Katsuyori Shibata‘s loss to Wheerler Yuta was reportedly meant to write him off for a while.
Wheeler Yuta defeated Katsuyori Shibata to win the ROH Pure Championship on the November 25 episode of AEW Rampage. Yuta attacked Shibata after the match, but HOOK made the save.
Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful (via Fightful Select) reports that, per AEW officials, Shibata must return to Japan for an extended period. They had hoped he could wait until after ROH Final Battle. However, it became clear this past week that he would be unable to do so.
The report noted that Shibata liked the idea that played out on Rampage. This outcome would create some drama without writing him out for good. Per Sapp, the on-screen angle sets Shibata up to have an extended No Contact period as a precaution, as Yuta attacked his head. In doing so, he played into Shibata previously having to retire due to a subdural hematoma in 2017.
Sapp also wrote that Shibata is said to be happy in AEW, and he has enjoyed teaming up with Orange Cassidy and HOOK.
As of this writing, there is no word on when Shibata will return to ROH. WrestleZone will monitor the situation and provide more information as it becomes available.
Catch up on our coverage of the November 25 episode of AEW Rampage here.
