Kota Ibushi
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.
Personal Info
Known For
Acting
Known Credits
232
Gender
Male
Birthday
1982-05-21
Place of Birth
Aira, Kagoshima, Japan
Also Known As
Tiger Mask W, Sammy Lee Jr., Robin Mask, Oda Nobunaga, Hustle Kamen Orange
Known For
ROH: The Tokyo Summit
NJPW G1 Climax 31: Day 1
NJPW G1 Climax 31: Day 3
NJPW G1 Climax 31: Day 5
NJPW G1 Climax 31: Day 7
NJPW G1 Climax 31: Day 9
NJPW G1 Climax 31: Day 11
NJPW G1 Climax 31: Day 13
NJPW G1 Climax 31: Day 17
NJPW G1 Climax 31: Day 15
NJPW G1 Climax 31: Day 19 (Final)
GCW Josh Barnett's Bloodsport 9
GCW Joey Janela's Spring Break 7
NJPW Dominion 6.16
NJPW Dominion 6.6 in Osaka-jo Hall
Chikara King Of Trios 2009 - Night 2
NJPW Masahiro Chono 25th Anniversary ~ Aristrist In Ryogoku Kokugikan~
ROH: Bedlam In Beantown
ROH: Return Engagement
ROH: Tag Wars
NOAH Summer Navigation '07 - Day 12
AEW All In 2023: London
NJPW G1 Climax 23: Day 1
AEW: WrestleDream 2023
NJPW King of Pro-Wrestling 2013
NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 8
NJPW Road To Tokyo Dome - Day 6
NJPW 42nd Anniversary Show
NJPW Presents CMLL Fantasticamania 2014
NJPW Dominion 6.21
NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 9
NJPW The New Beginning in Osaka 2015
NJPW The New Beginning in Sendai
NJPW Invasion Attack 2015
NJPW Wrestling Dontaku 2015
NJPW G1 Climax 25: Day 19 (Final)
NJPW King of Pro-Wrestling 2015
NJPW Destruction In Okayama
NJPW Power Struggle 2014
NJPW Road To Tokyo Dome - Day 6
NJPW Destruction in Kobe 2014
NJPW World Tag League 2014 - Day 11
NJPW Presents CMLL Fantastica Mania 2015 - Day 6
NJPW King of Pro-Wrestling 2012
WWN Supershow: Mercury Rising 2016
NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 15: Night 2
NJPW New Year Dash !! 2020
NJPW G1 Climax 30: Day 19 (Final)
NJPW Destruction in Hiroshima 2018
NJPW Destruction in Kobe 2017
NOAH: The New Year 2024
NJPW G1 Climax 28: Day 11
NJPW G1 Climax 28: Day 12
NJPW G1 Climax 28: Day 13
NJPW G1 Climax 28: Day 14
NJPW Power Struggle ~ Super Junior Tag League 2019
NJPW Power Struggle 2013
NJPW Power Struggle 2017
NJPW G1 Climax 23: Day 2
NJPW G1 Climax 23: Day 3
NJPW G1 Climax 23: Day 4
NJPW G1 Climax 23: Day 5
NJPW G1 Climax 23: Day 6
NJPW G1 Climax 23: Day 7
NJPW G1 Climax 23: Day 8
NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 5
NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 12
NJPW Destruction in Hiroshima 2017
NJPW The New Beginning In Sapporo 2018 - Day 1
NJPW G1 Climax 25: Day 1
NJPW G1 Climax 25: Day 2
NJPW G1 Climax 25: Day 3
NJPW G1 Climax 25: Day 4
NJPW G1 Climax 25: Day 5
NJPW G1 Climax 25: Day 6
NJPW G1 Climax 25: Day 7
NJPW G1 Climax 25: Day 8
NJPW G1 Climax 25: Day 9
NJPW G1 Climax 25: Day 10
NJPW G1 Climax 25: Day 11
NJPW G1 Climax 25: Day 12
NJPW G1 Climax 25: Day 13
NJPW G1 Climax 25: Day 14
NJPW G1 Climax 25: Day 15
NJPW G1 Climax 25: Day 16
NJPW G1 Climax 25: Day 17
NJPW G1 Climax 25: Day 18
NJPW G1 Climax 27: Day 1
NJPW G1 Climax 28: Day 4
NJPW G1 Climax 28: Day 5
NJPW G1 Climax 28: Day 6
NJPW G1 Climax 28: Day 7
NJPW G1 Climax 28: Day 8
NJPW G1 Climax 28: Day 9
NJPW G1 Climax 28: Day 10
NJPW G1 Climax 28: Day 15
NJPW G1 Climax 27: Day 2
NJPW G1 Climax 27: Day 3
NJPW G1 Climax 27: Day 4
NJPW G1 Climax 21: Day 10 (Final)
NJPW King of Pro-Wrestling 2016
EVOLVE 1: Ibushi vs. Richards
NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 7
NJPW New Year Dash !! 2018
NJPW Honor Rising: Japan 2018 - Day 1
NJPW Honor Rising: Japan 2018 - Day 2
NJPW Strong Style Evolved 2018
ROH: Supercard of Honor XII
NJPW Wrestling Dontaku 2018 - Night 1
NJPW Wrestling Dontaku 2018 - Night 2
NJPW Sakura Genesis 2018
NJPW Dominion 6.11 in Osaka-jo Hall
NJPW G1 Climax 28: Day 1
