Beloved AEW star announces 2-year in-ring hiatus due to injury

A fan-favorite AEW star gave a huge update regarding his recent injury. 43-year-old Kota Ibushi slipped from the turnbuckle and injured his femur. He was then counted out during his match against Josh Alexander and had to be stretchered out of the arena. Unfortunately, for the veteran, this wasn't his first time sustaining an injury in the past few years.

In 2021, the Golden Star injured his wrist during an NJPW bout, which led to him missing more than a year. Later in 2024, he was once again sidelined due to his ankle and was sitting on the shelf for six months. Things were looking good for him before the latest edition of Collision, as big things were planned on the horizon for him. However, he only had bad news to give.

Kota Ibushi took to Instagram and revealed that he would need a year to recover and had been advised not to enter the squared circle for at least two. Also, he was hopeful that his genes would heal him in no time and he would return very soon.

"My current condition. One year to fully recover. Two years until I can step into the ring again. I believe in myself more than the doctors. I absolutely don't believe in that. I know I have amazing DNA that gives me the ability to heal!!" Ibushi wrote.

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AEW President Tony Khan sends message to Kota Ibushi

Kota Ibushi's injury shocked everyone present on the show. AEW President Tony Khan had to come out and talk to the live audience to lighten the mood.

On Saturday, Khan took to X/Twitter and wished the 43-year-old star a speedy recovery.

"We are all very grateful for The Golden Star @ibushi_kota. In my opinion, he’s one of the greatest wrestlers that I’ve ever seen. He is adored by the AEW locker room + fans worldwide. We wish him the best as he recovers from the leg injury he suffered on #AEWCollision tonight!" Khan wrote.

It remains to be seen when the Golden Star returns to the Jacksonville-based promotion.

About the author

Tejas has been an AEW writer at Sportskeeda Wrestling since 2021. Possessing a degree in Food Processing Technology, it was his brother who introduced him to Sportskeeda, and he has never looked back since.

Tejas’ writing style is analytical and descriptive style, mostly sticking to statistics. He believes in thoroughly checking all statistics and information before using them in his articles to ensure his readers get nothing but the best and most accurate stories. He also does not indulge much in speculation in his content.

His all-time favorite wrestler is Roman Reigns for his journey from being one of the most unlikable babyfaces at the start of his career to one of the greatest modern WWE superstars. If Tejas ever got the chance to go back to the Attitude Era and manage a superstar, it would choose high-flying, risk-taking diminutive entertainer Spike Dudley. Tejas would assure him that he would be involved in long-term storylines, something that he wasn’t part of during his time.

In his free time, Tejas enjoys singing and learning new things.

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Edited by Sayantan Niyogi