Kota Ibushi says a return to professional wrestling now looks almost impossible after his latest femur surgery, but he still insists he will get back in the ring no matter how long it takes.
In a video posted to X on Monday, the AEW star explained that the plate inserted during his September 17 operation will stay in his leg for life, and that wrestling on it carries a high chance of the bone breaking again. (h/t Fightful for the translation)
“Fortunately, the surgery was successful, but I learned a few things from it. It seems that a return to professional wrestling is almost impossible,” Ibushi said.
“The plate that was replaced this time will not be removed from my perspective in the future and will remain like this for life. Thanks to the treatment, I can now go about my life without any problems, but apparently there is a high chance it will break again if I do professional wrestling. When that happens, even daily life becomes difficult.”
Ibushi admitted the drive that fueled his past comebacks has faded. “In the past, I would have tried to make a comeback, but I’m confused because I don’t feel that motivation anymore. Is it due to age? Perhaps my body has come to understand that with these legs, I may never be able to return to my prime.”
Then he flipped the script. “I’m completely recovered after just two days since the surgery! Even though a comeback seems hopeless, I will definitely return to the ring. I don’t know how many years it will take, but I will never give up.”
He added that because his leg is in bad shape, he plans to stop pushing himself as hard as he used to.
A Year Of Setbacks
Ibushi broke his femur in a match against Josh Alexander taped for AEW Collision in October 2025. He needed a follow-up procedure in February after a screw from the original surgery came loose.
Doctors later determined the plate put in his leg in the United States was too weak to heal properly, which led to last week’s operation to replace all of his hardware. Before going under, Ibushi said he was exhausted by surgery after surgery but refused to let the injury end his career.
Monday’s message followed a much darker Instagram post on Saturday. There, Ibushi disclosed that he has spent roughly the past year on medication typically prescribed to cancer patients, and said his specialist urged him to have the new surgery as soon as possible. He did not say he has cancer or name the medication.
In that same post, Ibushi said it was the first time he felt like giving up and that he was grateful to have wrestled professionally for 22 years. He also noted he was out of his wheelchair one day after surgery and already moving on crutches.
It’s the latest swing in a year of mixed signals. On his 44th birthday in May, Ibushi admitted an in-ring return was unlikely and shifted his focus to building a new wrestling venue after the closure of Shinjuku FACE. The Wrestling Observer Newsletter later reported that those close to him still believed he intended to come back, despite concerns about his balance and lateral movement.
