Kota Ibushi made his AEW debut last week, working the third Blood & Guts match from the TD Garden in Boston, MA, on Dynamite.
Blackpool Combat Club (Jon Moxley, Wheeler Yuta, and Claudio Castagnoli), Konosuke Takeshita, and PAC were defeated by the Golden Elite (Kenny Omega, Ibushi, Young Bucks, and Hangman Page).
Many fans criticized Ibushi for his movement in the bout, which ended after a handcuffed Moxley quit to save Yuta from being choked out, and some mocked him for looking like an old man instead of how he usually works.
Ibushi even fell into a pool of thumbtacks after the match, which was bloody and featured a variety of weapons.
In a social media post, Ibushi reflected on his performance and explained why he may have looked off during the match.
“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!”
ただいま❗
今更ながら画鋲やガラスなんてしらなかった自分が悪い。
自分は薄いレスリングシューズだから貫通してきて途中からひたすら痛くておじいさまのような動きになってしまった。
くやしい！蹴れないどころか両足首がぶっ凝れた人生初の杖生活❗いや、明日には治る！それが飯伏幸太だ！ pic.twitter.com/m4rxeT1U9s
— 飯伏 幸太 (@ibushi_kota) July 26, 2023
