AEW's Kota Ibushi To Undergo Surgery, Says He Refuses To Let Injury End His Career

It has been nearly a year since Kota Ibushi fell awkwardly to the floor during an "AEW Collision" match with Josh Alexander, resulting in a broken femur. Ibushi immediately underwent surgery to repair the injury, but recovery has still proven to be more difficult than he could've expected. Taking to Instagram on Tuesday, Ibushi posted an update revealing that there was more difficulty to come for the AEW star. And yet, despite the long odds, Ibushi remains optimistic that his career is not over. 

"I am being hospitalized starting today," Ibushi said. "Tomorrow, I will undergo a second surgery on my femur. They will remove all the current plates and replace them with the strongest available option, as the doctors said my current ones were simply too weak for my body and leg. Why now? It makes absolutely no sense to me. I am so exhausted from having to go through surgery after surgery. But I am not giving up. I refuse to let something like this end my professional wrestling career. I will make sure this surgery is a success and absolutely return to AEW."

Though Ibushi refers to this surgery as his second procedure, he had previously indicated that he had undergone a second surgery earlier this year, shortly after he had made an appearance at Wrestle Kingdom for Hiroshi Tanahashi's retirement. In April, Ibushi indicated that the surgery had been a success in a post that featured him doing squats and walking up and down the stairs with limited difficulty. The former IWGP Heavyweight Champion was also bullish on his return timetable, stating he was looking to get back in the ring by the end of 2026, despite doctors suggesting 2027 was a more realistic option. Now faced with another surgery, it appears Ibush's timetable has moved back even further.