"I'm alive."
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Several months ago, Katsuyori Shibata suffered a nearly fatal injury in the ring in a match against IWGP Heavyweight Champion Kazuchika Okada. The injury, a subdural hematoma, left him in the hospital for several weeks as he suffered from ailments like temporary blindness and paralysis.
On Sunday, the New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) star made his emotional return to the ring and made the simple proclamation to the crowd in Tokyo for the G1 Climax Final.
Welcome back to the ring! #TheWrestler Katsuyori Shibata : "I'm alive! That's all!" #G127 only on @njpwworld https://t.co/IsLfd9d7qh
— NJPW Global (@njpwglobal) August 13, 2017
Shibata's fans and contemporaries in the business were cleared moved by the unexpected return.
Thank you god. Legit so happy that SHIBATA is ok. Proper lost it. God bless you
— Will Ospreay • ウィル・オスプレイ (@WillOspreay) August 13, 2017
Shibata showed up came to the ring, all the women were crying. Unreal.
— Dave Meltzer (@davemeltzerWON) August 13, 2017
https://twitter.com/RonFunches/status/896633269915144193
https://twitter.com/jaredr/status/896635550660087808
It is still unclear what Shibata's status would be for a potential return, but after the injury and prognosis he had in the immediate days following his emergency surgery, it is just good to see him out and walking again.
Background to Katsuyori Shibata's injury
It is believed that Shibata's injury happened during this headbutt that occurred 30 minutes into the 38-minute classic match against Okada for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship at the April 9 Sakura Genesis show.
The hard & stiff bout ever @rainmakerXokada VS Shibata on IWGP Championship! Watch the full video @njpwworld pic.twitter.com/abo2DuuWWd
— NJPW Global (@njpwglobal) April 9, 2017
Shibata had to be rushed to the hospital after the match, where he underwent an emergency five-hour surgery to treat the subdural hematoma. Subdural hematomas can often be fatal if not treated properly and immediately.
Since the injury, Shibata has spent a lot of his time in the hospital recovering. A lot of the updates since had been rather bleak, as Shibata was still dealing with vision issues and partial paralysis weeks after the initial occurrence.
Shibata is a former three-time NEVER Openweight Champion and tag team champion in NJPW. He had recently won the 2017 New Japan Cup, which had granted him a match against Okada for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship — the most prestigious title in Japan.
