Shibata asked if he has any ties contractually with NJPW or if he’s signed exclusively to AEW/ROH: “If Tony wished, I’m ready to make a commitment.”

17 comments

1. I wish NJPW would just let him wrestle in Japan 😔 but if he’s happy im glad

2. Shibata is probably my second favorite current wrestler. I can’t even watch these AEW matches. It might as well be a different wrestler. I definitely put the blame on NJPW here though. Shibata’s return would’ve been a huge shot in the arm of the HW division.

3. I mean njpw don’t wanna use him…might as well

4. If NJPW has no desire to use him despite Shibata actively wanting to.. I don’t see why not

5. Good to see him happy

6. Shibata is one of my favourite wrestlers of all time.

   If he’s happy, I’m happy. That is all.

7. Sad, genuinely, his ROH matches are cool but I genuinely can’t bother with ROH and the booking.

   I wish he was in Japan wrestling with Narita, Gabe, Alex and just beating his kids up (I guess). But as long as he’s happy, i’m happy.

   Now give me Shibata vs Danielson

8. It’s sad that NJPW doesn’t want to use him, the crowd would be so happy to see him wrestle and he could elevate some guys even if he’s obviously not the same wrestler he was before the injury.

9. Tbh its very clear to me that njpw aren’t leaving money on the table during an industry downturn for no reason. Shibata v okada would be a big money match.

   So there is obviously something at play. If they don’t think he’s healthy enough then I feel they are probably making the right call from their perspective.

10. He’s happier in AEW should definately be signed.

11. I think they should start pushing away narita from shibata clone if they can’t even fight.

12. My theory is NJPW would love to use him, but the insurance risk of him getting another critical head injury is too much for them to be able to cover the cash for the policy. Hence Tony being able to use him as he has the bankroll.

13. I’m glad he’s OK and being able to wrestle again seems like a miracle for him. I have trouble enjoying his matches just because I worry he’s going to be severely injured during them. Kind of like late career Taker, except Shibata is still good. His backhand to Yuta a while ago dispelled that for a couple of minutes though lol.

14. The more I think of it, the more it seems like Gedo has something out for people linked to Inokiism, or at the very least, people that Kidani backed early on in Bushiroad’s tenure. Shibata and Sakuraba were both guys Kidani wanted to bring in because he was a UWF mark, and apparently Gedo threw a fit over that when it happened. Shibata always felt like he was being pushed down the card and had to fight his way to the top. Narita, Shibata’s top student, is now basically a dork. Nakamura had a limited ceiling in NJPW despite being the hottest guy in the company at one point. I’m a bit worried about Oleg Boltin now because Gedo might see him as a throwback to an era he doesn’t view positively. You didn’t see Russian/Eastern European amateur wrestlers running around in Memphis.

    I feel bad for Shibata. You could tell he really wanted to have an amazing comeback story in NJPW and it fell in their lap, but Gedo might not want to deal with it. If NJPW doesn’t want to book him, then I can’t really blame him for finding a home in AEW, I just hope he doesn’t get lost in the shuffle after Tony gets tired of playing with his action figure.

15. The style he wrestles in an American promotion like AEW is something he can do without risking his life the way going as hard as he’d want in Japan would.

16. Wrestlers change their style. It’s a part of getting older, it’s a part of being more experienced, and yes, it’s a part of picking up injuries.

    And every wrestler is one bad bump from a major injury. A little more force and CM Punk would be called Ace because of Kojima. Osprey knocked Ibushi completely unconscious. ZSJ put Naito on the shelf for a long time. Dragon Lee put Hiromu on the shelf for over a year. I can go on and on.

17. Shibata using google translator is the most Shibata thing to happen