[Watch] Kenny Omega's longtime partner shares a special update on birthday, teases AEW return after horrific injuries

Kenny Omega is back in competition after battling diverticulitis for a year, but his longtime friend and tag team partner, Kota Ibushi, is still absent from television. Ibushi celebrated his 43rd birthday today with a new video, and it's providing hope for a comeback.

The Golden Star was considered one of the greatest wrestlers in the world until multiple nagging injuries began dragging him down. Although he's been signed with AEW since 2023, he's spent most of the last couple of years in Japan.

The 43-year-old had surgery in 2024 to fix multiple issues. Even so, he claimed his legs were at their limit, indicating that he might be forced to retire soon. Now, he's taken to social media to show off his renewed physique and mobility. The Japanese star posted a video of himself stepping on the scale and doing some light gymnastics.

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Kenny Omega wants to reunite with Kota Ibushi

Throughout much of his career in Japan, Kenny Omega was closely tied to Kota Ibushi. The two took DDT Pro-Wrestling by storm as The Golden Lovers and even took the act to NJPW as part of The Golden Elite.

While their reunion in AEW was short-lived, Kenny Omega still hopes The Golden Lovers will live again. In an interview with Tokyo Sports in January, he revealed that Ibushi had supported him throughout his fight with diverticulitis, and he wants to compete alongside his friend once more.

"For the past year, the only wrestler who supported me and practiced with me was Kota Ibushi. Since we live in different countries, I've done most of it alone but thanks to Ibushi... I got my final confidence back. I want to reunite Golden☆Lovers in Japan, America, or anywhere else."

Kenny Omega is set to compete in this year's Anarchy in the Arena match at Double or Nothing on May 25. He'll be facing his former friends, The Young Bucks, as well as Jon Moxley and The Death Riders.

About the author

Jacob is an AEW contributor and editor at Sportskeeda Wrestling. He has edited and published over 8,000 articles for Sportskeeda Wrestling in just over two years, and subsequently donned the hat of a contributor, demonstrating his commitment to continuous learning. His experience goes beyond wrestling, with five years as an editor for several independent publishing houses and three years as a captioning specialist.

Jacob's first memory of pro wrestling dates back to Sting vs. Ric Flair for the World Heavyweight Championship at Great American Bash 1990. He later began writing for a newsletter and blog at the University of North Texas, and his love of wrestling naturally led him to seek opportunities in the media.

His favorite wrestler is The Icon, as he feels Sting has evolved throughout his career on a parallel path with his own growth as a person. He was Jacob's childhood hero and teenage idol, and now he makes him less afraid of getting older.

Jacob ensures relevance and accuracy in his articles by working hard to maintain his ideals and objectivity without sacrificing his unique voice, inspiring other writers in the section to follow suit.

Jacob’s non-wrestling interests include Anime, video games, and fantasy novels.

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Edited by Jeevak Ambalgi