Kota Ibushi is in New Japan Pro Wrestling to stay

At the midway point of New Japan Pro Wrestling’s New Beginning in Osaka today (for full results, click here), we got a surprise entrance from a man that’s been on the injured reserve list since Wrestle Kingdom 13, Kota Ibushi.

His future, both because of the concussion he suffered at that show, as well as the way the rest of the Golden Elite, including his partner Kenny Omega, have jumped ship to All Elite Wrestling, has been up in the air, but he laid it out for us in clear and simple language. And, since that language was Japanese, I’ll toss to NJPW expert and occasional English commentator Chris Charlton, who provided a running translation on Twitter as always.

Well then, that’s that settled!

It’s not really surprising that Kota would decide to stay the course with New Japan while so many others jump ship— the Golden Star has always marched to the beat of his own proverbial drum, and zagging where others zig is essentially to be expected of him. And, while his status can’t be totally locked down from a single promo, one assumes he remains a freelancer who would still be able to take independent dates whenever NJPW aren’t using him.

Having Ibushi around for the foreseeable future is quite reassuring for the state of New Japan and, I think, turns New Japan Cup into largely a question of him vs. Tetsuya Naito, assuming the Stardust Genius gets his request to be entered into the tournament.

There you have it, folks

Excited that the Golden Star is staying with New Japan or would you rather have seen him sign with AEW, Cagesiders?