AEW Star Undergoing Surgery
One of the stars of AEW has revealed he is set to undergo surgery.
On January 2nd, Kota Ibushi was taken to hospital after suffering a second ankle injury during his match with Naomichi Marufuji at Pro Wrestling NOAH’s New Year event. Ahead of the bout, the Golden Star had admitted he had sustained a broken right hand and left ankle.
Despite making it to the back after his NOAH bout, Ibushi was in too much pain for a backstage promo, instead opting to go straight to the hospital. NOAH later provided more details of the star’s injuries, saying he had suffered torn ligaments in his right ankle.
Now, the former IWGP World Heavyweight Champion has provided an update on his status. Posting to social media from a hospital room, Ibushi revealed he will undergo surgery on 17 January, saying that the most important thing was being able to walk.
“Long time no see. It feels unusually long. Things won’t go on as before. I hope tomorrow’s surgery is successful. As long as I can walk, that’s enough. I don’t need anything else.”
お久しぶりです。異常に長く感じる。
今まで通りにはいかない。
明日の手術が成功しますように。
歩ければそれでじゅうぶん。
他には何もいらない pic.twitter.com/ZHVTfEoJXL— 飯伏 幸太 (@ibushi_kota) January 16, 2024
Kota Ibushi Considered Retirement Before Joining AEW
Ibushi is no stranger to injury, having spent 18 months on the sidelines after injuring his shoulder in the 2021 G1 Climax final where he faced Kazuchika Okada. The injury occurred when a Phoenix Splash went awry, leading to the much-anticipated bout being brought to an end by referee stoppage and awarded to Okada.
During a recent interview, Kota Ibushi admitted that he had considered retirement during his recovery. However, he ultimately decided to change up his style instead, and returned to action at Bloodsport 9 in March 2023.
H/T to F4WOnline for the above transcription.