Announced as the fifth member of The Elite for the upcoming Blood and Guts Match, All Elite Wrestling makes it official that Kota Ibushi is set to join the promotion. As it stands, it seems to be a per-appearance deal, but that could easily change and we could very well see the “Kota Ibushi Is #AllElite” graphic by the end of next week’s AEW Dynamite.
He’s coming! Heart, Passion, Soul, Friendship & Love: with the addition of @ibushi_kota, it will be #TheGoldenElite against the #BCC at #BloodAndGuts NEXT WEDNESDAY at #AEWDynamite LIVE from the @TDGarden at 8pm ET/7pm CT on TBS! pic.twitter.com/4j2T9infr3
— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) July 13, 2023
An Endless Wave of Possibilities
Kota Ibushi making his AEW debut opens a massive book of possibilities for All Elite Wrestling. Not just from the assortment of amazing matches the celebrated “Golden Star” can have, as he’s never had long-term exposure on national TV. But also because of the massive amount of storylines that can be drawn from his long history with Kenny Omega.
Known as “The Golden Lovers” in DDT Pro-Wrestling and New Japan Pro Wrestling, where they’ve won Tag Team titles and have also faced off, these two have been very well known for their very long storyline. As the two first came together after wrestling each other, they developed as a tandem that seemed to thread the line of tag team partners or, as the name says, lovers.
However, as the competitive nature of pro wrestlers boiled over, Kenny Omega’s insecurities led him to become a member of none other than The Bullet Club. And as such, eventually reached the level of stardom he’s reached today. However, he’s always held and expressed having a complex regarding Kota Ibushi.
Seeing him as being the superior wrestler. And never being able to defeat him in a major match. While Kota just wants to simply tag with his friend. He doesn’t care. He just wants to have fun.
The story between the two, from that sense, comes across very similarly to the near-stereotypical Japanese trope of a hero and his rival in many shonen anime. With Kota playing the role of the unsuspecting hero, that just wants to protect and fight alongside his friend. While his rival, hampered by an inferiority complex, suffers from a long range of emotions because he can’t defeat this simple-minded man.
It’s a long list of examples in the genre. And more layers have been added over the years as The Young Bucks have been involved. Their match against Kenny Omega and Hangman Page at Revolution 2020 was a derivative of another memorable match in The Golden Lovers vs. The Young Bucks. And now, all those ingredients are under AEW.
However, there’s another very interesting dream match already teased. Before the revelation of Kota Ibushi, someone made his return to AEW: PAC. “The Bastard” has been noted for his impressive high-flying skills as well as his very intense personality, as developed in 2016 and has made him an even more impressive talent. Now we have such an amazing prospect teased for after Blood and Guts as Kota Ibushi’s first potential one on one match with the company.
What’s in store for Kota Ibushi in the land of #AllElite? Hopefully, fans will all know soon enough!
More LWOS Pro Wrestling
Stay tuned to the Last Word on Pro Wrestling for more on this and other stories from around the world of wrestling, as they develop. You can always count on LWOPW to be on top of the major news in the wrestling world. As well as to provide you with analysis, previews, videos, interviews, and editorials on the wrestling world. You can catch AEW Dynamite Wednesday nights at 8 PM ET on TBS and AEW Dark: Elevation (Monday nights) and AEW: Dark (Tuesday nights) at 7 PM ET on YouTube. AEW Rampage airs on TNT at 10 PM EST every Friday night.
