Kota Ibushi Apologizes For His Performance in The AEW: Blood & Guts Match

The former New Japan star wasn't thrilled with his AEW debut.

By Connor Casey

Former New Japan Pro-Wrestling star Kota Ibushi made his AEW debut on last week's AEW Dynamite in the annual Blood & Guts match, assisting Kenny Omega, The Young Bucks and Hangman Page in finally bringing down The Blackpool Combat Club (Jon Moxley, Claudio Castagnoli & Wheeler Yuta) along with Pac and Konosuke Takeshita. Ibushi left the match with a bunch of thumbtacks sticking out of his back, though most of those were from a wild scene after the match where the former IWGP World Heavyweight Champion deliberately took a back bump on a pile of tacks after the match was over. Not satisfied with his performance, Ibushi posted an apology this week on Twitter. 

"I'm home. It's my fault that I didn't know thumbtacks and glass after all this time. I have thin wrestling shoes, so it penetrated and it was just painful from the middle, and I ended up moving like an old man. I'm sorry! Far from being unable to kick, both ankles were stiff. Life with a cane for the first time in my life No, I'll be cured tomorrow! That is Kota Ibushi!" Ibushi wrote, translated from Japanese to English. 

Related:

Kota Ibushi at AEW's All In

Kenny Omega noted in the post-show promo after last week's AEW Dynamite that Ibushi would be back in an AEW ring in the future — "But one thing I do respect is that I will see Ibushi again here in an AEW ring and as long as I am an active performer in professional wrestling, I'm gonna go wherever these guys (The Young Bucks) go." 

Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer then reported this week that Ibushi will be at AEW's All In pay-per-view on Aug. 27 at Wembley Stadium in London. Who do you want his opponent to be? Tell us in the comments!

AEW Dynamite Card (July 26, 2023)

  • AEW International Championship: Orange Cassidy vs. AR Fox
  • The Blackpool Combat Club (Jon Moxley & Claudio Castagnoli vs. The Lucha Brothers vs. The Best Friends
  • Pac vs. Gravity
  • Darby Allin vs. Swerve Strickland
  • Dr. Britt Baker vs. Taya Valkyrie
  • Promo from MJF & Adam Cole

AEW Collision Card (July 29, 2023)

  • AEW World Tag Team Championships: FTR vs. MJF & Adam Cole
  • Andrade El Idolo vs. Buddy Matthews (Ladder Match)
  • El Hijo Del Vikingo, Action Andretti & Darius Martin vs. Bullet Club Gold (Juice Robinson & The Gunns)

Trending Now: