Kota Ibushi is set to undergo another surgery as he continues recovering from the fractured femur he suffered nearly a year ago.
The AEW star sustained the injury during his match against Josh Alexander on the October 11, 2025 episode of Collision in Jacksonville, Florida. The bout ended with Ibushi being counted out before he was taken away on a stretcher.
Ibushi subsequently confirmed that he had fractured his femur and underwent surgery as part of his recovery.
In an Instagram update on September 16, Ibushi revealed that he has now been hospitalized ahead of a second operation. He explained that the plates currently in his leg will be removed and replaced after doctors determined they were not strong enough for his body.
Despite expressing frustration and exhaustion over requiring another procedure, Ibushi made clear that he has no intention of allowing the setback to end his wrestling career.
“I am being hospitalized starting today. Tomorrow, I will undergo a second surgery on my femur. They will remove all the current plates and replace them with the strongest available option, as the doctors said my current ones were simply too weak for my body and leg.
Why now? It makes absolutely no sense to me. I am so exhausted from having to go through surgery after surgery. But I am not giving up. I refuse to let something like this end my professional wrestling career. I will make sure this surgery is a success and absolutely return to AEW‼️”
Ibushi did not provide a timetable for an in-ring return. His immediate focus will instead be on successfully completing the second surgery and beginning the next stage of his recovery.
The 44-year-old remains determined to wrestle again, explicitly promising that he intends to return to AEW once he is able to do so.
