Fans can expect to see plenty more of Katsuyori Shibata in All Elite Wrestling now that the Japanese wrestler is officially All-Elite.
On Twitter, AEW President Tony Khan broke the news of Shibata’s signing and described Shibata as one of the greatest fighters and champions ever in wrestling. Khan also shared a letter from Shibata himself in which the new signing spoke about joining the “wonderful” AEW.
Dear Tony Khan,
Today, I have signed the contract with AEW under a permission from New Japan Pro-Wrestling.
In the past year, I worked for AEW/ROH and I learned how wonderful the AEW is.
This is the best environment where wrestlers can focus only on fighting in the ring.
And the love for professional wrestling is overflowing from Tony and all the people who work for him.
I want to make AEW’s ring the last end point of The Wrestler’s career. I dedicate my wrestler life to Tony Khan, and AEW.
Thank you,
Katsuyori Shibata.
It's official: @K_Shibata2022 is ALL ELITE!
Welcome to @AEW for one of the greatest fighters + champions ever in wrestling, legend Katsuyori Shibata! Thank you @njpwglobal for making it possible!
See you all moments from now for #AEWCollision NEXT on TNT after this huge news! pic.twitter.com/91RDUmBQHd
— Tony Khan (@TonyKhan) December 24, 2023
Katsuyori Shibata in AEW
Shibata first appeared for AEW at AEW x NJPW: Forbidden Door in June 2022, saving Orange Cassidy from a beatdown by the United Empire. Shibata would save Cassidy again later that year. In November, Shibata challenged Cassidy for the AEW All-Atlantic Championship but was unsuccessful.
In March of this year, Shibata made his ROH debut and defeated Wheeler Yuta at Supercard of Honor to win the ROH Pure Championship. Shibata retained the title on the June 2, 2023, edition of Rampage against Lee Moriarty. He dropped the title back to Yuta last month on AEW Rampage.
