Kota Ibushi Out Of Action For 2 Years Due To Brutal Leg Injury
Just when you thought the injury bug couldn’t bite any harder in All Elite Wrestling, it comes back for another heaping, sarcastic serving. This time, the unfortunate soul on the menu is none other than Kota Ibushi, a man whose body seems to be held together by athletic tape and sheer, unadulterated willpower.
How Ibushi Got Injured
On the October 11th episode of AEW Collision, a match that pitted Ibushi against the formidable Josh Alexander went sideways in the worst possible way. In a spot that will undoubtedly be replayed with a collective wince for years to come, Alexander had Ibushi hoisted in a Fireman’s Carry on the middle rope. What happened next was a textbook example of gravity being a cruel, unforgiving mistress. The pair lost their balance, tumbling backward out of the ring in a horrifying heap.
The aftermath was immediate and grim. While Alexander, somehow unscathed, scrambled back into the ring, Ibushi was on the floor, clutching his leg in agony. The referee’s count-out was a mere formality. The real story was unfolding on the outside, where doctors rushed to the fallen star. The sight of him being taken away in an ambulance confirmed everyone’s worst fears: this was not a work. This was real, and it was bad.
The Brutal Reality of a Broken Femur
Shortly after the incident, it was confirmed that Kota Ibushi had suffered a broken femur and had already undergone surgery. For those of you who aren’t medical experts, breaking your femur—the largest bone in your body—is about as fun as it sounds. It’s a catastrophic injury for anyone, let alone a world-class professional wrestler whose entire career is built on explosive athleticism.
The prognosis, delivered via social media, was a gut punch to fans hoping for a speedy return. Doctors have laid out a daunting timeline: one full year to recover, and a staggering two years before he could even think about stepping back into a wrestling ring. For a 42-year-old athlete in a young man’s game, a two-year layoff can be a career death sentence.
Does Ibushi Listen to Doctors? Of Course Not.
If you know anything about Kota Ibushi, you know that “quit” isn’t in his vocabulary. Neither, apparently, is “listen to medical professionals.” Ibushi said the following in the statement below
“My current condition. One year to fully recover. Two years until I can step into the ring again,” he posted. “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!!”
This is, unfortunately, familiar territory for Ibushi. His body has been betraying him for years. A serious shoulder injury in 2021 shelved him for 18 months. Multiple ankle injuries in 2024 that almost ended his career then. Now this brutal leg injury. He really needs to look in the mirror and realize his body is failing. Now being out for 2 whole years, who knows if Ibushi will ever be back in the ring again? I fear for this mans life beyond the ring if he chooses to continue wrestling.
Why This Injury Sucks For AEW
For AEW, it’s another top-tier talent on the shelf. For the fans, it’s a long, uncertain wait. And for Kota Ibushi, it’s the biggest fight of his career, one that will take place far from the roar of the crowd, in the quiet, lonely rooms of physical therapy. But if he has his way, he’ll defy the odds, spit in the face of medical science, and prove that his DNA is, indeed, as golden as his nickname. Don’t bet against him. It’s usually a bad idea.
