WATCH ALONG: Katsuyori Shibata vs. Jun Akiyama (Wrestle-1 Grand Prix)
Added 2025-07-18 17:18:48 +0000 UTCCome watch Katsuyori Shibata vs. Jun Akiyama at Wrestle-1 Grand Prix with me!
Comments
- Akiyama has made a few appearances in AEW, facing Eddie Kingston and Bryan Danielson in a couple of very fun matches. - His towel was representing Pro Wrestling NOAH which was his home promotion at the time. - As you watch more AJPW, and soon NOAH you'll come to love Akiyama too. He is incredible. - A lot of (most) puro matches don't have a black and white heel/face dynamic. Unless you're dealing with HOT then it's almost always shades of grey. - Shibata was still going to war with NOAH a decade later. There's a really good series of matches with him and the New Japan Dads vs NOAH reps that I'd highly recommend.
Rhys Withhisspoon
2025-07-19 06:23:27 +0000 UTCLET'S GOOOO! I adore this match. It tells the very classic, simple story of the young cocky wrestler disrespecting the veteran and getting his ass utterly kicked for that, and it does it to perfection. Shibata is a crazy bastard and Akiyama is a beast. The man is 55 years old right now and he's still wrestling. A couple of months ago he had an amazing tag match teaming with Zack Sabre Jr. against Ishii and Taichi that I 100% recommend.
Santiago Aner
2025-07-18 19:51:20 +0000 UTCFor some reason, this tournament never finished since the W1 promotion Broke up later that year. Better that way to save on concussions I guess lol
Ray_Tenay
2025-07-18 17:58:54 +0000 UTCHis towel was from PW Noah in which u might find feuded with NJPW at several wrestle kingdoms, including their headliner Kaito Kiyomiya. Akiyama is 10 yrs older here
Ray_Tenay
2025-07-18 17:35:03 +0000 UTC
