Katsuyori Shibata is a Japanese professional wrestler, mixed martial artist and professional wrestling trainer.
48 Facts About Katsuyori Shibata
2.
Katsuyori Shibata is currently working for New Japan Pro-Wrestling and Ring of Honor, where he is the current ROH Pure Champion in his first reign.
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Katsuyori Shibata is a former holder of Revolution Pro Wrestling's British Heavyweight Championship.
4.
Since March 2018, Shibata has served as the head coach of NJPW's dojo in Los Angeles.
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Katsuyori Shibata attended Kuwana Kogyo High School in Kuwana, Mie, where he was classmates with Hirooki Goto.
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The son of former Japan Pro Wrestling Alliance and New Japan Pro-Wrestling competitor Katsuhisa Shibata, Katsuyori was an amateur wrestler during his school days and was competing at national level in 1997.
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Katsuyori Shibata made his professional wrestling debut on October 10,1999, facing close friend Wataru Inoue at a New Japan Pro-Wrestling event.
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Alongside fellow rookies Hiroshi Tanahashi and Shinsuke Nakamura, Katsuyori Shibata became known as one of the "new Three Musketeers".
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In 2000, Katsuyori Shibata took part in the 2000 Young Lion Cup, eventually finishing 3rd place with 6 points.
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Katsuyori Shibata and Wataru worked their way up the junior ranks together, though Katsuyori Shibata was a slight step ahead of Inoue throughout their joint rise, and subsequently challenged for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship first against Kendo Kashin on October 28,2001, but lost.
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In July 2003, Katsuyori Shibata challenged for both the IWGP Tag Team Championship and the IWGP U-30 Openweight Championship but failed to win either title.
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Katsuyori Shibata then entered the 2003 G1 Climax, where he placed 3rd in his block with 5 points.
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In 2005, Katsuyori Shibata left New Japan, becoming a freelancer and has most notably fought for Big Mouth Loud and Pro Wrestling Noah.
14.
In Noah, Katsuyori Shibata teamed with Kenta on several occasions including challenging for the GHC Tag Team Championship and defeating Go Shiozaki and Mitsuharu Misawa where Katsuyori Shibata pinned the future heavyweight champion: Shiozaki.
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On January 4,2006, Katsuyori Shibata returned to New Japan at Toukon Shidou Chapter 1, where he defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi.
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On December 31,2011, Katsuyori Shibata returned to professional wrestling to compete on the Inoki Genome Federation's Fight For Japan: Genki Desu Ka Omisoka 2011 year end event.
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At the event, Katsuyori Shibata teamed with fellow pro wrestler-turned-mixed martial artist Kazushi Sakuraba to defeat the team of Shinichi Suzukawa and Atsushi Sawada.
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On January 4,2013, at Wrestle Kingdom 7 in Tokyo Dome, Katsuyori Shibata suffered his first defeat since his return to professional wrestling, when he was defeated by Togi Makabe in a singles grudge match.
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From August 1 to 11, Katsuyori Shibata took part in the 2013 G1 Climax, where he finished with a record of five wins and four losses, with a loss against Hiroshi Tanahashi on the final day costing him a spot in the finals.
20.
On January 4,2014, at Wrestle Kingdom 8 in Tokyo Dome, Katsuyori Shibata was defeated by Hirooki Goto, who was returning from an injury, which had kept him sidelined for the past five months.
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Katsuyori Shibata expressed interest in challenging for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship, but was told by the reigning champion, Kazuchika Okada, to earn his title shot at the 2014 New Japan Cup.
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From July 21 to August 8, Katsuyori Shibata took part in the 2014 G1 Climax, where he finished fourth in his block with a record of six wins and four losses.
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From July 20 to August 14, Katsuyori Shibata took part in the 2015 G1 Climax, where he finished in the middle of his block with a record of four wins and five losses.
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On January 4,2016, at Wrestle Kingdom 10, Katsuyori Shibata won his first singles title in NJPW, when he defeated Tomohiro Ishii for the NEVER Openweight Championship.
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On May 3 at Wrestling Dontaku 2016, Katsuyori Shibata lost the title to Yuji Nagata in his fourth defense.
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From July 22 to August 13, Katsuyori Shibata took part in the 2016 G1 Climax, where he finished with a record of five wins and four losses.
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Katsuyori Shibata failed to advance to the finals due to losing to Evil on the final day.
28.
On November 15, Katsuyori Shibata regained the NEVER Openweight Championship from Evil on NJPW's Wrestling World 2016 event in Singapore.
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Katsuyori Shibata lost the title to Hirooki Goto on January 4,2017, at Wrestle Kingdom 11 in Tokyo Dome.
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On March 20, Katsuyori Shibata defeated Bad Luck Fale in the finals to win the 2017 New Japan Cup.
31.
Katsuyori Shibata's injury was similar to that which killed mixed martial artist Tim Hague a couple of months later.
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The injury was caused by Katsuyori Shibata's repeated use of a headbutt as a signature move, something he had been doing regularly since the summer of 2016.
33.
On June 9,2019, at Dominion 6.9 in Osaka-jo Hall, Katsuyori Shibata returned to introduce the debuting KENTA.
34.
At Power Struggle, Katsuyori Shibata was ambushed by KENTA during the main event of Jay White and Hirooki Goto as he was attempting to aid his former tag partner.
35.
On December 15,2021, Katsuyori Shibata made the announcement that he would wrestle at the January 4,2022, Wrestle Kingdom 16 event, his first official match since April 2017.
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In November 2016, Katsuyori Shibata returned to RPW at Global Wars UK, a cross-promoted show with NJPW.
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On January 21,2017, Katsuyori Shibata made another successful title defense against Matt Riddle at RPW's High Stakes event.
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On June 26,2022, Katsuyori Shibata appeared at AEW x NJPW: Forbidden Door to save Orange Cassidy from a post-match beatdown from United Empire.
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On March 31,2023, Katsuyori Shibata made his Ring of Honor debut, in which he defeated Wheeler Yuta at Supercard of Honor in Los Angeles, California for the ROH Pure Championship.
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Katsuyori Shibata debuted in mixed martial arts on May 15,2004 at JF Jungle Fights 2 where he defeated Webster Dauphiney by an arm triangle choke in Round 1.
41.
Katsuyori Shibata returned to MMA in 2007 where he joined the Fighting and Entertainment Group promoted K-1 Hero's, in his K-1 Hero's debut on March 12,2007, at Hero's 8, he defeated Yoshihisa Yamamoto by TKO in 9 seconds.
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Katsuyori Shibata lost to Ralek Gracie at K-1 Hero's: Middleweight Tournament Opening Round by submitting to an armbar.
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Katsuyori Shibata then lost to Kazushi Sakuraba at K-1 Hero's Tournament Final submitting to an armbar.
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Katsuyori Shibata fought his last K-1 Hero's fight at K-1 Olympia Hero'S 2007 in Korea on October 28,2007, against Heo Min Seok.
45.
In 2008, Katsuyori Shibata began fighting for FEG's new organization: Dream.
46.
Katsuyori Shibata's next fight was against Yoshihiro Akiyama losing to him by Submission.
47.
Katsuyori Shibata then fought at Deep where he drew with Yasuhito Namekawa at Deep: 38 Impact.
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Katsuyori Shibata's most recent fight was a defeat to Ryuta Sakurai via TKO on August 26,2011, at Deep: 55 Impact.