Katsuyori Shibata is one of the biggest names that NJPW has right now, because no one ever expected him to enter the ring once again. After suffering internal bleeding in his skull after a match with Kazuchika Okada over the IWGP Heavyweight Championship, he was forced into early retirement. However, he fought to get cleared – and tonight with Catch Wrestling rules – Shibata returned to the ring for his first Tokyo Dome match in years. His opponent would be the returning Ren Narita. Narita left Japan in 2019 and demanded to train under Shibata, making this the return. Shibata changed the rules at the last minute to allow strikes, and who will argue with him!
Katsuyori Shibata Gives Ren Narita His Biggest Lesson Yet
Narita would throw some kicks and Shibata checked them, before they moved to the mat. Shibata would put Narita into an armbar attempt, but was foiled. Narita would get Shibata on the ropes and nail a chop, before grabbing the headlock. Shibata would gain control with a headlock Takeover, before Narita narrowly avoided a head kick.
Shibata would apply the Figure Four Leg Lock, but Narita would get the ropes. Narita was beaten into the corner, but as Shibata went across the ring to go for the dropkick, he got rushed. Shibata weathered the strikes, and nailed a tight takedown, before setting up the Hesitation Dropkick!
Narita wouldn’t be outdone, and the armbar attempt was taken into Narita Special #3, a modified cloverleaf – but Shibata fought free. Shibata would kick Narita so hard that he fell out of the ring, before getting some stretches in. He’d take Narita back in, and nearly got tossed onto his head with the Belly to Belly. Narita would look to get the Cobra Twist, but you can’t get the master with his own move.
Shibata grabbed wrist control, and slapped the taste out of Naritas mouth before some deadly mid-kicks. Narita would fire back with a flurry of kicks, before being chopped down with the expert strikes before a massive PK got Shibata his first win since the New Japan Cup in 2022.
House Of Torture Pulls Out All The Tricks
EVIL has gone down a dark path since joining BULLET CLUB and forming his branch known as House of Torture. Constant cheating and interference from Dick Togo ruins otherwise good matches, and driving fans to indifference. However, one man has always brought out the best in EVIL – and that’s Tomohiro Ishii. So tonight when they meet over the NEVER Openweight Championship, a belt reknowned for hard hitting bouts, under the bright lights of the Tokyo Dome? We could see the EVIL of old return.
As soon as Ishii hit the ring, EVIL pulled him out and threw him off the ringpost. Seemingly looking to speedrun his House of Torture spots, he’d grab a chair, have Togo hit Ishii from behind, and the ring announcer was knocked onto his ass. Ishii had a chair around his neck, and EVIL swung a home run. Back in the ring, a corner pad was missing and Ishii was run right into it.
Finally finding his feet, Ishii nailed the backdrop driver – and that one move seemed to do as much damage as everything he’d done to Ishii. EVIL would shove the referee down, and Togo hit a chair shot to Ishii before a Fisherman Buster landed. Ishii was thrown into the exposed steel, and exploded right back out with a lariat.
EVIL Steals The Gold
EVIL couldn’t avoid the superplex, but he’d throw the referee into an Ishii lariat before Togo would choke him out and Yujiro Takahashi got an attempt at Big Juice – but Ishii just as quick took both Togo & Takahashi out. SHO was next with a German Suplex, but finally Ishii got aid as YOH hit the ring.
A new referee arrived, and Ishii psyched himself up by headbutting the corner. He’d be caught with a German Suplex but rolled to this feet. STO was blocked, low blow attempt was foiled, and Ishiii nailed a huge lariat. YOH was holding Dick Togo, but SHO grabbed the referees leg and Takahashi hit a low blow.
EVIL grabbed the title belt, and smacked Ishii across the face before hitting his signature STO for the win. Who will be able to take the NEVER Openweight Championship from House of Torture? Let us know what you think in the comment section down below.
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