Katsuyori Shibata will make his return to the ring at Wrestle Kingdom 16 on January 4th as he will be competing under Catch Wrestling Rules against an unknown opponent.
Shibata previously wrestled Zack Sabre Jr under UWF rules in his first bout since 2017 after he was forced into retirement when he suffered a subdural hematoma in the ring. Shibata spoke with Sports Illustrated about his journey. Here are the highlights:
The injury:
“It was such a long, bleak process,” Shibata says through a translator. “It felt like a tunnel without a light at the end. But I took solace in feeling my pain. It caused all sorts of struggles, but that pain was my reminder that I was still alive.”
Always believing he could return:
“I just kept believing with all I had that I would be back in the ring,” Shibata says. “I never stopped believing that.”
Coming back:
“The potential is definitely there,” says Shibata, who is excited to start a new chapter of his career at 42. “I think a lot of today’s wrestlers are very focused on big, flashy moves, and modern wrestling has gotten away from the fundamentals. Those fundamentals and that base are what is most important to New Japan Pro-Wrestling, and that is what I am constantly looking to further. If I had not been injured, the L.A. Dojo would not have come about,” said Shibata. “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.”
Working the event:
“I am going back where I belong,” Shibata says. “On Jan. 4, people will understand. They will feel why I want to be in that ring. It will be something completely different to anything else on that card. When I wrestle, people will see exactly what I have been waiting so long to express.”