Kota Ibushi reflects on his shoulder injury and says he thought about retiring.
In the NJPW G1 Finals in October 2021, Kota Ibushi suffered a shoulder injury, and he was out of action until he returned to the ring at Bloodsport 9 in March 2023. Ibushi has since competed in several matches, and he has wrestled for AEW multiple times. Ibushi will have another high-profile match when he competes at NOAH The New Year on January 2, as he will face Naomichi Marufuji.
Speaking with Pro Wrestling NOAHs website, Kota Ibushi discussed the match, and he was asked to share his thoughts about his potential retirement. (Translation via DeepL)
"As for that, I'm not sure when it will be over for me either. I'm not the type to set my own time frame, so I want to do as much as I can. But...well...if I can't do it anymore, if there is no more demand, I think it's the end. If there is no more demand, I ask them to cut me off immediately. I'm the type of person who says that if I find out, I'll quit immediately. Conversely, Mr. Marufuji is the type who decides. He has five years left. I hope I can play a role in that time," Ibushi said.
Ibushi highlighted the shoulder injury that forced him to miss more than a year of in-ring action,
"(I thought about retiring because) my shoulder injury was the biggest thing. I can't move as much as in the past, as everyone wants me to. I have to use different techniques there. Of course, with my career, I can change things by doing different things, but if someone says, "That's not what we want to see," then that's the end of me. That's the end of the road for me. So in my case, it could end tomorrow. It could be a year from now, or it could be 10 years from now. I don't know. When there is no more demand, it's the end," Ibushi said.
Check out the card for NOAH The New Year 2024 here.
Ibushi officially signed with AEW in November. More information is available here.
Catch up on past NOAH results and other results from around the wrestling world with Fightful's results section.
