Katsuyori Shibata signs with AEW

Katsuyori Shibata is All Elite.

Tony Khan announced shortly before Saturday’s Collision that Shibata had signed with AEW. In his announcement, he thanked New Japan Pro Wrestling for making it happen.

Khan also shared a letter that Shibata sent him, where he wrote the following:

Dear Tony Khan

Today, I have signed the contract with AEW under a permission from New Japan Pro-Wrestling.

In the past year, I worked for AEW/ROH and I learned how wonderful the AEW is.

This is the best environment where wrestlers can focus only on fighting in the ring.

And the love for professional wrestling is overflowing from Tony and all the people who work for him.

I want to make AEW’s ring the last end point of The Wrestler’s career.

I dedicate my wrestler life to Tony Khan, and AEW.

Thank You

Katsuyori Shibata

After the announcement, NJPW thanked Shibata for his contributions in a post on X, wishing him “the very best in the future”.

Shibata resumed his wrestling career in late 2022 where he began making appearances for AEW. At Supercard of Honor earlier this year, he captured the ROH Pure Championship, defeating Wheeler Yuta. On the November 25 edition of Rampage, he lost the title back to Yuta.