Tag: Kota Ibushi

Kota Ibushi Says Wrestling Return Appears Unlikely Following Second Femur Surgery

Kota Ibushi is facing one of the toughest challenges of his career after revealing that doctors have given him a discouraging outlook regarding a potential return to professional wrestling.

The former AEW star recently underwent a second surgery following the broken femur he suffered during a match with Josh Alexander on AEW Collision. According to Ibushi, medical professionals have warned that stepping back into the ring could carry significant long-term risks.

Doctors reportedly told Ibushi that while he should be able to recover enough to live a normal daily life, the demands of professional wrestling present a high likelihood of re-injuring the leg. He noted that the metal plate inserted during surgery is expected to remain in place permanently, and another break could have serious consequences for his mobility.

The update marks another setback in what has been a difficult stretch for Ibushi. Prior to the leg injury, he spent an extended period on the sidelines dealing with a major shoulder issue that kept him out of action for nearly two years.

Speaking about his current condition, Ibushi acknowledged that the road back appears extremely difficult. He admitted that a return to the ring feels close to impossible and said he no longer feels physically at the same level he once did.

Despite the grim prognosis, Ibushi has not completely closed the door on wrestling again. He stated that he has no intention of giving up on the possibility of a comeback and remains determined to keep working toward a return, even if the odds are stacked against him.

If he is eventually cleared to compete again, Ibushi indicated that he would approach his career differently and avoid pushing his body to the same extremes that defined much of his in-ring style over the years.

For now, however, Ibushi’s focus remains on recovery as he continues rehabilitating from one of the most serious injuries of his career.

Kota Ibushi Reportedly Injured During AEW Collision Homecoming Tapings (Contains Spoiler)

AEW’s “Collision: Homecoming” taping at Daily’s Place in Jacksonville, Florida, took an unfortunate turn this week when Kota Ibushi appeared to suffer a serious leg injury during his match.

The episode, filmed on October 8, was meant to celebrate AEW’s roots at Daily’s Place — but for Ibushi, it may have marked another setback in his long battle with injuries. According to live reports from JJ Williams of the Wrestling Observer, Ibushi was facing Josh Alexander of The Don Callis Family when disaster struck.

During the match, Ibushi reportedly slipped off the top rope after his leg seemed to give out, sending him crashing to the floor outside the ring. AEW’s ringside medical team immediately attended to him, and the match was stopped shortly after, with Alexander declared the winner via count-out.

After the bell, the situation escalated when The Don Callis Family attempted to attack the fallen Ibushi, prompting Kenny Omega — Ibushi’s longtime tag team partner and close friend — to rush to the ring for the save. The segment ended with the house lights dimming as Ibushi was stretchered out of the ringside area.

At this time, the severity of Ibushi’s injury has not been confirmed. However, early accounts suggest it could be significant, potentially sidelining him for an extended period once again.

Ibushi only recently made his return to AEW, reappearing on the June 21 episode of Collision after nearly two years away. That return set up a dream match with Kazuchika Okada for the AEW Continental Championship on the 300th episode of Dynamite. Although Ibushi came up short in that match, fans and critics alike praised his conditioning and performance, marking it as one of his strongest outings in recent memory.

Unfortunately, injuries have long haunted the Golden Star. Ibushi has dealt with recurring shoulder problems since his New Japan Pro Wrestling days and suffered double ankle fractures in early 2024 during a Pro Wrestling NOAH match against Naomichi Marufuji.

AEW has yet to issue an official statement regarding his condition, but fans are hoping this latest setback isn’t as serious as it initially appeared.

For now, all eyes are on Ibushi’s recovery and what this might mean for his AEW future — especially with Kenny Omega once again standing by his side.

UPDATE

According to Dave Meltzer in the latest edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Ibushi broke his leg. Meltzer noted that the injury looked to just be a freak accident and that anyone who took the fall and landing that Ibushi did would have also suffered a serious injury, or potentially something worse. Ibushi has had a lot of injuries over the past few years, which naturally meant a lot of people thought this was another case of Ibushi’s body not being able to do what he could do in the past, but Meltzer said that isn’t what happened and Ibushi took an out of control spill that couldn’t have been avoided.

