KENTA Comments on Reuniting with Katsuyori Shibata for TAKAYAMANIA EMPIRE V

By: Ian McCord

On September 7th, the 5th installment of TAKAYAMANIA EMPIRE is set to take place at the legendary Korakuen Hall, with KENTA and Katsuyori Shibata scheduled to team up in a special tag match against Katsumi Inahata and Caol Uno.

Formerly known as The Takeover, the team of Pro Wrestling NOAH’s KENTA and All Elite Wrestling’s Katsuyori Shibata reunited at last year’s TAKAYAMANIA EMPIRE IV. The two hard-hitting competitors competed against Minoru Suzuki and Naomichi Marufuji in the main event that ended in a time-limit draw.

During the match last year, Shibata attacked KENTA at the start of the contest, getting revenge for KENTA’s betrayal back in 2019. After Shibata brought KENTA into New Japan Pro Wrestling to compete in the G1 Climax 29, KENTA decided to turn his back on his friend and join the Bullet Club. Since then, their relationship has been on the mend and at the request of Yoshihiro Takayama, KENTA and Shibata will once again find themselves teaming at this year’s benefit event.

KENTA recently took to social media to share a message on his upcoming tag match with Shibata and credit Takayama for getting them back together.

From KENTA via X:

“Ever since we had a falling out in 2019, we had parted ways due to differences in direction, but thanks to Mr. Takayama at last year’s Takayama-mania event, we were able to get back together. September 7 at Korakuen Hall. We would be grateful if you could warmly support this new chapter for the two of us.

Katsuyori Shibata

KENTA”

(English Translation via DeepL)

KENTA and Shibata’s history as a tag team dates back to 2005 in Pro Wrestling NOAH, when the two challenged Mohammed Yone & Takeshi Morishima for the GHC Tag Titles in a losing, yet impressive outing. The duo also holds a notable victory over Go Shiozaki and the legendary Mitsuharu Misawa from that same year.

With KENTA and Shibata on the same page for the first time in years, it will be exciting to see how the two work as a tag team for this year’s TAKAYAMANIA EMPIRE.

Also on the card for TAKAYAMANIA EMPIRE V, Minoru Suzuki will reunite with El Desperado to take on Masato Yoshie and HARASHIMA, and Hideki Suzuki will battle the dynamic Danshoku Dino in a special singles match. Kazuo Yamazaki, Kenta Kobashi, Sanshiro Takagi, and Meiko Satomura will also be in attendance as special guests for the event.

TAKAYAMANIA EMPIRE V will take place on September 7th at Korakuen Hall and will be streamed live on ABEMA.

Here is the full card for TAKAYAMANIA EMPIRE V:

• KENTA & Katsuyori Shibata vs. Katsumi Inahata & Caol Uno
• Hideki Suzuki vs. Danshoku Dino
• Chihiro Hashimoto & Ryo Mizunami vs. Hiroyo Matsumoto & Miyu Yamashita
• DDT sponsored match: MAO & Yukio Naya & Viento Levante vs Takeshi Masada, Yuya Koroku, and Daichi Sato
• Tatsuya Matsumoto vs. Ryuma Sekimo
• Main Event – Presented by Tactful: Minoru Suzuki & El Desperado vs. Naomichi Marufuji & HARASHIMA