Katsuyori Shibata Competes In Exhibition Bout At NJPW G1 Climax 31 Finals, Says He’ll Wrestle Again
Katsuyori Shibata is back.
During the final night of the G1 Climax 31 tournament, Katsuyori Shibata competed in a five-minute UWF rules exhibition bout against Zack Sabre Jr.
The bout came as a surprise with Zack Sabre Jr, who wasn’t booked for a match, coming to the ring and warming up. Shibata’s music hit, stunning the crowd as he came dressed to compete. To the surprise of everyone, it was announced that the two men would have a five-minute UWF rules exhibition bout.
The two men exchanged holds for five minutes with the bout ending in a draw as Shibata had ZSJ in an Octopus stretch. After the exhibition, the two men shook hands. Shibata then grabbed the mic and said next time it will be an actual match.
Shibata hasn’t wrestled since April 2017 due to a subdural hematoma. He was involved in an angle with KENTA in 2019, but a match never came to fruition. He helps train the young lions at the NJPW LA Dojo.
You can find results from the NJPW G1 Climax at Fightful’s results section.
