Kota Ibushi makes surprise return at AEW Collision, next match set
After more than a year away from AEW, Japanese legend Kota Ibushi made his presence felt at Saturday’s AEW Collision.
It began with an in-ring promo segment featuring AEW Continental Champion Kazuchika Okada, Lance Archer, Josh Alexander and Don Callis where Callis verbally ran down Omega and said that if he makes it to All In, he will be truly alone.
Callis also said Okada is officially the newest member of his Don Callis Family.
Mark Briscoe then came out to make it clear that Omega has friends like himself but he’s not his only friend. A shirtless Ibushi then came out and as Briscoe dealt with Archer, Ibushi got into the ring where Josh Alexander awaited him.
Ibushi took him out and Okada then stood toe-to-toe with him. Okada laid in a few shots, but Ibushi unloaded him to send him out of the ring.
Ibushi is Omega’s longtime tag team partner in the Golden Lovers. He and Okada had alliances and a rivalry in NJPW with their last clash coming in the 2021 G1 tournament final that Okada won due to a referee stoppage.
It was later announced on Collision that Ibushi will make his in-ring return this Wednesday in Kent, Washington, as part of AEW Dynamite.
The 43-year-old has been out of action since February 2025, but hasn’t been in AEW since a November 2023 Dynamite when he, Omega, Chris Jericho and Paul Wight defeated Konosuke Takeshita, Brian Cage, Powerhouse Hobbs and Kyle Fletcher.