The Los Ingobernables star took a brutal bump on the back of his neck after a botched Phoenix Plex from rival Dragon Lee. Hiromu was able to finish the match as planned, but he reportedly collapsed backstage after the match and was taken to the hospital.
According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Hiromu did suffer a broken neck during his match with Dragon Lee. The good news is that there was no nerve damage, which has shortened some careers - and in several cases ended the careers – of other wrestlers who have suffered similar injuries.
Dave Meltzer is reporting that New Japan doctors believe Hiromu’s current timetable for return is 9-12 months. Because there was no serious nerve damage, it’s really just a matter of the bones mending and waiting for his neck to be strong enough to take bumps. At most, he’s looking at 6 months before he can get back to training and doing anything physical.
There's no word at the moment on what's going to happen with the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight title.