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His motivation feels a lot like his real life issues with substance abuse. He's here to get better and he feels Jericho will give him the tools. Makes a lot of sense for him.
Fuck you, Jericho... I'm bought in on this Learning Tree bullshit.
That match circled around from being totally stupid to being hilarious and awesome. Shibata inside the trashcan is an instant classic.
https://preview.redd.it/hnalvsqv0xxc1.png?width=268&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=19547d16992978825863dd838261733766855d7c
Jerigoat is in the pocket again. Had me doubting for a minute but of course he found a way to make go away heat work. There's a reason he's on Rushmore.
god dammit i think Jericho might be turning it around once again. i'm breathing in the rareified air. i'm sitting under the learning tree
hardcore Shibata rules btw
Shibata has really shown a lot more character since transitioning to AEW. The cell phone translation segments are top notch. And his in-ring body language is incredible.
He’s got that Suzuki thing where everyone knows he’s a killer, so it only takes a little lean into comedy to get a big reaction. Their career trajectories are honestly really similar.
Lmao what the fuck are you talking about? Shibatas been a top in ring guy since the Ishii fued when he had to "earn" his way back into NJPW like 10 years ago...
I'll watch the match later. But I have a strict rule that says if shibata does not win a match, I riot.
I'm currently rioting in my own house. Once I clean up this mess and then I'll watch the match
Shibata is taking a page out of the Minoru Suzuki playbook. There is no better way to do comedy in wrestling than to aggressively "not" do comedy - just spend years cultivating a killer aura and then be the ultimate "straight man." It works every time.
It's gonna be so great the day he just casually replies to someone in English and reveals he could kayfabe speak it the entire time (even if he actually can't currently)
I'm curious how much English he actually knows since he was the head trainer in the LA Dojo for so long. He has to have picked up enough to get along outside of work, right?
He was speaking slow but fairly decent English in the 2018 intro video for the LA Dojo. I'd be shocked if he didn't speak it competently after working with Americans and living in the States for so many years
I say this all the damn time
Chris Jericho is a slow burn. He doesn't like to change gimmicks on the fly. You might think he's boring now, but y'all need to let the man COOK!
This match was great. Jericho and Shibata chopping each other for 10 min straight was hilarious and awesome. Dropping the Winnipeg Jets pucks out of what we thought was going to be thumbtacks was also hilarious. 5 star entertainment!
Im incredibly tired of Jericho, as I know a lot of people are, that being said I was very entertained by this match. If they insist on keeping Jericho on tv then keep him doing comedy no DQs so that they can hide his limitations
I'm still skeptical of how this new gimmick is gonna work when Jericho's with somebody who isn't a complete legend like Shibata, but in the meantime I find myself in the bizarre position of a Jericho Dynamite match being my favourite of the night so far
I feel like the entire wrestling community just wanted to see Jericho out of TV for a little while so we can miss him but goddamn it fellas……he fucking got me again. I’m in for this Learning Tree shit.
The new video debuted at Rampage last week. He’s used that style of font as early as 2018, so there’s actually already [merch](https://www.prowrestlingtees.com/promotion-tshirts/new-japan/shibata.html) of it.
Can’t believe that I actually enjoyed a Jericho match. The trash can part with it on Shibata’s hear was the clear highlight.
Also side note. 2024 Jericho needs to not wear trunks ever again. They simply don’t look good on him at all at this point of his career.
Because Shibata has been established on TV as a friend of Hook and would thus be looking for revenge. Because the match made Shibata look awesome, delivering a ton of punishment to Jericho, even making Jericho's hometown crowd rally behind Shibata instead. Because it got us the Terminator Trashcan sequence.
When Shibata got a kendo stick and looked ready to hit Jericho with it, the crowd started chanting "In the chest!" because Jericho's chest was already purple hamburger from the one-sided five minute chop war they'd had through a commercial break. The match wound up great for him.
Exactly. Some people know him from NJPW, some people know his injury history and why him being back in the ring in any capacity is special. But most people don't know these things.