Kota Ibushi Reveals Training Session With Kenny Omega, Teases AEW Return

Both Kenny Omega and Kota Ibushi have been absent from AEW for some time, with fans anxiously waiting as the two stars recover from significant injuries. However, those fans may not have to wait much longer. Based on a post made by Ibushi on Instagram, he and Omega are training together once again.

“World domination is just days away,” Ibushi wrote. “Had a golden practice after a long time. We are still far from done. Next AEW!!!”

The first photo shows Ibushi and Omega striking an iconic pose just outside of a ring, while the next picture features the two men making funny faces while holding onto a pair of large beverages. While it’s not clear from the photo whether Ibushi and Omega are training in Japan, the Tokyo Game Show is set to begin next week and Omega is a noted video game fan, offering a potential reason for Omega to visit.

While Omega has been an EVP in AEW since the promotion’s inception, it took his Golden Lovers partner a while longer to make it over. Ibushi signed a contract with AEW in 2023 but has wrestled just four matches so far. The former IWGP World Heavyweight Champion has dealt with a string of serious injuries over the last several years, resulting in Ibushi performing only 11 times since the end of 2021.

As for Omega, the AEW star discovered last year that he was dealing with a case of diverticulitis that could have potentially ended his life if he hadn’t sought out treatment at the right time. After months away from television, Omega returned on “AEW Dynamite” this past May, updating the audience on his health status before being attacked by his former friends in The Elite. As of now, that was the last time Omega has been seen onscreen.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Kota Ibushi Set To Undergo Ankle Surgery

Pro Wrestling NOAH held its ‘The New Year’ 2024 show earlier this month with the main event singles match between Naomichi Marufuji and Kota Ibushi, where they wrestled for 30 minutes before Ibushi went over in the end.

Ibushi went for an outside moonsault, and when he landed, he grabbed his ankle. Kota was taken to the hospital after the bout, which was heavily criticized.

Kota confirmed today that he will have ankle surgery on Wednesday:

“Long time no see. It feels unusually long.

Things won’t go on as before.

I hope tomorrow’s surgery is successful.

As long as you can walk, that’s enough.

I don’t need anything else”

https://twitter.com/ibushi_kota/status/1747145518365741099

Source: eWn

Kota Ibushi Confirms AEW Contract, Details How It Came Together

Japanese wrestling star Kota Ibushi has now wrestled three matches in All Elite Wrestling, starting with Blood & Guts in July, as well as a pair of six-man tags — one in August and the other earlier this month. During a conversation with Yumehito Imanari posted to YouTube (translation via WrestleZone), Ibushi revealed that he has signed a contract with AEW. The former NJPW star also opened up regarding some of the contract’s details.

“I’m based in Japan, and I will travel for the matches,” Ibushi said. “Basically, I’m in Japan. I work in Japan. I will be active. I’ll be free to do that too.”

Along with that, Ibushi confirmed that his AEW contract allows him to appear in other wrestling promotions, though it’s unclear if there are specific promotions detailed or if the agreement is open-ended. There was also one more stipulation Ibushi requested.

“[I asked to] reduce the number of matches a little bit more,” Ibushi continued. “Because if I go too many times, my activities in Japan will be limited. … When I said that, [AEW said] that is okay, too. It’s the best deal.”

After nearly a year and a half away from wrestling, Ibushi returned earlier this year, competing in a pair of matches for GCW during WWE WrestleMania weekend. Prior to Ibushi making his AEW debut in July, there had long been speculation regarding and anticipation for his appearance, as Ibushi’s friend and former tag team partner Kenny Omega is one of the foundational members of the AEW company’s roster. The two have since reunited their tag team, the Golden Lovers.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Kota Ibushi, PAC Announced As Final Participants In AEW Dynamite Blood & Guts Match

The full lineups for next week’s Blood & Guts match at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts are set, with the fifth man for both the Blackpool Combat Club and Elite teams announced at the end of the July 12 episode of “AEW Dynamite.” And while one was exactly who fans were hoping for, the other was a bit of a surprise, albeit one that makes plenty of sense.

