After Orange Cassidy, Katsuyori Shibata Wants Dream Match With This Top AEW Star
The Wrestler is said to be extremely keen on facing this major AEW name.
With last night's AEW Dynamite shockingly lining up Katsuyori Shibata to face Orange Cassidy on this week's AEW Rampage, the NJPW icon also has Bryan Danielson in his sights.
Speaking on the latest edition of Wrestling Observer Radio (as per WrestlingHeadlines.com), Dave Meltzer stated that Shibata has plans for two major AEW matches. As revealed last night, one of those bouts will see the Wrestler challenge for Freshly Squeezed's All-Atlantic Championship on Friday's Rampage. Elsewhere, it's the American Dragon who is also in Shibata's crosshairs.
Many wrestling fans have long dreamed of a Katsuyori Shibata vs. Bryan Danielson contest, and Meltzer notes that Shibata himself is similarly keen to put himself up against the Blackpool Combat Club man. Considering how both men previously had to retire due to health reasons, such a match was viewed as one of the great missed 'what ifs...' of the business by some. Now, that once impossible dream seems like it may well become a reality at some point.
The head coach at New Japan Pro-Wrestling's Los Angeles dojo, Shibata's Dynamite appearance last night - and subsequent upcoming Rampage outing - came about simply because he was free this week. As such, it was agreed that he'd face Orange Cassidy, with the three-time NEVER Openweight Champion having previously come to OC's rescue at AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door earlier this year once Will Ospreay and United Empire laid a post-match beating on Cassidy following his loss to the Aerial Assassin.
In terms of seeing Shibata vs. Danielson, it's not known yet when that match will take place, but this latest report indicates that Katsuyori is clearly keen to push forward with that bout.