Since leaving NJPW earlier this year, the former IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Kota Ibushi has been repeatedly linked with All Elite Wrestling.
Ibushi left the Japanese promotion in February giving rise to speculation he was either heading for WWE or Tony Khan’s promotion. However, he is yet to choose a permanent wrestling destination, choosing to perform for GCW against Speedball Mike Bailey and Joey Janela in March.
The 40-year-old star has a strong connection to the Jacksonville promotion because of his friendship with EVP and former All Elite World, Tag Team and Trios Champion Kenny Omega.
Ibushi and Omega are intrinsically linked. The duo formed a tag team called the Golden Lovers in 2009 while they were both in the Japanese promotion, DDT Pro. Together they won the KO-D Tag Team Championship on two occasions and the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championships.
Is Kota Ibushi AEW Bound?
Ibushi recently spoke to Dark Puroresu Flowsion about his future telling the account that All Elite Wrestling was his number one choice.
Kota Ibushi told me AEW is his #1 choice:
“I don’t want to go out normally, I want to go out seriously. I think I’m more suited to AEW than Japan. I already thought so during All In. I have many friends. There are even the best tag partners”
Now, the same account has revealed that Ibushi wants to pass on his knowledge and experience to help the younger stars if he ever does become ‘All Elite’. The account posted:
Kota Ibushi told me if he signs with AEW. He wants to pass his knowledge on to build future AEW stars:
“I want to share my knowledge with them as much as I can in AEW. The reason is to spread wrestling. To make it more major. I will give my all to wrestling.”
If Ibushi were to sign for the promotion, he wouldn’t be the first former IWGP World Heavyweight Champion to do so.
The leader of the newly formed Bullet Club Gold, Jay White made his debut earlier this month before getting the coveted ‘All Elite’ graphic from Tony Khan.