 and presented as a protégé of Kenta Kobashi, who was in the middle of his legendary GHC title reign.
The day after Mitsuharu Misawa’s tragic death at 46, Shiozaki won his first GHC championship, defeating Takeshi Rikio after the belt was vacated by an injured Jun Akiyama.
He would hold the title five times, including a 405-day reign from January 2020 until February 2021, and was the fourth-longest reign between Kenta Kobashi, Mitsuharu Misawa, and Takashi Sugiura. Shiozaki’s last title run occurred from April until June 2022, losing the belt to Satoshi Kojima.
Last September, he revealed he had been out of action due to a spinal fracture and stepped away this past January to have double knee surgery.
The 43-year-old returned to the ring in August and has been working in tag matches since coming back.
