Ahead of his match at Wrestle Kingdom 16, Katsuyori Shibata talks his return.
On night one of Wrestle Kingdom 16 on January 4th, Katsuyori Shibata will compete in a Catch Wrestling match against an opponent that has yet to be named. This upcoming bout is going to be Shibata’s second since his subdural hematoma injury in 2017.
Back in October, Shibata competed in a UWF-rules exhibition match against Zack Sabre Jr. Although the former 3-time NEVER Openweight Champion was sidelined for three-plus years, he told Sports Illustrated that he feels some good has come with being out of action such as the formation of the NJPW L.A. Dojo.
If I had not been injured, the L.A. Dojo would not have come about. I was not able to have a match, but I was wrestling in spirit with all the L.A. Dojo boys. That kept me strong, and it will bring new opportunities for so many who love New Japan Pro-Wrestling. So a lot of good has come from this.
The full lineups for nights one and two of Wrestle Kingdom 16 can be found here and on January 8th, day three of Wrestle Kingdom 16 is taking place which is the NJPW versus Pro Wrestling NOAH show.
