Tony Khan Addresses Interest In Kota Ibushi

With former IWGP World Heavyweight champion Kota Ibushi becoming a free agent yesterday, the wrestling world is abuzz with possibilities. One of the most talked-about potential destinations for the former NJPW star is All Elite Wrestling, the promotion his former tag team partner Kenny Omega calls home. AEW President Tony Khan appeared on SiriusXM's "Busted Open Radio" this morning and shared his thoughts on the possibility of bringing in Ibushi.

"There's a lot of great free agents in the world of pro wrestling, but certainly Kota Ibushi is a great talent," Khan said. "When you have a name like that, that's certainly somebody everybody in the world of pro wrestling would be very fortunate to have in their promotion. We've really wanted to work with him in the past, so I think that's something we'd certainly have to consider."

Ibushi has already addressed the idea of going to AEW, sharing that he first hopes to open up his own wrestling school in Japan before he makes that decision. Ibushi's first appearances outside of NJPW are scheduled to occur WrestleMania weekend at GCW's The Collective in Los Angeles. Ibushi is set to appear at Josh Barnett's Bloodsport on March 30, where he will take on "Speedball" Mike Bailey in the main event, followed by a match at Joey Janela's Spring Break the following evening. The match against Bailey is scheduled to be Ibushi's first bout since suffering a dislocated shoulder in October 2021.

Some notable AEW talent have already made their thoughts clear on Ibushi potentially joining them in the company. Matt and Nick Jackson of the Young Bucks shared that they would love to work with Ibushi again, while also stating that he has the level of talent to do anything he wants in the industry.

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit "Busted Open Radio" and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.