AEW Announces First Match For Absent Star Since 2023 For Dynamite

By Sam Palmer
Tony Khan Cindy Ord/Getty Images

The accesso ShoWare Center in Kent, Washington played host to the June 21 edition of "AEW Collision," where the fans in attendance got to witness the surprise return of Kota Ibushi to All Elite Wrestling. The "Golden Star" interacted with Kazuchika Okada for the first time since their time in New Japan Pro Wrestling, with Okada now being part of The Don Callis Family and targeting Ibushi's long-time friend Kenny Omega. Not only was Kent, Washington the place where Ibushi made his return to AEW, but this Wednesday on "AEW Dynamite," it will play host to Ibushi's first match in AEW since 2023.

AEW President Tony Khan took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to announce that Ibushi will be in action on the June 25 edition of "Dynamite" as he will go one-on-one with Trent Beretta of The Don Callis Family. Ibushi and Beretta have only ever shared the ring in tag team matches, with those bouts taking place in NJPW towards the end of 2018, making this the first time in both men's careers that they will be wrestling each other in singles action. Not only will it be Ibushi's first AEW match in nearly two years, or the first time wrestling Beretta, but it will actually be his first singles match ever in AEW as he has only ever wrestled in multi-man affairs.

The reasons why Ibushi has been away for so long are injuries and visa issues. On January 2, 2024, Ibushi broke both of his ankles during a match in Pro Wrestling NOAH against Naomichi Marufuji, but managed to make a return just six months later at a GLEAT event in Japan. While he has been getting his visa ready to return to the US, he has remained semi-active in Japan, wrestling for the likes of GLEAT, Marvelous, and the company where he originally made his name, DDT.

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