AEW President Tony Khan announced on social media that Katsuyori Shibata has signed a deal with All Elite Wrestling.
In his letter, Shibata said he signed a contract with AEW under permission from New Japan Pro-Wrestling, adding that he worked for ROH and AEW in the past year and learned that it’s the best environment where wrestlers can focus on their craft.
“All the love for professional wrestling is overflowing from Tony and all the people who work for him,” Shibata wrote, noting that he wants to make AEW his last stop before retirement.
Shibata started appearing for AEW in June of last year and worked several times for the company since then. He is a former three-time NEVER Openweight champion and IWGP Tag Team champion.