Overnight it was sadly reported by Tokyo Sports that former New Japan wrestler Katsuya Kitamura had passed away aged just 36. No cause of death is currently known, although it’s understood he passed on Wednesday after he felt unwell and called an ambulance. The highly accomplished amateur wrestler had last wrestled in 2018 and was forced to retire after suffering a severe concussion that sidelined him for a year. He did, though, fight an MMA match last November, losing via rear-naked choke in the second round, and remained active in bodybuilding.
Kitamura had previously been a controversial figure in Japan after a positive discovery of the anabolic steroids drostanolone resulted in him being prevented from competing for Japan’s Olympic wrestling team for the 2012 London Olympic Games. However, he always denied taking the illegal muscle-building drug purposely, claiming it was an accident caused by a supplement. He would later go on to train at the New Jaan Dojo in 2015 and, due to his look, stood out from everyone and would receive a push in 2017 by winning the Young Lion Cup. This saw him voted the Wrestling Observer’s 2017 Rookie of the Year, and it had been expected that he’d become a massive star.