All In
Wrestlecon Supershow 2018
NJPW King of Pro-Wrestling 2018
NJPW Fighting Spirit Unleashed 2018
NJPW Power Struggle 2018 ~ Super Junior Tag League 2018 Final
NJPW World Tag League 2018 Finals
NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 13
Kaiju Mono
Omega Man: A Wrestling Love Story
NJPW King of Pro Wrestling 2017
NJPW Wrestling Dontaku 2017
NJPW Best of the Super Junior 26 - Day 15 (Final)
NJPW Dominion 6.9 in Osaka-jo Hall
NJPW G1 Climax 29: Day 5
NJPW G1 Climax 29: Day 6
NJPW G1 Climax 29: Day 7
NJPW G1 Climax 29: Day 3
NJPW G1 Climax 29: Day 1
NJPW G1 Climax 29: Day 4
NJPW G1 Climax 29: Day 8
NJPW G1 Climax 29: Day 9
NJPW G1 Climax 29: Day 10
NJPW G1 Climax 29: Day 2
NJPW Royal Quest
NJPW G1 Climax 29: Day 11
NJPW G1 Climax 29: Day 12
NJPW G1 Climax 29: Day 13
NJPW G1 Climax 29: Day 14
NJPW G1 Climax 29: Day 15
NJPW G1 Climax 29: Day 19 (Final)
NJPW G1 Climax 29: Day 16
NJPW G1 Climax 29: Day 17
NJPW G1 Climax 29: Day 18
NJPW Destruction in Kobe 2019
NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 14: Night 1
NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 14: Night 2
CEOxNJPW When Worlds Collide
Claudio Castagnoli: The Swiss Sensation
ROH: El Generico: Ole! Ole!
ROH: Japan's Finest
KENTA: Go 2 Sleep
ROH: Top 100 Matches, Vol 1
NJPW Sengoku Lord in Nagoya
NJPW Best Bout Collection Vol 1.
NJPW Best Bout Collection Vol. 2
NJPW Wrestling Dontaku 2019 - Day 1
Budokan Peter Pan: DDT 15th Anniversary
NJPW Wrestling Dontaku 2019 - Day 2
NJPW G1 Climax 30: Day 1
NJPW G1 Climax 30: Day 3
NJPW G1 Climax 30: Day 5
NJPW G1 Climax 30: Day 7
NJPW G1 Climax 30: Day 9
NJPW G1 Climax 30: Day 11
NJPW G1 Climax 30: Day 13
NJPW G1 Climax 30: Day 15
NJPW G1 Climax 30: Day 17
NJPW G1 Climax 28: Day 2
NJPW G1 Climax 28: Day 3
NJPW Summer Struggle In Jingu
NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 15: Night 1
NJPW 45th Anniversary Show
NJPW Presents CMLL Fantastica Mania 2011 - Day 2
ROH & NJPW: G1 Supercard
NJPW New Year Dash !! 2021
NJPW Castle Attack 2021 - Day 2
NJPW The New Beginning in Nagoya
NJPW The New Beginning in Hiroshima 2021 - Night 1
NJPW The New Beginning in Hiroshima 2021 - Night 2
NJPW Sakura Genesis 2021
NJPW G1 Climax 23: Day 9 (Final)
ROH: Injustice
NJPW Wrestle Grand Slam in MetLife Dome: Night 1
NJPW King of Pro-Wrestling 2019
NJPW Sakura Genesis 2017
NJPW New Year Dash !! 2015
NJPW G1 Climax 28: Day 16
NJPW G1 Climax 28: Day 17
NJPW G1 Climax 28: Day 18
NJPW G1 Climax 28: Day 19 (Final)
DDT Pro Wresting Presents The Appartment Complex
AEW All In 2025: Texas
NJPW G1 Climax 27: Day 18
NJPW G1 Climax 27: Day 19 (Final)
AEW x NJPW: Forbidden Door 2025
NJPW G1 Climax 27: Day 11
NJPW G1 Climax 27: Day 12
NJPW G1 Climax 27: Day 13
NJPW G1 Climax 27: Day 14
NJPW G1 Climax 27: Day 15
NJPW G1 Climax 27: Day 16
NJPW G1 Climax 27: Day 17
NJPW G1 Climax 27: Day 5
NJPW G1 Climax 27: Day 6
NJPW G1 Climax 27: Day 7
NJPW G1 Climax 27: Day 8
NJPW G1 Climax 27: Day 9
NJPW G1 Climax 27: Day 10
NJPW 49th Anniversary Show
NJPW The New Beginning in Osaka 2020
NJPW The New Beginning in Osaka 2014
NJPW The New Beginning in Hiroshima 2014
NJPW Invasion Attack 2014
NJPW Back to the Yokohama Arena
NJPW The New Beginning In Sapporo 2018 - Day 2
NJPW Dominion 7.12 in Osaka-Jo Hall
NJPW New Japan Cup 2020 - Day 9 (Final)
NJPW New Japan Cup 2018 - Day 1
NJPW New Japan Cup 2018 - Day 2
NJPW New Japan Cup 2018 - Day 3
NJPW New Japan Cup 2018 - Day 4
NJPW New Japan Cup 2019 - Day 1
NJPW New Japan Cup 2019 - Day 2
NJPW New Japan Cup 2019 - Day 3
NJPW New Japan Cup 2019 - Day 4
NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 20
NJPW New Japan Cup 2021 - Day 13 (Final)
NJPW New Japan Cup 2021 - Day 12
NJPW Wrestling Dontaku 2014