Details behind popular AEW star's return, first match back after injury

AEW is building steam as its massive All In: Texas event draws closer. Now, the company has gotten a major star back from injury, and new details have just emerged following his return.

Kota Ibushi has been called one of the best wrestlers on the planet. He made his name in Japanese promotion DDT and is a longtime friend and partner of Kenny Omega. Fans were ecstatic to see him join AEW, but physical issues have kept him out of action for more than a year now.

The Golden Star made his comeback on the latest episode of Collision, and he's now scheduled for his first match back against Trent Beretta on this week's Dynamite. According to Fightful Select, this match was made due to Beretta's familiarity with both the American TV and Japanese styles of wrestling, the latter of which is Ibushi's forte.

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It was noted that this will also be Trent Beretta's first match since his own return from injury, and, according to sources within AEW, Ibushi is in a much better physical condition than he has been in a long time.

AEW's Kota Ibushi demonstrated his physical fitness in a birthday update

Kota Ibushi was known as a freak of nature and a natural prodigy in the ring for much of his career, which is what initially drew Kenny Omega to join him in Japan. Unfortunately, The Golden Star had racked up several injuries by the time he signed with AEW in 2023, and at one point, he even considered retiring.

Fortunately, Ibushi has managed to get back in shape. After undergoing surgeries in 2024, he rehabbed and showed off his restored ability with an update last month. The 43-year-old celebrated his birthday by treating fans to some tumbling on social media. Check it out below:

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Many are hoping to see The Golden Lovers reunite in All Elite Wrestling, and with Ibushi targeting Kenny Omega's All In opponent, Kazuchika Okada, on last week's Collision, that seems to be the plan. Whether the two can dominate the tag team division once again remains to be seen.

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

Details behind popular AEW star's return, first match back after injury - Reports

AEW's Kota Ibushi demonstrated his physical fitness in a birthday update