On a show that was originally designed to honor the memory of Antonio Inoki, it's only right that one of his loyal followers found their way on to AEW WrestleDream. However, the night didn't go the way Katsuyori Shibata wanted, as Jack Perry successfully defended his AEW TNT Championship.
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Perry made the mistake of opening the match trying to mat wrestle Shibata, and outside of one suplex, Shibata stood tall in the middle of the ring. However, Perry baited him out and gained the advantage, with Shibata trying to keep a straight face through Perry's strikes, who resorted to underhanded tactics to keep the control. Shibata then showed Perry how to strike properly by nearly chopping him into another state, but the champion did enough to earn a double down.
The champion was up first, but once again, his strikes weren't enough as Shibata got back in control, even suplexing Perry into the apron on the outside. After rolling back in the ring, Shibata hit his signature corner drop kick for a two count, but a momentary lapse in concentration saw Shibata end up in the Snare Trap. The challenger got to the ropes, only for Perry to drag him to the apron and hit an elevated DDT, which only scored brought on a near fall. When Shibata got up, he hit a Death Valley Driver and looked to gain the submission victory with a rear naked choke. However, when Shibata dropped to his back, his shoulders were down, and the referee counted the three and Perry retained his title.
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After the bell, through a shower of boos from the crowd, Perry attacked Shibata with the title belt, prompting the arrival of Daniel Garcia, who chased Perry off. Garcia stood tall as the fans chanted his name, indicating that he will be Perry's next challenger after his recent return on "AEW Dynamite."
