Dave Meltzer Speculates On AEW Return Timetable For Kenny Omega And Kota Ibushi

After being off the grid for most of 2024 while recovering from injuries, Kota Ibushi has become a newscycle favorite this week, after his in-ring return for DDT was announced for later in August. The announcement was followed by confirmation that Ibushi would be appearing regularly for DDT, prompting some to wonder what this meant for Ibushi's AEW future. This led to Ibushi commenting on the matter himself, saying he would be back in AEW once his long-time tag team partner, Kenny Omega, made his return.

On Thursday's "Wrestling Observer Radio," Dave Meltzer confirmed Ibushi's statement, saying that Ibush remained under contract with AEW, but wouldn't be appearing for the promotion again prior to Omega's return. That may not be as long a wait as some people would think, however, as Meltzer noted that while there is no firm date regarding Omega's return, it's not believed to be as far off as previously thought.

Like Ibushi, Omega has also been inactive for 2024, after dealing with a case of diverticulitis that almost resulted in the end of Omega's career, and could have killed him if left untreated. Omega had surgery for his condition back in May, after appearing on an episode of "AEW Dynamite" in Winnipeg where he was brutally attacked by Elite members the Young Bucks, Jack Perry, and Omega's long-time rival, Kazuchika Okada.

Meltzer stated that the normal recovery time for the surgery Omega had was around four months, though he cautioned that Omega had several other ailments in addition to his diverticulitis/hernia. Regardless, Meltzer reiterated Omega would be returning and that it wouldn't be "months and months" from now, and that he believes Omega could be seen in AEW before the end of 2024.