Kota Ibushi Not Expected To Return Any Time Soon
Kota Ibushi has not given up hope of returning to the ring, but those close to him acknowledge a comeback is not coming any time soon, with concerns over whether his balance and lateral movement will fully return following his severe femur injury, according to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.
"From what I understand, he has not given up hope for a return but it would not be any time soon. In January he talked about being back by the end of the year, but that seems premature. But he is still looking at returning. Those close to him say that they believe he has every intention of trying to return but he worries that his balance, lateral movement, change of direction etc., might not come back. He has not given up on a comeback but did want to temper expectations it would be coming soon."
Ibushi suffered a severe broken left femur during an AEW Collision taping on October 11 when he and Josh Alexander fell from the top rope to the floor. He underwent successful surgery and later required a second follow-up procedure to address complications. Despite the severity of the injury, Ibushi has posted encouraging rehabilitation videos showing himself doing squats and walking stairs, though no return timetable has been set.
A former two-time G1 Climax winner with NJPW and the inaugural IWGP World Heavyweight Champion, Ibushi also won back-to-back G1 Climaxes in 2019 and 2020 — a feat only three other wrestlers have achieved. We wish him a speedy recovery.
