4 Ups & 5 Downs From NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 16 (Night 1)

2. Katsuyori Shibata vs. Ren Narita

NJPW played a dangerous game with the marketing of Katsuyori Shibata's in-ring return.

This was always going to be one of the most hotly-anticipated things on the card, given the circumstances, so announcing it first as a regular match, then switching to catch rules (no striking, basically) a few days prior to the event raised the ire of many a fan. People had been conditioned to expect a traditional wrestling match. That they were upset was understandable, though Shibata threw it away as soon as he hit the ring here, forgoing the rules and working a regular bout with LA Dojo student Ren Narita.

Starting as a snug grappling contest before unravelling after Narita slapped his mentor on a rope break, the match was carefully laid out to avoid Shibata taking head trauma. Whether this was done out of necessity or to build to the returnee absorbing bigger bombs down the road didn't matter to the bout's quality, as the duo (who've likely spent the past few years training with each other every single work) worked a fine comeback contest, increasing in intensity through strikes (none of which landed on Shibata's cranium) and the victor's signature spots.

Most important of all was that none of Shibata's fearsome aura has dissipated through this period of activity. The guy still looks, feels, and carries himself like the baddest man between the ropes, whether staring a hole through Narita or blasting him with corner kicks. This bodes well going forward. Shibata is still Shibata, even if he can't take a Brainbuster at the moment.