Photo of Kota Ibushi
Acting

Kota Ibushi

Profession
Acting
Born
May 21, 1982 · Aira, Kagoshima, Japan

Biography

Kota Ibushi is a Japanese professional wrestler and former martial artist who signed with All Elite Wrestling (AEW) in 2023. Widely praised by fans and critics for his explosive athleticism, striking ability, and willingness to take extreme physical risks, he built a reputation for delivering some of the highest-rated matches of his era, particularly through his work in New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). His accolades include the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Best Flying Wrestler award in 2009, 2010, 2012, and 2013, Pro Wrestling Match of the Year in 2015 against Shinsuke Nakamura, and induction into the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame in 2022. Ibushi began his career in 2004 with DDT Pro-Wrestling, where he became one of the company’s top stars. During his time there, he won the KO-D Openweight Championship three times, the KO-D Tag Team Championship five times, and the KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Championship twice. Two of those tag title reigns came alongside Kenny Omega as the Golden☆Lovers, whose combined 351 days as champions remain a DDT record. He first appeared for NJPW in 2009 before officially signing in 2013. Across his time with the promotion, he won the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship three times, the NEVER Openweight Championship once, and the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship. Ibushi later won the Best of the Super Juniors in 2011 and the New Japan Cup in 2015. After leaving both NJPW and DDT in 2016 to work as a freelancer, he competed for multiple promotions and took part in the WWE Cruiserweight Classic. Returning to NJPW full-time in 2019, Ibushi won the G1 Climax in 2019 and 2020, becoming the first wrestler to win the tournament in consecutive years since Hiroyoshi Tenzan in 2003. Those victories made him the only wrestler to win all three of NJPW’s major singles tournaments. In 2021, he captured the IWGP Heavyweight Championship and unified it with the IWGP Intercontinental Championship to become the inaugural IWGP World Heavyweight Champion, while ranking No. 5 in the PWI 500.

Known for

WWE NXT poster
WWE NXT
Series · 2010 · ★ 6.7
All Elite Wrestling: Dynamite poster
All Elite Wrestling: Dynamite
Series · 2019 · ★ 7.9
AEW All In 2025: Texas poster
AEW All In 2025: Texas
Film · 2025 · ★ 9.3
All Elite Wrestling: Collision poster
All Elite Wrestling: Collision
Series · 2023 · ★ 7.7
All In poster
All In
Film · 2018 · ★ 8.2
AEW All In 2023: London poster
AEW All In 2023: London
Film · 2023 · ★ 8.0
AEW x NJPW: Forbidden Door 2025 poster
AEW x NJPW: Forbidden Door 2025
Film · 2025 · ★ 8.6
AEW: WrestleDream 2023 poster
AEW: WrestleDream 2023
Film · 2023
Kaiju Mono poster
Kaiju Mono
Film · 2016
NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 12 poster
NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 12
Film · 2018
NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 13 poster
NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 13
Film · 2019
New Japan Pro Wrestling poster
New Japan Pro Wrestling
Series · 1972

Filmography