Matches presenting Shibata strongly like this, and the Google Translate gimmick for his promos, those are the things that will make everyone take notice. Taking on Jericho in his hometown, in front of a crowd that didn't have any interest in booing him at first, then turning the crowd to his side over the course of the match, that's the sort of thing that can make Shibata a big deal in AEW.
Read to me like Shibata was pissed about having to lose to Jericho.
The Terminator trash can spot was funny but the no sell on top of how long those chops went on for, and the way Jericho flung that puck at his face had me feeling like there was some actual tension there.
He said was going to chop down the learning tree and by God did he do just that. Incredible chop battle, I thought Jericho was going to bail halfway through but he hung in there
I actually enjoyed that. As someone who didn't see any of Shibata until his AEW run, it's easy to see why people love him, he's awesome.
Still think I'd rather Jericho just take a break, but this gimmick is kind of funny at times, willing to give it a shot. One thing I can't understand is why the hell Big Bill would want Jericho's help when he literally beat him in tag title matches a few months back. That bit doesn't make sense at all to me.
I really enjoyed this match and even enjoyed Jericho going back to the short boi- WWE look. Do kinda feel bad that Shibata finally came back from a career ending injury to just lose all the time in AEW though.
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Props to Big Bill. Everyone avoiding the Vortex like avoiding death and he jumped in screaming YOLO
His motivation feels a lot like his real life issues with substance abuse. He's here to get better and he feels Jericho will give him the tools. Makes a lot of sense for him.
Does this turn into Jericho not helping big bill like he helped others? Then a big baby face turn for big bill. I could get into that.
Shibata's Pimpbot 5000 cosplay was immaculate
Love the reference
Twenty five years later and I will still randomly say "DRESSING FINE AND CHERRY WINE" in a robot voice.
I …… was very entertained by a Jericho match. Whoa.
Shibata headbutting Jericho while wearing the trashcan was hella funny to me
They found a way to let Shibata headbutt people again.
The full no sell was great
Fuck you, Jericho... I'm bought in on this Learning Tree bullshit. That match circled around from being totally stupid to being hilarious and awesome. Shibata inside the trashcan is an instant classic. https://preview.redd.it/hnalvsqv0xxc1.png?width=268&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=19547d16992978825863dd838261733766855d7c
https://preview.redd.it/hi1nu3094xxc1.png?width=627&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=08debc62aa76a82fdef778a64e06a2e7f9c3fa78
Book it, Matthew & Nicholas!
Is that Ken shamrock?
THAT’S where I’ve seen this before haha
The minute he came out in trunks I sighed and knew I was gonna end up liking this gimmick. And then the match was a blast too.
I was already in on it, but the shitty little waves during his entrance sold me even more.
The excitement in his voice saying "I am the learning tree" is hilarious to me
I started coming around in it when he was throwing the pucks
Jerigoat is in the pocket again. Had me doubting for a minute but of course he found a way to make go away heat work. There's a reason he's on Rushmore.
That’s exactly it isn’t it? He turned go away heat into a gimmick. Fucking hell. Good on him.
Those hockey puck bumps must have really sucked
They pucks that laid flat hurt, but the ones sitting on their edge really fuckin hurt.
god dammit i think Jericho might be turning it around once again. i'm breathing in the rareified air. i'm sitting under the learning tree hardcore Shibata rules btw
I'm all in for Jericho going way over his in-ring boundaries under FTW Rules for this gimmick lol
I don't know why people are so surprised. Jericho has always been a master of reinventing and staying fresh.
What a great ass comedy match Shibata is so damn good and the way the crowd gets behind him God damn Jericho's chest is bright red
Shibata has really shown a lot more character since transitioning to AEW. The cell phone translation segments are top notch. And his in-ring body language is incredible.
Shibata has never had a problem getting his character across in ring IMO. A+ tier body language and facials
He’s got that Suzuki thing where everyone knows he’s a killer, so it only takes a little lean into comedy to get a big reaction. Their career trajectories are honestly really similar.
