AEW’s Tony Khan: Talking to Kota Ibushi is ‘something we would have to consider’

AEW & ROH head Tony Khan is no stranger to signing free agent talent, so now that former NJPW star Kota Ibushi has no contractual home, Khan is interested in talking with him.

During his weekly appearance on Busted Open Radio Wednesday, Khan was asked about Ibushi and his process when someone like that becomes available.

“There’s a lot of great free agents in the world of pro wrestling, but certainly Kota Ibushi is a great talent. When you have a name like that, that is certainly somebody everybody in the world of pro wrestling would be very fortunate to have in their promotion. We really wanted to work with him in the past, so I think that is certainly something we’d have to consider.”

Ibushi said in an interview that he thinks he will talk with AEW, but only after opening up a wrestling school in Japan.

Ibushi’s contract expired on January 31st with NJPW issuing a release wishing him luck in his future endeavors.

The 40-year-old has been injured and out of action since October 2021 with a dislocated shoulder suffered in the G1 Climax finals. On Tuesday, GCW announced that Ibushi would be wrestling at both Bloodsport and Spring Break during WrestleMania weekend in Los Angeles.