At Wrestle Kingdom 16, you can be amazed by the return of wrestling great Shibata. Shibata’s unforgettable return after an injury that could have ended his career wowed the crowd. Fans were mesmerized by this amazing event, where the tough icon beat the odds and showed that determination and emotion have no limits in the world of professional wrestling.
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What Exactly Was Shibata’s Injury?
Katsuyori Shibata, suffered a major brain injury after a devastating headbutt 30 minutes into New Japan’s Sakura Genesis. On April 9 at New Japan’s Sakura Genesis, one of the nastiest things to happen in modern pro wrestling history occurred about 30 minutes into a brutal fight between champion Kazuchika Okada and Katsuyori Shibata.
You can also learn about Katsuyori Shibata’s serious injuries through a tweet:
Katsuyori Shibata is just the latest Japanese wrestling star to suffer a severe head injury: https://t.co/PAbR1clkDn pic.twitter.com/rZG9tmy65S
— Deadspin (@Deadspin) April 21, 2017
After shrugging off Okada’s Rainmaker clothesline, Shibata locked eyes with him and gave him a solid forehead-to-forehead headbutt. The sound was like a ripe melon crashing to the floor with a very nauseating wet thud. A thin trickle of bl00d mixed with sweat ran down the center of Shibata’s face as Okada went down.
The two men continued the bout, with Okada emerging unscathed, but Shibata suffering from a subdural hematoma, the result of a ruptured bl00d artery and the subsequent pooling of bl00d in the brain. following Shibata’s collapse backstage following the match, he was immediately taken to the hospital. The 37-year-old may never wrestle again, according to reports this week.
Shibata Could Make a Memorable Comeback At Wrestle Kingdom 16
Katsuyori Shibata’s life was in danger after the headbutt. This story serves as a warning to anyone thinking about trying their hand at wrestling. The striking Shibata was a physical specimen who used the headbutt to defeat his opponents. But that’s a move where the one doing the hitting takes the biggest hit.
Shibata collapsed four years ago after sustaining brain damage from many headbutts. At Sakura Genesis, held by New Japan Pro-Wrestling in April of 2017, he had just finished the match of the night against Kazuchika Okada. This 38-minute clinic blatantly announced his arrival in the main event.
However, its success was doomed to be fleeting.
Backstage at Rygoku Kokugikan, Shibata was lying on the floor as a subdural hematoma damaged his brain irreparably. Internal bleeding severely injured his left brain, temporarily paralyzing his right side. Once New Japan’s brightest star, Shibata now faced a test more formidable than any opponent he had ever met in the ring. There was a battle for Shibata’s life.
NJPW star Katsuyori Shibata stated in an interview with Justin Barrasso from Sports Illustrated, Where he describes his journey from being injured to Returning:
“It was such a long, bleak process,” Shibata says through a translator. “It felt like a tunnel without a light at the end. But I took solace in feeling my pain. It caused all sorts of struggles, but that pain was my reminder that I was still alive.”
Shibata maintained his courage and determination through every trial. The hope or the prayer that he would get better and return to a New Japan ring in all his glory kept him going.
“I just kept believing with all I had that I would be back in the ring,” Shibata says. “I never stopped believing that.”
Shibata’s wish will be granted in two days, on January 4, at the Tokyo Dome. At Wrestle Kingdom 16, he’ll face off against an unnamed opponent in a match sure to make viewers’ eyes water.
Shibata competed in a five-minute grappling battle in October to gauge his strength. When he faced Zack Sabre Jr. on the final night of the G1 Climax, he displayed a sophisticated grapple-based technique.
“catch wrestling” regulations will be in effect for Shibata’s match at Wrestle Kingdom, which means that stretches and submissions will be allowed, but strikes will not. It’s a system that, in Shibata’s mind, will pave the way for his success in professional wrestling.
“The potential is definitely there,” says Shibata, who is excited to start a new chapter of his career at 42. “I think a lot of today’s wrestlers are very focused on big, flashy moves, and modern wrestling has gotten away from the fundamentals. Those fundamentals and that base are what is most important to New Japan Pro-Wrestling, and that is what I am constantly looking to further.”
Shibata, ever upbeat, even thinks good things have come out of his acc!dent.
“If I had not been injured, the L.A. Dojo would not have come about,” said Shibata. “I was not able to have a match, but I was wrestling in spirit with all the L.A. Dojo boys. That kept me strong, and it will bring new opportunities for so many who love New Japan Pro-Wrestling. So a lot of good has come from this.”
Okada, a legend in the business, allegedly said that professional wrestlers possess superhuman abilities. If that’s the case, Superman no longer appears from a phone booth but rather strolls to the ring with a black towel slung over his neck.
To learn more about the following athletes and the negative impact their injuries have had on their careers, please visit the following links:
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- What Is The Net Worth Of Greg Oden And What Injury Made His Career End?
“I heard what Okada said, talking about superhumans,” Shibata says, his boyish grin returning to form. “He was probably referring to me, right?”
When a wrestler suffers a life-changing injury, the sport loses a portion of its beauty forever. But something miraculous happened this time. Shibata is doing fine right now. There’s just one appropriate venue for his joyous occasion.
“I am going back where I belong,” Shibata says. “On Jan. 4, people will understand. They will feel why I want to be in that ring.” “It will be something completely different from anything else on that card. When I wrestle, people will see exactly what I have been waiting so long to express.”
That’s all we can tell you now about Shibata’s injury; if we learn anything more, you can expect it to be discussed on Talkxbox.com, so be sure to bookmark that page.