Tony Khan Confirms Katsuyori Shibata’s Interest In Fighting Top AEW Star In Dream Match

Katsuyori Shibata will face one of AEW’s best wrestlers if Tony Khan gets his way.

Katsuyori Shibata made a surprise appearance on the November November 2nd edition of Dynamite. Shibata faced All-Atlantic Champion Orange Cassidy for the title on Rampage, but lost that match.

But despite losing to Cassidy, Katsuyori Shibata already has his eyes set on a much better wrestler; one that many would consider a dream opponent for “The Wrestler”: Bryan Danielson.

During Tony Khan’s interview with Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated, the AEW owner expressed how much a fan of Shibata’s he is and how he thinks that Shibata wrestling other AEW stars is money.

“There was interest from all three parties—AEW, New Japan Pro-Wrestling, and Katsuyori Shibata. I am a big fan of Shibata, and I have a great relationship with the New Japan Pro-Wrestling office.

When we started working together earlier this year to promote Forbidden Door, they mentioned to me that Shibata is a big AEW fan—and that he was very interested in fighting for AEW.

That got me very excited. He’s one of the top wrestlers of this century, and he is also an amazing comeback story. I’m so excited that the next step in his comeback is to come here and challenge for the AEW All-Atlantic Championship.

He also wants to wrestle Bryan Danielson. If he wins the belt from Orange Cassidy, then that could be a title match.”

This interview took place before AEW Rampage and thus didn’t take Cassidy’s successful title defense into account.

As for Katsuyori Shibata and Bryan Danielson, neither one of them is booked for either Full Gear in November or NJPW Wrestle Kingom 17 in January.

And with reports suggesting that WK17 will include AEW wrestlers, the possibility of Bryan vs. Shibata becomes more likely than ever.