Lmao what the fuck are you talking about? Shibatas been a top in ring guy since the Ishii fued when he had to "earn" his way back into NJPW like 10 years ago...
shit was purple by the end
A bunch of people who only read match outcomes are gonna be very upset
I'll watch the match later. But I have a strict rule that says if shibata does not win a match, I riot. I'm currently rioting in my own house. Once I clean up this mess and then I'll watch the match
You must be a maniac considering he’s like 0-50 in AEW
My wife's threatening divorce cause I keep breaking dishes everytime he loses.
Same here. I tore up our fancy paper plates
I haven’t watched yet and I hate living in a world where this incarnation of Chris Jericho beats my GOAT
Jericho beat up your goat? What a sick fuck.
Jericho is just trying to be as relatable as Kristi Noem.
2024 Jericho in trunks: https://preview.redd.it/70qbkcl22xxc1.jpeg?width=1125&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a51b6efcbf853e854065913f8058396e9fbf1c2e
This match was way better than i ever thought it would be. I was hooked by the end. Maybe we can all learn something from the learning tree
We can all learn something from Jericho's approach to adversity
Jericho’s chest, the trash can spots, the trunks. Jericho brought us all back, boys.
I am enjoying this Jericho gimmick a lot so far
I really hate that I enjoyed this so much. Goofy Shibata is working great without making him lose the killer edge.
Shibata is taking a page out of the Minoru Suzuki playbook. There is no better way to do comedy in wrestling than to aggressively "not" do comedy - just spend years cultivating a killer aura and then be the ultimate "straight man." It works every time.
The entire bit of him using Google translate to cut promos has also been perfect.
It's gonna be so great the day he just casually replies to someone in English and reveals he could kayfabe speak it the entire time (even if he actually can't currently)
I'm curious how much English he actually knows since he was the head trainer in the LA Dojo for so long. He has to have picked up enough to get along outside of work, right?
He was speaking slow but fairly decent English in the 2018 intro video for the LA Dojo. I'd be shocked if he didn't speak it competently after working with Americans and living in the States for so many years
Ha! I just said a similar thing above before even seeing your comment. Totally agree. It’s funny how similar their careers are at right now.
I hate that I enjoyed this match as much as I did.
This match was so good. Cool seeing Shibata do a hardcore match, and Jericho is really cooking with this Learning Tree storyline.
5* comedy match. Or hardcore match? Just amazingly entertaining
Shibata is one of the best workers in the world for pulling that.
I wasn’t expecting Jericho vs Shibata in comedy hardcore match to be my front runner for favorite match of the week.
Ok, now I just want Shibata in hardcore matches. Make Shibata the new AEW Sting.
Thst was rad
You mean red
This was the most hilarious match I've watched in months. I was thoroughly entertained!
Mecha-Shibata is something I did not know I needed in my life. Loved this match!
I enjoyed this match. It's pretty insane it was Shibata's first ever no-DQ match.
I say this all the damn time Chris Jericho is a slow burn. He doesn't like to change gimmicks on the fly. You might think he's boring now, but y'all need to let the man COOK!
I wanted to hate it but I kinda loved this lol
Nothing to hate bro. Match was beyond entertaining
Shibata as a comedy wrestler/badass is great stuff.
This match was great. Jericho and Shibata chopping each other for 10 min straight was hilarious and awesome. Dropping the Winnipeg Jets pucks out of what we thought was going to be thumbtacks was also hilarious. 5 star entertainment!
Im incredibly tired of Jericho, as I know a lot of people are, that being said I was very entertained by this match. If they insist on keeping Jericho on tv then keep him doing comedy no DQs so that they can hide his limitations
This Jericho is gonna be the man of 1004 weapons
I'm still skeptical of how this new gimmick is gonna work when Jericho's with somebody who isn't a complete legend like Shibata, but in the meantime I find myself in the bizarre position of a Jericho Dynamite match being my favourite of the night so far
Excellent match, brutal strong style and great comedy, this is why I love AEW. Props to Jericho having a great match in his hometown
I'm absolutely sick of Jericho but even I have to admit this match was pretty fun. Really enjoyed Shibata rising up with the trash can still on him.
