2 days ago
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A new match has been added to the card for NJPW x AEW Wrestle Dynasty.
At NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 19, NJPW President Hiroshi Tanahashi defeated EVIL in a Lumberjack Match. Per the stipulation, Tanahashi would have been forced to retire if he lost the match, as opposed to his planned retirement run that will culminate at NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 20 in January 2026.
After the match, HOUSE of TORTURE attacked Tanahashi. AEW’s Katsuyori Shibata made the save. He then challenged Tanahashi to face him at NJPW x AEW Wrestle Dynasty on January 5. Tanahashi accepted the challenge, so the two stars will clash in a singles match for the first time since 2015.
NJPW confirmed that the bout will be a special five-minute exhibition match. This will be Shibata’s first time competing in an NJPW ring since NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 16.
Shibata was previously one of NJPW’s top stars. A subdural hematoma that he suffered in 2017 forced him to retire, but he returned to the ring in 2021. He fully returned to competition in 2022 as he started wrestling for AEW and ROH. Shibata won the ROH Pure Championship at ROH Supercard Of Honor 2023. He later signed with AEW in December 2023 under a permission from NJPW.
In NJPW, Shibata is a former IWGP Tag Team Champion and NEVER Openweight Champion. He also won the New Japan Cup in 2017.
