Csonka’s Top 10 Katsuyori Shibata Matches of 2016

WELCOME back, back to the column that makes lists and hopes that you enjoy them. This week’s column will look back at Katsuyori Shibata’s best of 2016. I always hear a lot of people saying that they can’t decide what to watch because they do not have enough time to follow everything, so maybe this will help those of you short on time find some stuff to check out. Shibata is a favorite of mine and gets overlooked way too much. Also, if you saw matches from companies I do not regularly catch; feel free to share them with the others. The more wrestling we share, the more fun we can have.

10. From The NJPW G1 Climax (Night 12) – Katsuyori Shibata vs. Kenny Omega [****]: Omega stepped up to Shibata right away, which was not the best of ideas because Shibata got pissed and beat his ass. GEDO SPECIAL time, where Omega sent Shibata over the barricade and Shibata was selling the knee. Omega then took the heat, working on the leg with a stretch muffler and then tossing Shibata into the corner knee first. Shibata fought back, running around a bit too much for my tastes considering the knee work. I mean, he doesn’t have to sell it like death this early, but flat out sprinting on the leg is bad form. Anyway, he caught Omega with a sleeper suplex, which led to a back and froth striking battle and then they traded nasty Germans. Wow, that sounded bad, trading nasty Germans sounds like something you’d do at 2AM at an underground sex club. Omega then worked a heel hook, Shibata escaped, and then Omega went for the one winged angel and Shibata countered out with an arm bar and inverted triangle. Omega smarty went back to the knee as well as attacking the taped up shoulder of Shibata. Omega then connected with a pair of knee strikes for a good near fall. He hit a third, but Shibata countered the one winged angle into a sleeper. Omega did a GREAT and long fight spot from the sleeper, but eventually fell and ate a PK. This was another great match, with Omega really being locked in a more serious mode to contend with Shibata. I though that they worked a really strong match, and Omega lost nothing in the end because of how it was laid out and his great fire at the end fighting off the sleeper. The only real negative was Shibata being a little too much Dean Ambrose in the selling department.

9. From NJPW Power Struggle – NEVER Openweight Title Match: Champion Katsuyori Shibata vs. EVIL [****]: They beat the hell out of each other early, gong back and forth with strikes and more power based moves. Shibata then kicked EVIL in the face and sent him to the floor. When Shibata followed to the floor, he was in EVIL’s world, and EVIL attacked the taped up shoulder and used the chair to wrap around his arm and post him. We got a countout tease, and then when Shibata returned, EVIL kept attacking the arm and shoulder. EVIL then started to kick away at Shibata, who dared him to keep attacking and even brushed it off. Shibata fired up, hitting corner strikes and the running dropkicks. Shibata then face washed him several times a she took control back. Shibata then slowed things down, working the abdominal stretch. EVIL didn’t appreciate that, fought out and worked over Shibata in the corner. Shibata is so great in what he does, nothing overly elaborate, jus a stiff shot here and there, a kick to the face and he’s back in control. Shibata tried for the sleeper, but EVIL scored with the belly to back suplex to cut him off. EVIL I coming off particularly brutal here today, and I dig it. EVIL hits the sitout powerbomb for the near fall. They did some great counter work, with Shibata countering the STO and scoring with one of his own. He was slow to follow up, trying to shake out the arm, which allowed EVIL to lay in some strikes. They traded center ring, just beating the hell out of each other. EVIL would keep going back to the arm, escaped the sleeper once but Shibata went for it again. EVIL pulled away at the injured arm to try and escape, started to fade and then Shibata killed him with the sleeper suplex. EVIL rolled to the floor, Shibata followed and Evil tossed the ref into him and then hit a belt shot. EVIL then tossed chairs into the ring, wrapped one around Shibata’s head and then hit it off with the other chair. The fisherman’s buster followed and got 2. EVIL then hit the STO and picked up the win. That was a really important win and performance for EVIL. He’s had some great outing, but really felt as if things were coming together here against Shibata. The ending took away a bit for me, I don’t thin it was needed and also feel that EVIL winning clean in a hard fought battle does more for him, but they worked the right match, they got a great crowd response and it was different from everything else on the show and that made it feel fresh/more important.