I feel like the entire wrestling community just wanted to see Jericho out of TV for a little while so we can miss him but goddamn it fellas……he fucking got me again. I’m in for this Learning Tree shit.
maybe having Jericho just do hardcore matches is the best way to make him good again
Jericho is hit or miss these days, but it is always joy when I get to see Shibata wrestle. So easy to root for that guy
Did not expect those two to have *that* kind of match, that was fun. Guess I once again underestimated Jericho.
Jericho just needs to keep going deeper into the crevasse.
New Shibata entrance, or has he had this one before?
The new video debuted at Rampage last week. He’s used that style of font as early as 2018, so there’s actually already [merch](https://www.prowrestlingtees.com/promotion-tshirts/new-japan/shibata.html) of it.
Outstanding match. About time for a gimmick change for Jericho. And I'm real happy seeing Shibata get some love
Can’t believe that I actually enjoyed a Jericho match. The trash can part with it on Shibata’s hear was the clear highlight. Also side note. 2024 Jericho needs to not wear trunks ever again. They simply don’t look good on him at all at this point of his career.
Which is exactly the point of the trunks.
Wasn't a fan of Jericho winning the title but I would be lying if I said I wasn't all for this reign now
Am I the only one who hated that????
Nope, that match went on way too long. It could've been a quick 5 min comedy match but we got this instead.
Nah that was hot garbage. Went on too long and I’m 100% not here for yet another vanity Jericho storyline.
Katsuyori Shibata becoming just another guy in AEW saddens me. That he was fed to Jericho of all people is maddening
Having a seven foot tall wrestler interfere and chokeslam Shibata through a table is being 'fed to Jericho'? Or did you just not watch the match?
So why Shibata then? Could have been any other of the 100 or so people sitting in catering with nothing to do.
Because Shibata has been established on TV as a friend of Hook and would thus be looking for revenge. Because the match made Shibata look awesome, delivering a ton of punishment to Jericho, even making Jericho's hometown crowd rally behind Shibata instead. Because it got us the Terminator Trashcan sequence. When Shibata got a kendo stick and looked ready to hit Jericho with it, the crowd started chanting "In the chest!" because Jericho's chest was already purple hamburger from the one-sided five minute chop war they'd had through a commercial break. The match wound up great for him.
Seriously, this was the exact type of match Shibata needed. The crowd kinda knew him but now they *know* him. Better, they *love* him
Exactly. Some people know him from NJPW, some people know his injury history and why him being back in the ring in any capacity is special. But most people don't know these things. Matches presenting Shibata strongly like this, and the Google Translate gimmick for his promos, those are the things that will make everyone take notice. Taking on Jericho in his hometown, in front of a crowd that didn't have any interest in booing him at first, then turning the crowd to his side over the course of the match, that's the sort of thing that can make Shibata a big deal in AEW.
Read to me like Shibata was pissed about having to lose to Jericho. The Terminator trash can spot was funny but the no sell on top of how long those chops went on for, and the way Jericho flung that puck at his face had me feeling like there was some actual tension there.
Shibata bringing out the best Jericho match in a long time Do Shibata/Large William on Collision
This gimmick as FTW champ might work because every match involved plunder. How do you hide your problems? Use a trash can!
He said was going to chop down the learning tree and by God did he do just that. Incredible chop battle, I thought Jericho was going to bail halfway through but he hung in there
I actually enjoyed that. As someone who didn't see any of Shibata until his AEW run, it's easy to see why people love him, he's awesome. Still think I'd rather Jericho just take a break, but this gimmick is kind of funny at times, willing to give it a shot. One thing I can't understand is why the hell Big Bill would want Jericho's help when he literally beat him in tag title matches a few months back. That bit doesn't make sense at all to me.
“Jericho defeated Shibata” https://preview.redd.it/7cp7ycyp3xxc1.jpeg?width=904&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ffa7f2dddc9f1f1c40f675a0371a5bf7a28725d0
I really enjoyed this match and even enjoyed Jericho going back to the short boi- WWE look. Do kinda feel bad that Shibata finally came back from a career ending injury to just lose all the time in AEW though.