Just days before NJPW is scheduled to begin their 2026 Super Jr. Tag League, a change has been made to the lineup.
El Desperado has withdrawn from the tour, NJPW confirmed on Thursday morning. The promotional vet was recently diagnosed with spinal canal stenosis and a hernia.
In a statement to NJPW, Desperado described beginning to feel a “pins and needles” tingling sensation around his left glute around March. The discomfort turned into pain by June, causing him to wake up in the middle of the night.
While he planned to finish up his 2026 schedule before taking time away, Desperado says he struggles to “stand, walk or even sit upright for long periods of time,” and thus has decided to step away from action.
Desperado was scheduled to kick off tournament action this weekend alongside CMLL’s Mistico. Taking his place will be Young Lion Masatora Yasuda.
The short-notice spot is a huge opportunity for the 27-year-old NJPW trainee. Appearing in his first-ever NJPW tournament (excluding the Young Lion Cup), Yasuda will spend weeks working alongside Mexico’s biggest star currently.
Assuming the matchup schedule doesn’t change due to the substitution, Yasuda and Mistico are expected to face Kuukai and Master Wato as part of Saturday’s card in Saitama.