8. From NJPW Wrestling World in Singapore 11.15.16 NEVER Openweight Championship Match: Katsuyori Shibata defeated Champion EVIL @ 16:25 via pin to become the new champion [****¼]: Shibata looked for limb work, but EVIL wanted no part of that grappling bullshit. Shibata then punted EVIL’s arm nearly out of the socket, allowing him to attack the arm once again. EVIL rolled to the apron, where Shibata worked a sleeper and then sent him all the way to he floor. Bad idea as EVIL grabbed the chair right away, Shibata was hip to his game and stopped that, taking the chair and trying but failing to use it on EVIL. EVIL then wrapped it around the arm of Shibata and posted him, that was on Shibata’s taped up shoulder, which EVIL had a hand in injuring. EVIL focused on brutalizing the shoulder, no slick arm work or anything, just clubbing away and trying to hurt Shibata by any means necessary. Which is perfect because EVIL is not a technician, he’s a bruiser. Shibata finally sat up and brushed him off, demanding that EVIL bring his best. Shibata then fired back with the running corner kicks, taking control back. Shibata then slowed things, applying the abdominal stretch. EVIL made the ropes, but ate hard kicks for daring to do so. EVIL then snagged Shibata up and hit the fisherman’s buster for a near fall. Shibata again went for the sleeper, EVIL stunned him off the ropes and followed with the lariat, sending Shibata to the floor for the countout tease. Back in, EVIL took control back and scored a near fall. Shibata then fired back, they traded German suplexes and lariats for the double down, the crows even gave them a “this is awesome chant.” They traded big forearm strikes, Shibata got the better of thing, until EVIL blocked the PK. EVIL then fought off the sleeper again, and decapitated Shibata with the lariat. EVIL grabbed a chair, slid it in and then grabbed another. He wrapped one around Shibata’s head and then hit it off baseball style with the other. The sitout powerbomb got a near fall for EVIL. The crowd tried to rally Shibata, who hit an STO on EVIL. EVIL hit the sitout powerbomb again, but Shibata ended EVIL with a sleeper suplex. Shibata got thee sleeper again, but EVIL could not escape this time, and faded. Shibata hi the PK just to make sure he was done. Shibata continues to be awesome, while EVIL continues to have a great second half of 2016; he’s really stepped it up. I hate to see his title run cut so short, but with WrestleKingdom approaching, Shibata as champion is likely for the best. This was an excellent match, worked in the style you have come to expect from NEVER Title matches. Watching EVIL evolve into more complete performer has been a blast to see.

7. From NJPW G1 Night 4 – Katsuyori Shibata vs. Katsuhiko Nakajima [****¼]: This shit was fascinating in all the right ways. Shibata is working the taped shoulder gimmick (knowing him it’s probably about to fall off but he doesn’t care), which Nakajima made sue to focus on early as they went to the floor and he whipped him around and laid into him with kicks. But more than that, this was one of those matches where they decided to play anything you can do I can do better, which made for a fun and intensely worked battle. I do not watch a lot of Nakajima, but this in particular made him look great; the fact that he dared to steal Shibata spots and seemingly not giving a fuck just worked. But the thing that made it work was both the reactions from the crowd and Shibata. Shibata wanted nothing to do with this outsider stealing his shit, and would just abuse him and then do the move like, “this is how you do it bitch.” The home stretch was great, as Nakajima unloaded his arsenal of kicks on Shibata and looked as if he would put this away. Shibata then caught a kick out of nowhere, ate some forearms, but then slapped the shit out of Nakajima. The sleeper and particularly brutal PK ended it. This was excellent; Nakajima looked awesome as he was breaking down Shibata and lost nothing by losing this match. This was a ton of fun, and I love Shibata when he just goes murder death kill on someone.

