Backstage News On Kota Ibushi’s AEW Return And First Match
Following his return to AEW after more than a year away, Kota Ibushi’s first match back has been confirmed for this week’s episode of Dynamite, where he will face Trent Beretta. According to a report from Fightful Select, there is a specific reason Beretta was chosen for Ibushi’s return, and there is positive news regarding Ibushi’s physical condition.
Ibushi returned on the June 21 episode of Collision to stand with his friend Kenny Omega against the Don Callis Family. He had been sidelined for much of the past year and a half with various injuries, wrestling only sparingly during that time. Those spoken to within AEW indicated that Ibushi is now in a “much better place physically than he has been in quite a long time.”
His opponent, Trent Beretta, is also returning from a year-long absence from the ring, and this will be his first singles match back as well. AEW sources indicated that Beretta was seen as an appropriate opponent for Ibushi because of his familiarity with both the American television style and the Japanese style that Ibushi is known for.
The match, which will be the first one-on-one encounter between the two, was officially announced by AEW President Tony Khan on X this morning.
