Kota Ibushi Hoping To Make Return From Latest Injury In 6 Months

Kota Ibushi has provided an update as he recovers from his most recent injury.

A clip was posted on Instagram of Ibushi training for a return alongside the caption (translated): "1 year in and out, my ankle is still sprained, but I was able to explode with lab practice since surgery. It doesn't take a year to come back. It will surely heal in six months. CURE!!".

The Golden Star has been out of action since undergoing surgery to repair a broken ankle in January.

The ankle was already injured when Ibushi decided to wrestle Naomichi Marafuji in a 33-minute match at NOAH The New Year on January 2, making the injury worse. Kota subsequently apologised to fans for his performance during the bout, which was only his third singles outing since October 2021.

He had previously said he hoped to come back from the injury within three months.

The 41-year-old officially signed with AEW in November of last year, but has not made an appearance since the November 15 episode of Dynamite. Not long before putting pen to paper with Tony Khan's promotion, Ibushi noted he had not yet fully recovered from other long-term injuries.