is a Japanese professional wrestler and martial artist. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is currently inactive due to a broken femur, suffered during the October 11, 2025 AEW Collision taping.
Ibushi began his career with DDT Pro-Wrestling (DDT) in 2004. Over the next 11 years, he became a three-time KO-D Openweight Champion, five-time KO-D Tag Team Champion, and two-time KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Champion. Two of his KO-D Tag Team title reigns were with Kenny Omega as the Golden☆Lovers, and their combined total of 351 days is still a DDT record.
In 2009, Ibushi started working for New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) and eventually signed with them in 2013. In NJPW, he is a one-time NEVER Openweight Champion, three-time IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion, and a one-time IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champion. He resigned from both DDT and NJPW in February 2016 and has performed in several different organizations as a freelancer, including both DDT and NJPW. He also participated in WWE's 2016 Cruiserweight Classic tournament.
After continuing to perform as a freelancer for NJPW after 2016 (including as Tiger Mask W from 2016 to 2017), Ibushi signed a new full-time contract with NJPW in 2019, winning the IWGP Heavyweight Championship for the first and only time in his career in 2021. he later unified it with the IWGP Intercontinental Championship to become the inaugural IWGP World Heavyweight Champion. He is also a former IWGP Tag Team Champion. He has won several tournaments for NJPW, including the 2011 Best of the Super Juniors, the 2015 New Japan Cup, and the 2019 and 2020 editions of the G1 Climax; he is the only wrestler to have won all three tournaments. He is also one of only four wrestlers to win two consecutive G1 Climax tournaments, alongside Masahiro Chono, Hiroyoshi Tenzan, and Kazuchika Okada, as well as the only wrestler to reach the final stage of four consecutive G1 Climax tournaments.
Early life Kota Ibushi was born in Aira, Kagoshima, on May 21, 1982.
Professional wrestling career
DDT Pro-Wrestling Early career (2004–2009) Ibushi was trained by Kyohei Mikami and Shuji Kondo. He made his debut for DDT Pro-Wrestling (DDT) on July 1, 2004 at Audience 2004 losing to Kudo. In 2005, he won his first championship, when he and Daichi Kakimoto defeated Darkside Hero! and Toru Owashi to win the KO-D Tag Team Championship. On June 25, 2006, he lost to Danshoku Dino in a match for the championship and spent most of later 2006 competing in multiple tag team matches. In 2007 Ibushi's fortunes fared better and he began to win more matches, including defeating BxB Hulk at a co-promoted event held by DDT and Dragon Gate. Later in 2007, Ibushi defeated Madoka to win the vacant Independent World Junior Heavyweight Championship. In February 2008, Ibushi defeated Thanomsak Toba to retain the Independent World Junior Heavyweight Championship and win the Ironman Heavymetalweight Championship. He would go on to lose the Ironman championship to Dino. On July 20, 2008, Ibushi would defeat Kudo in the Next KO-D Openweight Championship One Day Tournament finals but would ultimately lose to the KO-D champion Dick Togo a month later.
Golden☆Lovers and departure (2009–2016)
Ibushi would start teaming up with Kenny Omega as the "Golden☆Lovers" and on January 24, 2009, they defeated Harashima and Toru Owashi to win the KO-D Tag Team Championship and lost them in May to Dick Togo and Taka Michinoku. In the summer of 2009, Ibushi won the first KO-D Openweight Championship Contendership Tournament and went on to win the KO-D Openweight Championship from Harashima. During his time as champion he also won the Ironman Heavymetalweight Championship and would lose the Openweight Championship to Shuji Ishikawa. After winning the Best of the Super Juniors in New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) his matches in DDT were mostly tag team matches with Omega or matches involving the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship. In 2011, Ibushi teamed up with Danshoku Dino to win the KO-D Tag Team Championship, however after dislocating his shoulder he vacated the title.
Ibushi made his return at a DDT event on May 4, 2012, losing to El Generico. On June 24, Ibushi defeated Yuji Hino to win DDT's KO-D Openweight Championship for the second time. On August 18, Ibushi defeated Omega in the main event of Budokan Peter Pan to retain the KO-D Openweight Championship. On September 30, Ibushi lost the title to El Generico. On October 3, Ibushi won the third annual DDT48 general election and, as a result, earned an immediate rematch with El Generico. Ibushi received his rematch on October 21, but was again defeated by El Generico. On May 26, 2013, Ibushi, Gota Ihashi and Omega defeated the Monster Army (Antonio Honda, Daisuke Sasaki and Yuji Hino) to win the KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Championship. Their reign lasted 28 days, before they lost the title back to the Monster Army, now represented by Honda, Hino and Hoshitango. On August 18 at DDT's annual Ryōgoku Peter Pan event, Ibushi faced New Japan representative and reigning IWGP Heavyweight Champion Kazuchika Okada in a losing effort in a special non-title match. On January 26, 2014, Ibushi and Kenny Omega defeated Yankee Nichokenju (Isami Kodaka and Yuko Miyamoto) and Konosuke Takeshita and Tetsuya Endo in a three-way match to win the KO-D Tag Team Championship. On April 12, Ibushi and Omega became double champions in DDT, when they teamed with Daisuke Sasaki to defeat Team Dream Futures (Keisuke Ishii, Shigehiro Irie and Soma Takao) for the KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Championship. Their reign, however, lasted only 22 days, before they lost the title to Shuten-dōji (Kudo, Masa Takanashi and Yukio Sakaguchi) on May 4. On September 28, Ibushi and Omega lost the KO-D Tag Team Championship to Konosuke Takeshita and Tetsuya Endo. On February 15, 2015, Ibushi won the KO-D Openweight Championship for the third time, defeating Harashima. He lost the title back to Harashima on April 29. On August 23, Ibushi won the KO-D Tag Team Championship for the fifth time, when he and Daisuke Sasaki defeated Daisuke Sekimoto and Yuji Okabayashi for the title. They vacated the title on November 2, when Ibushi was sidelined indefinitely with a cervical disc herniation.
