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Injuries are part and parcel of life in the wrestling world unfortunately. This has sadly come true for someone who recently signed up with AEW. Several wrestlers have been forced to call it a day after an injury, and this recently-signed AEW star, who had performed in many intense matches in his career, had plannied to retire after his injury.
The wrestler in question is Kota Ibushi, the former IWGP Heavyweight Champion who featured in the very entertaining “Like A Dragon” Street Fight. He had teamed up with Kenny Omega, Chris Jericho, and Paul Wight to defeat The Don Callis Family’s Konosuke Takeshita, Powerhouse Hobbs, Kyle Fletcher, and Brian Cage on the November 15 edition of AEW Dynamite.
In an interview with Pro Wrestling NOAH, The Golden Star revealed his mindset after the shoulder injury he suffered in 2021 during a match.
“(I thought about retiring because) my shoulder injury was the biggest thing. I can’t move as much as in the past, as everyone wants me to. I have to use different techniques there,” he said.
He also went on to give his thoughts on the longevity of his career.
“Of course, with my career, I can change things by doing different things, but if someone says, ‘That’s not what we want to see,’ then that’s the end of me,” he signed off. [h/t wrestletalk.com]
Kota Ibushi had signed a contract with the Tony Khan-owned company in November this year.
“Like A Dragon” Street Fight earned AEW a six-figure sum
The "Like a Dragon" Street Fight was a match sponsored by SEGA, as a promotion for their game, Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name - a spin-off of their legendary series, Like a Dragon.
The match was one of the bright spots for Tony Khan this year. It earned the wrestling promotion an undisclosed amount that apparently was in six figures. Khan's business acumen was in full flow during this match, as it was one of the few 'one-off' matches that were sponsored. Earlier, AEW had a 'Texas Chainsaw Massacre' themed deathmatch that was sponsored by the game of the same name.
What do you think? Is Tony Khan lenient with wrestlers on his roster who are injury-prone? Tell us in the comments section below.
