KATSUYORI SHIBATA

Colette Arrand Jan 4, 2022. 4 minute read

Obviously, Katsuyori Shibata’s Return to Pro Wrestling Ruled

In 2019, I declared Katsuyori Shibata a wrestler of the decade. The last six words of that essay were “I hope he never wrestles again.” I both do and don’t stand by that hope. I do because there’s a heightened awareness of wrestling’s inherent danger when someone like Shibata or…

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Colette Arrand Dec 11, 2019. 4 minute read

Katsuyori Shibata Is the Wrestler of the Decade

Let’s start at the end: On April 9, 2017, Katsuyori Shibata wrestled Kazuchika Okada for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship in the main event of Sakura Genesis. He hasn’t wrestled since. After the match, he collapsed backstage and was rushed to the hospital, where he underwent surgery for a subdermal hematoma,…

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