On February 21, 2016, Ibushi announced his resignation from DDT.
Independent circuit (2004–2010) Ibushi competed in Wrestling Marvelous Future teaming with Onryo and lost to Garuda and Masa Takanashi. He would go on to compete for NJPW and Big Japan Pro Wrestling for a few months. Ibushi teamed with Kudo to take on Kenta and Naomichi Marufuji in the first round of Differ Cup 2005 and lost. Ibushi would go on to become Hustle Kamen Orange for Hustle, teaming with Hustle Kamen Red and the rest of the Hustle Kamen stable. Ibushi went on to team up with Fuka to win his first accomplishment in professionally wrestling, Dragon Mixture Tournament, by defeating Shinjitsu Nohashi and Yoshitsune in the final.
It was announced on January 26, 2008, that Ibushi would be competing for Ring of Honor in the United States. On April 11, 2008, in Boston he made his debut in a match against Davey Richards, a match in which he was cheered as a winner despite losing. During his brief tour of ROH, he wrestled against Claudio Castagnoli and teamed with Austin Aries against The Briscoe Brothers only to come up on the losing end. His last appearance of his U.S. tour of ROH ended with a singles victory over El Generico. Ibushi competed for ROH during the promotion's second tour of Japan, teaming with Kenta against Naomichi Marufuji and Katsuhiko Nakajima in a tag team match. It was announced on April 6, 2008, that Ibushi would be competing for Pro Wrestling Guerrilla in Burbank, California. However, Ibushi would end up injured before his scheduled appearance, and was forced to miss the PWG event. On March 27, 2009, Ibushi made his debut for Philadelphia-based Chikara at the promotions annual King of Trios tournament where he formed a team with Kudo and Michael Nakazawa. After his team was eliminated in the first round by Equinox, Lince Dorado and Helios, he went on to wrestle in the Rey de Voladores tournament over the next two days. On March 29, Ibushi defeated Player Dos to win the tournament and become the 2009 Rey de Voladores.
On January 16, 2010, Ibushi participated in Evolve's first show, losing to Davey Richards in the main event.
Dragondoor and El Dorado Wrestling (2005–2008) Ibushi made his debut in Dragondoor on its debut show on July 19, 2005, taking part in Taiji Ishimori's babyface team along with Milanito Collection A.T. and Little Dragon. They were pitted in a handicap match against Aagan Iisou (Shuji Kondo, Takuya Sugawara and Yasshi), but they were defeated. Ibushi then teamed up with Ishimori to take part in the Aquamarine Cup tag tournament, beating at the first round a team of Aagan Iisou (Toru Owashi and Shogo Takagi) but being eliminated at the second by another (Kondo and Yasshi). After wrestling in the short-lived promotion for some months, Ibushi made a special appearance during its last show as a new member of Italian Connection (Milano Collection A.T. and Berlinetta Boxer) named Ibushino (a parody of Yossino) to defeat Aagan Iisou.
After Dragondoor folded, Ibushi was revealed as a part of its new incarnation, El Dorado Wrestling. He wrestled in El Dorado debut show on April 24, 2006, teaming with Ishimori and Jumping Kid Okimoto in a losing effort against Aagan Iisou and their new member Pineapple Hanai, later known as Ken45º. He got his revenge in El Dorado's first big show, teaming up with El Blazer and Milanito Collection a.t. to defeat Kondo, Yasshi and Ken45º after a miscommunication among those. In late 2006, Ibushi teamed with Milano Collection A.T. to take part in Treasure Hunters Tag Tournament and reached the finals before being knocked out by Dick Togo and Shuji Kondo. Ibushi and Kagetora won a number one condership match for the UWA World Tag Team Championship and went on to win the championships by defeating Tokyo Gurentai (Mazada and Nosawa Rongai) and would later vacate the championships due to inactivity. Ibushi gained a total of four points in Greatest Golden League 2008 which was not enough to progress out of block A and to the semi-final.
New Japan Pro-Wrestling IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion (2009–2014) In May and June 2009 Ibushi participated in the Best of the Super Juniors Tournament held by NJPW. Ibushi fought the likes of Koji Kanemoto, Taichi Ishikari and Jushin Thunder Liger, before losing in the semi-finals to Prince Devitt. Ibushi was a participant in Pro Wrestling Noah's NTV Cup with tag team partner Atsushi Aoki and advanced to the finals before losing to Yoshinobu Kanemaru and Kotaro Suzuki.