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Kota Ibushi's 2023 was quite eventful, from returning to the ring for the first time in nearly two years to signing with AEW. It was also a grueling year, however, as the former IWGP World Champion notably struggled to return to form coming off a major shoulder injury that kept him out of action since August 2021. But as Ibushi now gets set to take more time off for surgery on his ankle, he's at least more optimistic about the future, and perhaps even thinking about life beyond wrestling.
Early Tuesday morning, Ibushi took to X to post a photo of him lying in a hospital bed, awaiting his surgery. Perhaps referencing how he had put off surgery in the past for other injuries, Ibushi declared that "things won't go on as before," and that he hoped the procedure, scheduled for tomorrow, would be successful. Ibushi also seemed to indicate that returning to the ring wasn't his number one priority, instead saying that being able to walk would be enough and that he didn't "need anything else."
お久しぶりです。異常に長く感じる。
今まで通りにはいかない。
明日の手術が成功しますように。
歩ければそれでじゅうぶん。
他には何もいらない pic.twitter.com/ZHVTfEoJXL
— 飯伏 幸太 (@ibushi_kota) January 16, 2024
Ibushi reaggravated the injury to his ankle, while also injuring the other ankle in the process, during a match with Naomichi Marufuji at Pro Wrestling NOAH's The New Year event on January 2. Despite working through heavy pain that later led to Ibushi being hospitalized, he would finish the match, defeating Marufuji after nearly 35 minutes.
As Ibushi now enters the road to recovery, he joins none other than his Golden Lovers teammate Kenny Omega. The former AEW World Champion has been on the shelf for the past several weeks after being hospitalized with diverticulitis. As with Ibushi, there is currently no timetable regarding Omega's return to the ring.
