NJPW’s Shibata requested AEW matches with Bryan Danielson, Orange Cassidy

The surprising match made for Friday’s AEW Rampage between AEW All-Atlantic Champion Orange Cassidy and NJPW’s Katsuyori Shibata was a request from Shibata.

Dave Meltzer revealed the news on Wednesday night’s Wrestling Observer Radio.

According to Meltzer, Shibata told AEW that he wanted two matches in the company: one of them against Cassidy and the other being against Bryan Danielson. Shibata was free this week and thus, they made the Cassidy match for Friday’s live show from Atlantic City, New Jersey. It’s unknown if there is a planned date for the Danielson match.

Shibata made a surprise appearance on Wednesday’s Dynamite, appearing after Cassidy’s three-way title defense victory over Rey Fenix and Luchasaurus. He made the save for Cassidy as PAC was beating him down after the match. Because Cassidy won, he got to choose his dream opponent for Friday. Shibata pointed at Cassidy and the title, and Cassidy handed him the contract to sign.

There is a history between the two in AEW as in another surprise appearance, Shibata saved Cassidy from a beatdown from United Empire following Cassidy’s loss to Will Ospreay at June’s Forbidden Door.

At April 2017’s Sakura Genesis, Shibata collapsed backstage following his match with then-IWGP Champion Kazuchika Okada. It was later learned Shibata suffered a subdural hematoma and was temporarily paralyzed on the right side of his body. The hematoma was serious enough for many to believe his in-ring career was done.

Shibata did return to the ring on the final night of the 2021 G1 Climax tournament in a surprise, wrestling Zack Sabre Jr. in a five-minute exhibition match under UWF rules. He then took on Ren Narita at January’s Wrestle Kingdom 16 in his first official match since the Okada bout. Friday will mark his first match since then.