The far east has its eyes on the American Dragon. Since Summer 2021, Bryan Danielson has made it clear that he wants to compete for New Japan Pro Wrestling. During his free agency period, WWE were so keen on keeping Danielson that they reportedly were willing to let him work NJPW’s G1 Climax. Danielson ultimately ended up inking a deal with AEW, one which has him on the books for limited dates and also allows him to work with other companies, not necessarily just New Japan. The former WWE Champion was set to have his first contest against a NJPW opponent in the form of fellow technician Zack Sabre Jr. at AEW x NJPW: Forbidden Door, but an ill-timed injury forced him to pull out of the match.
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Danielson is back to full health now, and another New Japan star has his eyes on him. Katsuyori Shibata made a surprise appearance on AEW Dynamite this week, coming to the aid of Orange Cassidy. With the ring cleared, Shibata signed Cassidy’s open contract for an AEW All-Atlantic Championship match, setting the stage for the two to do battle on AEW Rampage this Friday.ย
As reported on the Wrestling Observer Radio, Shibata has requested two opponents in AEW: Cassidy and Danielson. While the former is already set, the latter remains to be booked. It’s currently unknown how long Shibata will be in AEW, but the report added that the company is in progress of getting both of his requested matches done.
Shibata is a curious case in the professional wrestling world. The Japanese native wrestled regularly for nearly two decades, collecting three NEVER Openweight Titles and winning the New Japan Cup in 2017 over his tenure. That Cup victory earned him a title shot against IWGP Heavyweight Champion Kazuchika Okada, which he came up short in. After that match, Shibata collapsed and was rushed to a hospital. There, a subdural hematoma was discovered in Shibata’s brain. This required emergency surgery that ultimately saved his life. Due to the severity of this injury, many believed Shibata would never wrestle again. Since 2017, Shibata has wrestled three matches, albeit with limited physicality.
Danielson continues to be a hot commodity among the NJPW locker room, as Okada has previously emphasized his desire to lock up with the Blackpool Combat Club member.
“I was hoping to meet Bryan Danielson at Forbidden Door, but unfortunately that couldn’t happen,” Okada said earlier this week. “Since we couldn’t talk backstage, I’m happy to meet him in the ring next time.”
Shibata makes his AEW in-ring debut this Friday on AEW Rampage.
