Kota Ibushi Returns To The Ring For First Match In Over A Year
October 21, 2021 was the last time professional wrestling fans saw Kota Ibushi compete inside the ring. That all changed Thursday night when he faced off against "Speedball" Mike Bailey at GCW Josh Barnett's Bloodsport 9 live from the Ukrainian Cultural Center in Los Angeles, California. Despite re-injuring his shoulder leading up to the event, Ibushi vowed to compete at Bloodsport, and compete he did, needing just under seven minutes to defeat "Speedball" via knockout. The rules of Bloodsport differ greatly from your traditional pro wrestling fare, as not only are the turnbuckles and ropes removed from the ring, but also each contest must end via submission or knockout. Following the contest, it was all about mutual respect between the two competitors.
🤝 Respect is shown between these two high-level competitors.#Bloodsport9 is LIVE on #FITEplus | https://t.co/p4aqPGbwZ1 pic.twitter.com/NLrT3abUWS
— FITE (@FiteTV) March 30, 2023
Not only was this Ibushi's first match in over a year, but it also marked the first time he's competed in the United States since November 2019, when he was at the New Japan Pro-Wrestling Showdown events in San Jose and Los Angeles, California, respectively. In San Jose, he teamed up with Amazing Red and lost to the team of Kazuchika Okada and Will Ospreay before defeating Ren Narita in Los Angeles. In addition to his return Thursday, Ibushi is also slated to face "The Bad Boy" Joey Janela at GCW's Spring Break 7 Friday night.
Earlier this year, Ibushi became a free agent. His contract with NJPW expired after the two sides had a falling out. Before exiting the promotion, Ibushi had won seven different championships in NJPW, including becoming the inaugural IWGP World Heavyweight Champion. Despite the fact that a series of injuries kept him out of action for nearly a year-and-a-half, interest in the 40-year-old Ibushi is said to be high.