Kota Ibushi, who has been out of action in AEW since October 2025, has shared new details about his recovery from a serious femur injury.
Ibushi broke his femur during a match against Josh Alexander that was taped for AEW Collision. He had surgery but needed a second procedure in February after one of the screws from the first operation came loose.
Ibushi returned to the hospital this week. On Thursday, September 17, doctors removed the plates in his femur and replaced them with stronger hardware after determining the original material was not strong enough for his leg.
In a post on his official Instagram account on Saturday, Ibushi disclosed that he has been taking medication for about a year that is also prescribed to cancer patients. He wrote:
“For the past year or so, I’ve been living on medication typically prescribed to cancer patients. That means my condition isn’t normal—my specialist urged me to have another surgery as soon as possible, which led to this procedure. Given my age, I want some time to think things through, but I’m going to try to face the reality of my situation head-on. Surprisingly, I was able to get out of the wheelchair after just one day. I still can’t move very well, but I’ve managed to start using crutches.”
Kota Ibushi on his IG today revealed that he's been living on medication taken by Cancer patients for the last year.
— Drainmaker (@TheDrainmaker) September 19, 2026
“For the past year or so, I've been living on medication taken by cancer patients. So I'm not normal, and specialists have advised me to have another surgery as… pic.twitter.com/RwBadkYrFH
The post marks a significant shift in tone for Ibushi. Shortly before the operation, he had insisted the injury would not end his career and said he would return to AEW. Now he acknowledges needing to think about his future before deciding whether to attempt another comeback.
Ibushi, 44, also noted in the post that he has reached 22 years as a professional wrestler. He did not disclose which medication he is taking and did not say he has cancer. There is currently no timetable for his return to AEW programming.