Just when it seemed like Kota Ibushi was poised for a comeback in 2025, it came to an abrupt halt after a spot gone wrong in a match against Josh Alexander led to Ibushi breaking his femur. Despite quickly getting surgery, Ibushi appeared to be in notable pain as he hobbled to the ring for Hiroshi Tanahashi’s retirement ceremony at Wrestle Kingdom, and it was revealed soon after that he had another procedure done.
This recent surgery seems to have gone much better than the first. Taking to Instagram one week ago, Ibushi posted an update following the second surgery, and not only appeared to be in better spirits, but in much better shape. The former IWGP Heavyweight Champion posted four slides with his post; the first showed him flexing, the second showed Ibushi doing squats with very little difficulty, while the third and fourth showed him walking up and down a flight of stairs, showing very little sign of a limp.
Ibushi provided no update on the timetable for his return to the ring. After initially suffering the injury, it was believed that Ibushi would miss nearly two years of ring-time while recovering, though Ibushi expressed optimism he could return before the end of 2026 shortly after his Tokyo Dome appearance. After having his second surgery, Ibushi revealed in a March interview that he was aiming to recover in six months, despite doctors telling him it would take a year.
At the time, Ibushi admitted that he was still limited in his mobility, being able to walk with no difficulty, but not being able to run. Despite his optimism about returning ahead of schedule, Ibushi admitted that his return would be predicated on him doing matches that were “easy,” suggesting it would still take time before he could wrestle at 100% again.
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