6. From DESTRUCTION in Tokyo – NEVER Openweight Championship Match: Champion Katsuyori Shibata vs. Bobby Fish [****¼]: Shibata is nursing a back injury and there is some speculation he may need time off. These two had a match that aired on ROH TV this week, and it was solid but a bit disappointing, hopefully they do better here. Fish has new snazzy non-reDRagon tights here. Slow beginning, with both guys looking to throw strikes, but Shibata took Fish down and grapplefucked him a bit before Fish could make the ropes. In shades of their ROH match, Shibata then worked the figure four early. Fish escaped and they worked the double knee bar spot, exactly like their ROH match. Fish attacked the knee of Shibata, slamming it off of the apron several times, hopefully he sells it better than n their ROH match. They went to the floor, where Fish worked the neck and shoulder of Shibata in the barricade. Fish continued the attack on the floor now targeting the neck of Shibata. Back in, Fish hit the slingshot senton onto the shoulder for a near fall. Fish worked knee strikes and a backdrop suplex, and again got a near fall. it’s all Fish as he works a guillotine and then elbows to the neck, showing great focus and aggression. Fish was demanding that the ref stop the match, and then went back to laying in the kicks as Shibata finger waved him off and demanded he keep kicking him. They traded corner kicks and knees, and then Shibata worked forearms and then the corner dropkick. Shibata worked an abdominal stretch, and then kicks. He got the hanging guillotine, which should be broken easier because of the work on the shoulder, but Fish powered into a spinebuster and then the heel hook. Shibata made the ropes, ran into a suplex and Shibata popped up and planted Fish with the German and the PK, but he dropped to the mat and couldn’t cover. Fish again scored with he heel hook, great fight spot from Shibata, but Fish pulled him back center. Shibata with another great fight and finally got the ropes. XPLODER by Fish into the backdrop suplex, but Shibata was not done and kicked out again. Shibata countered the suplex and head butted the fuck out of Fish and busted himself open, locked in the sleeper and then destroyed Fish with the PK for the win. That was an excellent match, using what worked with the ROH match and adding in the aggression and sense of urgency that the ROH match severely lacked. This was a tremendous co-main event, and would have been right at home as the main event.

5. From NJPW King of Pro Wrestling – NEVER Openweight Championship Match: Champion Katsuyori Shibata vs. Kyle O’Reilly [****¼]: Commentary discussed the “rumored injury” to Shibata’s neck as well as O’Reilly’s transition to a heavyweight. O’Reilly holds a win over Shibata in ROH. They did a lot of back and forth grappling early. Shibata tried to work the arm, but O’Reilly out grappled him and he went to work on the arm, and got the arm bar but Shibata got the ropes. Shibata took a powder to the floor, but when he returned O’Reilly continued the attack on the arm. Shibata would start to fight back, and then O’Reilly cut him off by attacking the leg. O’Reilly laid in a series of kicks and Shibata demanded he keep kicking him and then fired up with a forearm strike. They then traded running kicks, leading to Shibata hitting the comer dropkick. Shibata worked the octopus hold, and pulled O’Reilly to the mat, but O’Reilly rolled to the ropes. O’Reilly avoided the PK, and then they just kicked each other in the face. Shibata worked a guillotine, but O’Reilly escaped and ht the capture suplex for the near fall. Shibata fought off the brainbuster attempt, but O’Reilly choked him out and then hit the brainbuster for the near fall; O’Reilly quickly transitioned into the arm bar and then the triangle. Shibata struggled and powered up but O’Reilly got the arm bar, and Shibata had to get the ropes. Shibata then got the sleeper, O’Reilly made the ropes and then they traded SICK suplexes and Shibata hit the PK and BOTH men were down. That was a sick exchange. They traded strikes from their knees, worked to their feet and did a double down. O’Reilly hit the lariat but Shibata kicked out at 1, O’Reilly hit the PK and then got a near fall. Both men are spent, O’Reilly worked knee strikes and kicks, but Shibata hit a backhand slap and the sleeper. O’Reilly tried to fight it off but Shibata kept the hold, hit the PK and then locked in the rear naked choke. O’Reilly passed out and Shibata retained. That was the best match on the show so far. The style isn’t for everyone, but I felt that they worked an awesome hard hitting match that felt different than anything else on the show. This was just excellent stuff; O’Reilly had previously delivered as a junior, but this felt like his coming out party as a heavyweight. He suffered nothing in loss here.

