No one expected to see NJPW legend Katsuyori Shibata show up last night as part of AEW Dynamite. He would make the post-match save after Orange Cassidy defended the AEW All-Atlantic Championship against both Rey Fenix & Luchasaurus, after PAC looked to get some blows on his recent rival. However, the music of Shibata was enough to send PAC running – and would result in Orange Cassidy choosing Shibata for a title shot this Friday on AEW Rampage. While this will be the AEW debut of Shibata, he has one more match on his mind.
Katsuyori Shibata Has Two Matches In Mind For AEW
Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer would detail that it was Shibata who requested the match against Orange Cassidy. Cassidy was one of the two men Shibata requested to work against in AEW, with the other opponent he hopes to face being Bryan Danielson. With Danielson being always looking for a bridge into New Japan Pro Wrestling and previously stating Shibata as a dream match, he will jump at the chance to wrestle him.
We know Katsuyori Shibata vs. Orange Cassidy will happen this Friday at a live edition of AEW Rampage. It’s unclear on if Shibata will claim the victory and become AEW All-Atlantic Champion – but it would bring some serious attention to the belt. Cassidy is a safe opponent for Shibata, who was forced into retirement after a 2017 injury during a match over the IWGP Heavyweight Championship against Kazuchika Okada.
Shibata wrestled his first match in years against his protege Ren Narita on January 4th at Wrestle Kingdom. It was supposed to just be a grappling showcase, with Shibata deciding to turn it into a proper match on the fly – and facing some backlash backstage for the choice. Shibata remains the head trainer of the NJPW LA Dojo, which has kept him in incredible shape even throughout his retirement.
When do you think Shibata will wrestle Bryan Danielson? Let us know what you think in the comment section down below.
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