Can "shiai" also mean "fight"?

[andycarmenjapanese8100]

I was watching New Japan Pro Wrestling today and the commentators kept using the word "shiai". In English we have different words for regular sports and combat sports, for example a "football game" or "boxing match". Can "shiai" mean "match" or "fight" as well as "game"?

[community.japanese]

andycarmenjapanese8100-san,
very well observated! Yes!
"shiai" is used for any kind of sports which involves two sides (either indivisual or group/team), and can be
translated as "match", "game", "fight", or even "competition".

So, you're a big fan of sports?

Natsuko(奈津子),
Team JapanesePod101.com

[andycarmenjapanese8100]

So, you're a big fan of sports?

I like wrestling and boxing. At the moment I'm watching New Japan's Fantasticamania shows from last month where Mexican luchadores wrestle the Japanese stars. Hiroshi Tanahashi, Minoru Suzuki and Togi Makabe are my favourites. It's my dream to attend one of their Tokyo Dome shows in January.

[community.japanese]

andycarmenjapanese8100-san,
ouch; fightints....
Wow, Tokyo Dome show must be an exciting one for you! You might want to cover vocab for those sports
I can't really be a big help there, but it's always nice to learn vocab related to your hobbies and interests, right?
Unless you send me "painful-to-watch" videos to help with ( ), I'm happy to help you!
Make your dream come true!

Natsuko(奈津子),
Team JapanesePod101.com