Kota Ibushi Makes Shock Return On Collision (AEW News)

Ahead of All In, Kota Ibushi is back in AEW!

by Andrew Pollard
AEW Collision Kota Ibushi
AEW

Having been absent from AEW for well over a year, Kota Ibushi made his surprise return on last night's Collision.

First and foremost, an in-ring promo from Don Callis saw Kazuchika Okada become an official member of the Callis Family in the aftermath of Okada and Callis joining forces on last week's Dynamite as Kenny Omega was stretchered out of the arena. Of course, that All In will see Okada's Continental Championship on the line against Omega's International Championship, with the winner taking home the new AEW Unified Championship.

On Collision, Callis referenced that Dynamite attack, questioned what shape Omega will be in for his match against Okada at All In next month, and pointed out how Kenny is now all alone and has no friends. That brought out Mark Briscoe, who said that the Best Bout Machine does indeed have some friends in the locker room, which led to Briscoe bringing out the returning Kota Ibushi.

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Briscoe then took out Lance Archer, Ibushi did the same to Josh Alexander, and the Golden Star then eventually came face-to-face with former rival Kazuchika Okada. The pair exchanged some snug forearm shots before Ibushi got the better of the Rainmaker with a swift combo of kicks and strikes, causing Okada to bail from the ring.

Later in the show, it was announced that Kota Ibushi would be returning to an AEW ring on this coming week's Dynamite, although no opponent was mentioned. This will mark Kota's first AEW match since an eight-man tag bout all the way back in November 2023, some 19 months ago.

Ibushi wrestled Naomichi Marufuji for NOAH the following January, but that match left Kota with essentially two broken ankles, causing him to miss the first half of 2024. He would return in July for GLEAT, and the 43-year-old's most recent match came this past February at the Maya Yukihi 10th Anniversary.

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Granted, it was only a matter of minutes and far from a full match, but Kota Ibushi looked great during his Collision return, be that in the sharpness and fluidity of his offense or his jacked physique.

For those possibly not aware, Kota and Kenny Omega have an extensive history in Japan that dates all the way back to 2008, be that as the Golden Lovers tag team or as heated rivals.

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Once described as the Swiss Army Knife of WhatCulture, Andrew can usually be found writing, editing, or presenting on a wide range of topics. As a lifelong wrestling fan, horror obsessive, and comic book nerd, he's been covering those topics professionally as far back as 2010. In addition to his current WhatCulture role of Senior Content Producer, Andrew previously spent nearly a decade as Online Editor and Lead Writer for the world's longest-running genre publication, Starburst Magazine, and his work has also been featured on BBC, TechRadar, Tom's Guide, WhatToWatch, Sportkskeeda, and various other outlets, in addition to being a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic. Between his main day job, his role as the lead panel host of Wales Comic Con, and his gig as a pre-match host for Wrexham AFC games, Andrew has also carried out a hugely varied amount of interviews, from the likes of Robert Englund, Kane Hodder, Adrienne Barbeau, Rob Zombie, Katharine Isabelle, Leigh Whannell, Bruce Campbell, and Tony Todd, to Kevin Smith, Ron Perlman, Elijah Wood, Giancarlo Esposito, Simon Pegg, Charlie Cox, the Russo Brothers, and Brian Blessed, to Kevin Conroy, Paul Dini, Tara Strong, Will Friedle, Burt Ward, Andrea Romano, Frank Miller, and Rob Liefeld, to Bret Hart, Sting, Mick Foley, Ricky Starks/Saints, Jamie Hayter, Britt Baker, Eric Bischoff, and William Regal, to Mickey Thomas, Joey Jones, Phil Parkinson, Brian Flynn, Denis Smith, Gary Bennett, Karl Connolly, and Bryan Robson - and that's just the tip of an ever-expanding iceberg. Where his beloved Wrexham AFC is concerned, Andrew is co-host of the Fearless in Devotion podcast, which won the Club Podcast of the Year gong at the 2024 FSA Awards.