After Don Callis made his entrance to announce the fifth member of the BCC team, replacing the injured Bryan Danielson, Kenny Omega made his way to the ring, only to be cut off by Jon Moxley and Konsuke Takeshita. As Omega fought back, he was blindsided with a steel chair by the returning PAC, who had not been seen in AEW since he and the Lucha Bros. lost the AEW World Trios Titles to Omega and the Young Bucks in January. PAC announced that he had not forgotten that Omega “shattered my nose bone” during the Death Triangle-Elite best-of-seven series.

As Moxley placed the chair around Omega’s neck and asked if he had any last words before being taken out, the Winnipeg native told him to turn his attention to the video screen. A video then played revealing that Omega’s Golden Lovers tag team partner, Kota Ibushi, will be the fifth member of his team, which allowed enough of a distraction for the Young Bucks and “Hangman” Adam Page to run in and clean house.

So it’s official: Jon Moxley, Claudio Castagnoli, Wheeler Yuta, Konosuke Takeshita, and PAC, representing Blackpool Combat Club and the Don Callis Family, will face the Golden Elite of Kenny Omega, “Hangman” Adam Page, Kota Ibushi, and the Young Bucks next Wednesday night in Blood & Guts, AEW’s version of War Games.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Kota Ibushi Is A Free Agent After Expiration Of NJPW Contract, NJPW Confirms Departure

New Japan Pro Wrestling has officially announced that Kota Ibushi is no longer with the company.

Ibushi’s contract expired on January 31st, and the decorated wrestler is officially a free agent.

You can read the official announcement below:

“Kota Ibushi leaves New Japan Pro-Wrestling
With the conclusion of his contract period on January 31, 2023, Kota Ibushi has departed New Japan Pro-Wrestling. Ibushi had been recovering from injury since October 2021.

We apologize to Ibushi’s fans for the abrupt announcement and join them in wishing Ibushi the very best in all his future endeavors.”

Fightful reports that several big wrestling companies have “major interest” in Ibushi, from full-time deals to one-off appearances. It is believed that Ibushi will remain a free agent and sources close to the wrestler noted that he was happy with his free agency prior to signing with NJPW, which was apparently a “live and learn” experience.

The report also states an unspecified “significant private matter” that Ibushi was dealing with which strained his relationship with NJPW, who wanted him to work through the situation.

Ibushi will be competing in several GCW events at The Collective over WrestleMania 39 weekend. Ibushi has already been booked in a singles match against Mike Bailey for Josh Barnett’s Bloodsport 9.

https://twitter.com/GCWrestling_/status/1620612152813064192

Source: eWrestlingNews

Backstage News On Relationship Between Kota Ibushi And NJPW

In a two-month span loaded with major story after major story, it’s easy to forget about the saga between Kota Ibushi and New Japan Pro-Wrestling. Ibushi spent much of May publicly criticizing the promotion, where he’s worked as both a freelancer and as a contracted wrestler for the past five years, for a variety of reasons, so much so that his future with NJPW was called into question. Those questions didn’t go anywhere after NJPW publicly apologized to Ibushi and sanctioned an official he had issues with back in early June.

Since then, things have been quiet regarding Ibushi’s status with NJPW and his feelings towards the promotion — until today. In the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer provided some good news on the Ibushi-NJPW situation, with sources close to both parties stating that the gulf between the two sides has narrowed over the last month. Meltzer also noted that Ibushi is looking to get back into both wrestling training and martial arts training, and is interested in starting a dojo in his hometown of Kagoshima.