4. From NJPW Dominion 2016 – IWGP NEVER Openweight Championship: Champion Yuji Nagata vs. Katsuyori Shibata [****¼]: Nagata is accompanied to the ring by the rest of the grumpy old men (Satoshi Kojima, Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Manabu Nakanishi). After a slow feeling out process, both lit into each other with strikes and kicks. They then transitioned into some grappling, with Shibata working for an arm bar, but when he got it, Nagata got the ropes. Shibata kept the focus on the arm, laying in kicks to the shoulder and challenging the champion to fight back. Nagata finally fired back with a series of kicks to a downed Shibata, who repeatedly called Nagata on to deliver more. Shibata then fought back with a series of running corner kicks and forearm strikes. The crowd cheered for Nagata to get back to his feet, where they traded devastating forearm strikes. They both popped up from and no sold suplexes, leading to a big double down spot, which fired up the crowd big time. Shibata then went back to the arm, and even shoved the ref away as he worked over Nagata in the corner. Shibata worked the sleeper, Nagata somehow powered out but Shibata fired away with more kicks and a bridging German suplex for a near fall. Nagata escaped the sleeper, avoided the PK and slid into the arm bar. The eyes rolled back in his head and the crowd loved this, but Shibata made the ropes. Nagata laid in the kicks and then ht the backdrop driver for a great near fall. Nagata then hit the brainbuster and PK, but picked up Shibata for more abuse. Shibata countered the backdrop driver, they traded strikes center ring and Shibata got the sleeper. Nagata rolled, but Shibata kept holding on for dear life. Nagata slowly started to fade… PK from Shibata, and we have a new champion. Post match Shibata bows to Nagata, and Nagata hugs him. Kojima, Tenzan and Nakanishi all enter the ring and clap for Shibata, showing their approval. Shibata shakes all of their hands and bows to them. Shibata gets the endorsement from the old guard, the commentator is crying, the crowd was insane; this is the shit that makes you love wrestling. That was an awesome, hard hitting match that took you on an emotional ride as Nagata fought to prove that he and his generation were still relevant; the crowd was fully into it and reacted to even the smallest of things. This told an amazing story and took you on one hell of an emotional ride; I loved it.

3. From NJPW New Beginning in Osaka: Champion Katsuyori Shibata defeated Tomohiro Ishii to retain the NEVER Openweight Title [****½]: Sweet baby Jesus, these dudes went out there and busted their ass in an attempt to out do their WK 10 match and they nearly did it. They did everything you’d expect; the chops, the lariats, elbows, the big fire up no sell spots, some submission work and it all worked again. They worked in some man up spots, where they would challenge each other to suplex the other, and it got over really well. I felt that Shibata was really over big time with this crowd, which I am happy with because I really enjoy the guy’s work and feel he’s under appreciated. These guys have a way of working their match to where they can keep a great pace, never let it slow to a crawl, but they also never feel as if they are sprinting either. It’s just the right balance, and the matches ever feel long to me. They worked some great near falls down the stretch, and Shibata finally retained with the PK. This was fucking awesome and on par with their WK 10 match.

2. From NJPW WrestleKingdom 10 – NEVER Openweight Title Match: Champion Tomohiro Ishii vs. Katsuyori Shibata [****½]: They went hard and heavy from the bell, using kicks, forearm strikes and lariats as they were just kicking the shit out of each other. It’s what you’ve come to expect from NEVER title matches, and also was so different than everything else that it felt so fresh. At one point Shibata is kicking the shit out of Ishii with forearms, and Ishii keeps calling him on and walking into the strikes before finally just dropping Shibata and face washing him in the corner. The first cover did not come until 8-minutes into the match, and that led to an arm bar attempt by Shibata. They hit this run of German suplexes and clotheslines that were just laid in so hard, leading to both men collapsing in exhaustion. Ishii went into full dick mode, chopping Shibata in the throat several times. Dear lord these men were doing some legit damage here, Shibata fighting for the sleeper and Ishii fight to escape were well done. Shibata looked for the penalty kick, but Ishii countered and then head butted him in the throat, because he’s an established dick. And then they did the head butt spot where they wee two rams fighting, and you could just hear that shit echo as they were head butting each other so hard. Shibata finally scored with the PK, and that was enough to score the pin and win the title. Amazing match, exactly what it needed to be style wise and work wise from both guys, and they did an excellent job building drama along with delivering the brutality. This is our first MOTY contender of 2016. Well, that was the first of the top three matches on WK 10, and it delivered HUGE. It was everything I wanted from the match, and Shibata winning was absolutely the right call. The NEVER ranks needed an overhaul, and he is fresh blood and can have great matches with everyone. Normally I’d fall into the “follow that” club, but with the two matches left, if anyone can, it’s these guys. Whether they will or not is a completely different question, but they certainly have the ability.

1. RPW Global Wars UK 2016 Night 2 – British Heavyweight Champion Katsuyori Shibata vs. Chris Hero [****¾]: This was an absolutely amazing match and one I really wanted to see. Shibata is awesome, Hero simply travels the world, having **** matches with everyone and their mom and is a joy to watch. Hero tends to bully opponents, due to the size advantage, and does it better than anyone. Shibata was able to stop that bullshit, and even though he was the smaller man, Shibata is meaner and simply more vicious, and was able to back of the bully. Shibata basically intimidated Hero in the striking game, and out grappled him on the mat. It built and built through out, with the violence escalating at the right times and they went home perfectly, not even coming close to going long. As a matter of fact, I wanted it to go longer.