Retired legend returns to the ring after 5 years at Wrestle Kingdom

At Wrestle Kingdom 18, Takashi Iizuka made his return to professional wrestling and competed in a match for the first time in five years.

Iizuka is a former member of the legendary Suzuki-gun. He joined the stable in 2014 when he turned on Toru Yano and betrayed the CHAOS faction.

During the New Japan RANBO at Wrestle Kingdom 18, the 57-year-old legend returned to in-ring competition. He briefly joined the House of Torture before turning his back on them.

Watch Iizuka in action at Wrestle Kingdom 18:

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Iizuka retired from professional wrestling in February 2019 after being a part of New Japan Pro-Wrestling for 33 years.

In the weeks leading up to his retirement, Iizuka's former tag team partner, Hiroyoshi Tenzan, asked him to return to his former self. In his final match, Iizuka teamed up with Minoru Suzuki and Taichi and lost to the trio of Tenzan, Kazuchika Okada, and Toru Yano.

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After his final match, Iizuka briefly reunited with Tenzan before Suzuki-gun jumped him. He left his iron glove in the ring and confirmed his retirement.

Going forward, it remains to be seen if Iizuka will be a part of NJPW, having made his in-ring return.

What are your thoughts on Iizuka's return? Sound off in the comments section below.

About the author

Soumik Datta is a professional wrestling journalist who has been following the business for more than a decade.

In 2017, Soumik joined the Sportskeeda Wrestling team and is best known for his work with the WWE team. He has previously contributed to the Sportskeeda AEW, MMA, and the football team where he specifically covered the Major League Soccer.

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Edited by Angana Roy