There are some obstacles to be overcome before Ibushi can get back into the ring, however. Meltzer reports that Ibushi’s main priority at the moment is caring for his mother, who fans may recall attempted suicide during the height of Ibushi’s issues with New Japan. What happened to his mother was thought to have ended any potential for reconciliation between Ibushi and NJPW for good, especially after Ibushi addressed the situation on social media.

The other hold-up is an injury to Ibushi’s shoulder, which he suffered during the G1 Climax 31 final against Kazuchika Okada. Meltzer noted that Ibushi had tweeted earlier in the week, revealing his injury wasn’t healing and was getting worse. This will likely require Ibushi to get surgery, something he was hoping to avoid in favor of healing his shoulder with rest, setting his timetable back even further. In the same series of tweets, Ibushi also stated his issues with NJPW were not settled.

With Ibushi’s return nowhere in sight, NJPW will nevertheless move forward with the 32nd edition of the G1 Climax. The tournament will kick off tomorrow in Toyohira-ku, Sapporo.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Kota Ibushi Takes Shots At NJPW And “Sexually Harassing Bosses”

A situation between Kota Ibushi and New Japan Pro Wrestling appears to be boiling over after Ibushi unleashed several surprising tweets on Tuesday.

Things began when the former IWGP Heavyweight Champion tweeted early Tuesday morning (late afternoon in Japan), vowing to expose what he described as “Cheaters-gun” and “sexually harassing bosses.” The tweet, in Japanese, was translated by Twitter user @golden_kuma.

“I’ll expose all about the former cheaters-gun (already returned) and the sexually harassing bosses, from the company president’s lies to his unreasonable power harassment this time,” Ibushi tweeted. “Get prepared for this! ToSpo (Tokyo Sports) and TV Asahi too. I don’t care.”

Four hours later, Kota Ibushi posted another tweet, posting a screenshot of a line chat Ibushi had with a New Japan higher up only known as Kikuchi. In the discussion, Kikuchi suggests ending New Japan’s contract with Ibushi, leading to the following exchange.

“If I’m told so from the NJPW side, I can’t complain,” Ibushi said. “I’ll get things settled. It’s fine if you just fire me.”

“I don’t want to do that,” Kikuchi replied. “What happened to you?”

“There’s no reason whatsoever,” said Ibushi. “I have no excuse either and don’t know why but I can’t align with the company’s rules. If this atmosphere is too weird, then it can be quick, so you can cut me with no remorse.”

Responding to a fan a short time later asking about the situation, Kota Ibushi responded by saying “what’s black is black.” In Japan, referring to a company as black suggests they are exploitative.

“As we discussed, it turned out that what’s black is still black,” Ibushi tweeted. “I’m not a robot. Kikuchi stinked since he wanted me to return before Wrestle Kingdom if I was healed up. I endured it though.”

Many will note that Kota Ibushi suffered a significant shoulder injury against Kazuchika Okada in the G1 Climax Final this past summer. As of today, Ibushi has still not wrestled since the G1 and was recently said to be at 80% in his recovery. After that exchange, Ibushi continued in a response to another fan.

“You know what is going on behind the scenes if you’ve been in the business for no less than 18 years,” Ibushi said. “I don’t think it is a negative thing, I take it rather positively. I’m very very calm. Thanks for your concern.”

Finally, Kota Ibushi would post one more tweet, another line chat between him and Kikuchi, where the two argued over an unnamed appearance.

“Don’t you think it’s wrong to make an appearance (without permission)?” Kikuchi asked. “Maybe we should talk in the office.”

“You came at me to end the contract so I thought that was it,” responded Ibushi. “I’d accept it. I don’t think it changes if we talked.”

“It looks like you can’t have that conversation, so you cause problems and make it the other guys’ fault in order to leave the company,” Kikuchi stated. “I mean, you do have extra reasons or issues other than that, don’t you?”

“Nothing at all!” Ibushi responded.

“Because if you think you’ve done nothing wrong, and if suddenly a LINE message about ending your contract comes, wouldn’t you ask ‘did I do anything wrong?’” Kikuchi asked.

