NJPW superstar Katsuyori Shibata shocked fans at today’s G1 Climax finals event when he returned to the ring and faced Zack Sabre Jr. in a five-minute UWF rules exhibition matchup. The bout ended in a draw, but did see Shibata showcase his chain-wrestling skills, and even trapped ZSJ in an Octopus Stretch submission.
Afterwards Shibata grabbed a microphone and announced that next time he’s in the ring he will be in an actual match. He has not wrestled since April of 2017 due to a subdural hematoma suffered during a classic showdown with Kazuchika Okada. He was briefly involved in an angle with KENTA back in 2019 but an official matchup was never able to take place.
Katsuyori Shibata wrestles Zack Sabre Jr. in New Japan ring NOW!!
Check it out on New Japan World!
Watch LIVE, in ENGLISH!: https://t.co/9GEyBp0FJH#njpw #G1FINAL pic.twitter.com/uP4P512DPH
— njpwworld (@njpwworld) October 21, 2021