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00:00The 2nd match, the special exhibition match.
00:09We're going to win a match for 5 minutes.
00:30We never, ever thought we would hear the strains of low IQ 01 ever again in New Japan Pro Wrestling.
00:54But it is, for the night here tonight, Katsuyori Shibata, well, maybe to become full circle, 10th of October 1999, Katsuyori Shibata made his official New Japan Pro Wrestling debut, as did a young Hiroshi Tanahashi, and after Tanahashi's career was on the line last night,
01:21and the ace pulled through, Shibata coming to Tanahashi's aid and said, if you're not tired, let's go one on one for one more time, the 34th and final time here in a special exhibition.
01:36The 95kg, Shibata Katsuyori!
01:43Shibata Katsuyori
01:47Ye High!
01:52Shibata Katsuyori
01:55Go and go
01:58And go
01:59And go
02:00And go
02:02And go
02:03And go
02:05And go
02:06And go
02:07It was a lively battle in the battle field the same tonight as it was 24 hours ago.
02:33For Hiroshi, Tanahashi. Picking up a pinball victory, stealing one underneath Evil and Evil and House of Torture were not finished with their business. Their mission had not come to a conclusion then. And it still hasn't because Tanahashi walks into the Tokyo Dome tonight. But who was there to make the save from the post-match beatdown? None other than Katsuyori Shibata himself.
02:59They've been allies, they've been enemies for over 20 years, for over 25 years. These two men, along with Shinsuke Nakamura, were named the new Three Musketeers.
03:13Scrolling off from Shono Muto Hashimoto. And that drove the wedge between these men, more so than when Katsuyori Shibata brought the left New Japan Pro Wrestling in 2005.
03:27That was something Tanahashi thought he would never ever forgive. But they came to an understanding right here in this square circle.
03:35101km. Tanahashi Hiroshi!
03:41A memorable, tearful embrace in Kobe in September of 2014. And now, for the first time since August the 8th, 2015, Tanahashi versus Katsuyori Shibata.
03:59And, well, the final road of Tanahashi rolls on Walker to January 4th, 2026. And if there's any indication, it's gonna be a hell of a ride over the next year.
04:11It's gonna be a hell of a ride over the next year.
04:17And, Chris, and we would be remiss not to mention the last time Katsuyori Shibata stepped into a New Japan Pro Wrestling ring in 2020.
04:25Yeah, of course, then it was a very, very different ring narrative he was deemed to face.
04:31And we have five minutes on the clock. This is an exhibition match, not an official match-up in that regard.
04:41Albeit one with one fall on the clock. Of course, Katsuyori Shibata had a life-threatening head injury sustained in 2017.
04:55Ever since then has not been officially cleared by New Japan Pro Wrestling, has not been officially sanctioned to compete.
05:03And that match you were referring to was billed as an exhibition.
05:06Yes.
05:07And, well, Shibata went into business for himself and has not been called back since until somehow this has happened.
05:15Well, if there's anyone with the power to make things happen around here, it is Katsuyori Shibata's opponent in Hiroshi Tanahashi.
05:23Meanwhile on the AEW side of this, Katsuyori Shibata has absolutely been just a war horse.
05:30Someone to work through, somebody that has served as a brick wall for many within all elite wrestling.
05:36That legendary status that Katsuyori Shibata built up in the Tokyo Dome, in the country of Japan, transferring well into the AEW ranks.
05:44Yeah, absolutely. And, of course, the wealth of knowledge that he has, that he parlayed, that he gave to the LA Dojo, that he gave to Gabe Kidd, that we will see later on facing Kenny Omega.
05:56At the same time, Shibata has an 18-15 singles advantage over Hiroshi Tanahashi.
06:02You don't think five minutes on the clock, I think Tanahashi wants to get one up, one back. Let's close that gap before it's all said and done.
06:14Even through everything Katsuyori Shibata has done in the AEW space, there is no one that he has had the level of emotion with in comparison to that he has with Hiroshi Tanahashi on that roster.
06:26Something special between these two men.
06:28Yeah, I mean, everything in between and very real hatred and very real love.
06:34And it's gone really both ways.
06:38Shibata always wanted to march to the beat of his own drum left in 2005 because he didn't want to be a quote salaryman wrestler.
06:47He didn't want to punch a check and get in and get out. He wanted to do his own thing.
06:52You know, when he was there in 2012 when he and Kazushi Sakuraba came back and changed the game.
07:00Much to everyone's surprise.
07:04Well, this isn't grappling, Walker.
07:06No, far from it.
07:16I wonder how Hioki Goto feels.
07:18The next contender to the World Heavyweight Championship run that Rambo yesterday, Shibata's best friend.
07:22He's got a look at his best friend.
07:29Yes.
07:30Yes.
07:33Oh.
07:34Oh.
07:35Oh.
07:36Oh.
07:37Oh.
07:38Oh.
07:39Oh.
07:40Oh, oh.
07:41Oh.
07:42Oh.
07:43Oh.
07:44Oh.
07:45Oh.
07:46Oh.
07:47Oh, oh.
07:48That built these two men's relationship over the past 20 years.
07:58You can feel it in every strike.
08:02You got just under two minutes.
08:10If this is gonna have a decision, I suspect it will not.
08:14Right.
08:15But it must come quickly.
08:17Well, how many shots can we get in those two minutes?
08:22Hiroshi Tanahashi and Kanziori, Shibana.
08:26We're scoring our points here tonight, Chris, that's all we can do.
08:34Was Tanahashi scoring a hit for Shibana, that was.
08:37Take it right back to 2017.
08:41Wow, Shibana moving right on through it.
08:46We saw it yesterday against Evil.
08:53I think we've got about 30 seconds left by my watch.
09:01Poor Sakamoto, he's gonna have to tell him to stop.
09:10In 30 seconds, he's gonna have to tell these guys to stop.
09:16And these men are not going to stop Chris.
09:18The chest blood red of both of these men, it is chop for chop, spirit for spirit.
09:27We have hit a time warp back to 2014 in Kobe.
09:31Hey, we're in the Tokyo Dome.
09:33Look at the chest of Tanahashi.
09:35Five seconds.
09:37And as much love as there may be in the present is a rivalry that will never have an end to it.
09:52Well, Sibara, maybe indicating one more to come, who knows.
10:11Whatever that may be, whatever turf it may lie on, you know that the people will be there for it.
10:26Hiroshi Tanahashi and Katsuri Shibana, ladies and gentlemen.
10:30Well, we're all here today in the Tokyo Dome, on a cold but sunny Sunday afternoon, because we love pro wrestling.
10:40Let me just fat boy out a little bit, because that was cool as hell.
11:00364 days left, Walker, let's enjoy every single second of every one of them.
11:18So much to enjoy from Hiroshi Tanahashi, one year left in a legendary career that has already been made.
11:26Well, folks, like Aziz, to be defined here tonight, and coming up next, double title action could assure such.
11:33The Strong Women's Championship, the Rev Pro Undisputed British Women's Championship, both on the line.
11:40Mercedes-Money, Mina Shirakawa, one-on-one, next.
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