“I didn’t,” Ibushi responded. “I didn’t think it was a problem so sorry about that. I’ll talk to the higher-ups.”

It should be noted that no date is given for the conversations between Ibushi and Kikuchi, so it is unclear when exactly they took place. While several Japanese wrestlers, including Shuji Ishikawa of All Japan-Pro Wrestling, Yukio Sakaguchi of DDT, and Great O’Khan of New Japan have commented or alluded to Kota Ibushi’s tweets, it doesn’t appear anyone from New Japan has commented on the situation at this time.

Another Twitter user, @thefeelite, provided more potential information regarding the situation in a long Twitter thread Tuesday afternoon, hinting that the issues between New Japan and Ibushi have long been simmering. The Twitter user notes that Kota Ibushi was announced for the New Japan Cup in March this past February, only to later be removed after a conversation between Ibushi and New Japan.

In subsequent tweets, Ibushi alluded to wanting to say something regarding an unknown situation, before deciding not to.

The thread goes on to point out that Ibushi appeared at a JTO (Just Tap Out) event on March 5; JTO is run by former WWE star and current New Japan talent TAKA Michinoku. It’s possible but unclear, this is the event Kikuchi was referring to Ibushi appearing at in their line chat. It was also noted there was some speculation at the time New Japan was upset with Ibushi over the appearance, and Ibushi would note on Twitter on March 5 his disappointment towards how a certain promotion was run.

After noting interesting responses to tweets from both O’Khan and New Japan star Taichi over the next several weeks, there was an April 2 tweet from Ibushi, who talks about feeling new excitement after attending a kickboxing event before stating how wrestling needs that. This would lead to an interaction between Ibushi and TAKA, where Ibushi would allude to a cheating scandal involving TAKA years ago.

The thread notes Ibushi tweeted days later about cutting someone out of his life, and that he recorded his usual New Japan podcast on April 14, which went normal.

Kota Ibushi signed a three-year deal with New Japan in 2019, indicating his contract is up sometime this year. He is well known for being the long-time tag team partner and close friend of AEW star Kenny Omega; it’s unclear if Ibushi would join AEW if he left New Japan, or how this would impact the ongoing AEW/NJPW working relationship.

The two promotions are holding the supershow, Forbidden Door, on June 26 from the United Center in Chicago, Illinois.

You can read Kota Ibushi’s tweets, as translated by @golden_kuma, below.

https://twitter.com/golden_kuma/status/1523955410813988864
https://twitter.com/golden_kuma/status/1524012029899833346
https://twitter.com/golden_kuma/status/1524029569153777665
https://twitter.com/golden_kuma/status/1524030784528855042
https://twitter.com/golden_kuma/status/1524033642968027137

Source: Wrestling Inc.

NJPW Star Kota Ibushi Diagnosed With Aspiration Pneumonia

Former IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Kota Ibushi has been diagnosed with aspiration pneumonia and will continue to miss upcoming NJPW events, the company announced Wednesday.

Ibushi has been out of action in recent weeks due to an illness. Prior to being pulled from the July 19 Summer Struggle card, Ibushi had missed the previous two events due to side effects from COVID-19 vaccination.

In an update, NJPW has confirmed that Ibushi’s illness was not a result of side effects arising from his COVID-19 vaccination. The company issued the following statement:

Aspiration pneumonia has no connection to COVID vaccinations, and Ibushi’s illness is not a result of his inoculation. We apologize for any misunderstanding. Ibushi has also tested negative for COVID-19.

The report added that a final decision on Ibushi’s participation at Wrestle Grand Slam on July 25 will be made after assessing his recovery. In the meantime, Ibushi will miss the NJPW events on July 22 and 23 in Osaka, as well as July 24 in Nagoya.

For the July 22 event in Osaka, Tomoaki Honma will replace Ibushi as Master Wato’s tag partner against the team of IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Shingo Takagi & BUSHI.

https://twitter.com/njpwglobal/status/1417696953601708033

Source: Wrestling Inc,