Kota Ibushi is a Japanese professional wrestler and martial artist.
66 Facts About Kota Ibushi
2.
Kota Ibushi is best known for his tenure with New Japan-Pro Wrestling.
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Kota Ibushi's career began with the Dramatic Dream Team promotion in 2004 and over the next eleven years became a three-time KO-D Openweight Champion, five-time KO-D Tag Team Champion and a two-time KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Champion.
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In 2009, Ibushi started working for New Japan Pro-Wrestling and eventually signed with the promotion in 2013.
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In NJPW, Kota Ibushi is a former NEVER Openweight Champion, three-time IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion and a one-time IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champion.
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Kota Ibushi resigned from both DDT and NJPW in February 2016 and has performed in several different organizations as a freelancer, including both DDT and NJPW as well as WWE, where he participated in the 2016 Cruiserweight Classic tournament.
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Kota Ibushi has won several tournaments for NJPW, including the 2011 Best of the Super Juniors, the 2015 New Japan Cup and the 2019 and 2020 editions of the G1 Climax, being the only wrestler to have won all three tournaments.
8.
Kota Ibushi is one of only four wrestlers to win two consecutive G1 Climax tournaments alongside Masahiro Chono, Hiroyoshi Tenzan and Kazuchika Okada, as well as the only wrestler to reach the finals stage of four consecutive G1 Climax tournaments.
9.
On July 1,2004, Kota Ibushi made his professional wrestling debut for Dramatic Dream Team, losing to Kudo.
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In 2007 Kota Ibushi's fortunes fared better and he began to win more matches, including defeating BxB Hulk at a co-promoted event held by DDT and Dragon Gate.
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Later in 2007, Kota Ibushi defeated Madoka to win the vacant Independent World Junior Heavyweight Championship.
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In February 2008, Kota Ibushi defeated Tanomusaku Toba to retain the Independent World Junior Heavyweight Championship and win the Ironman Heavymetalweight Championship.
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Kota Ibushi would go on to lose the Ironman championship to Danshoku Dino.
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Kota Ibushi made his return at a DDT event on May 4,2012, losing to El Generico.
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On February 15,2015, Kota Ibushi won the KO-D Openweight Championship for the third time, defeating Harashima.
16.
On February 21,2016, Kota Ibushi announced his resignation from DDT.
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Kota Ibushi competed in Wrestling Marvelous Future teaming with Onryo and lost to Garuda and Masa Takanashi.
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Kota Ibushi would go on to compete for NJPW and Big Japan Pro Wrestling for a few months.
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Kota Ibushi teamed with Kudo to take on Kenta and Naomichi Marufuji in the first round of Differ Cup 2005 and lost.
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Kota Ibushi would go on to become Hustle Kamen Orange for Hustle, teaming with Hustle Kamen Red and the rest of the Hustle Kamen stable.
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Kota Ibushi went on to team up with Fuka to win his first accomplishment in professionally wrestling, Dragon Mixture Tournament, by defeating Shinjitsu Nohashi and Yoshitsune in the final.
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Kota Ibushi competed for ROH during the promotion's second tour of Japan, teaming with Kenta against Naomichi Marufuji and Katsuhiko Nakajima in a tag team match.
23.
On March 27,2009, Kota Ibushi made his debut for Philadelphia-based Chikara at the promotions annual King of Trios tournament where he formed a team with Kudo and Michael Nakazawa.
24.
On March 29, Kota Ibushi defeated Player Dos to win the tournament and become the 2009 Rey de Voladores.
25.
On January 16,2010, Kota Ibushi participated in Evolve's first show, losing to Davey Richards in the main event.
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Kota Ibushi then teamed up with Ishimori to take part in the Aquamarine Cup tag tournament, beating at the first round a team of Aagan Iisou but being eliminated at the second by another.
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Kota Ibushi gained a total of four points in Greatest Golden League 2008 which was not enough to progress out of block A and to the semi-final.
28.
In May and June 2009 Kota Ibushi participated in the Best of the Super Juniors Tournament held by NJPW.
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Kota Ibushi fought the likes of Koji Kanemoto, Taichi Ishikari and Jushin Thunder Liger, before losing in the semi-finals to Prince Devitt.
30.
On June 1,2010, Kota Ibushi entered his second Best of the Super Juniors tournament.
31.
On October 11,2010, Kota Ibushi returned to New Japan at Destruction '10 and teamed with his regular DDT partner Kenny Omega to defeat Apollo 55 for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship, after Kota Ibushi pinned Devitt.
32.
At the event Kota Ibushi was unsuccessful in his attempt to win the title.
33.
On May 26, Kota Ibushi entered New Japan's 2011 Best of the Super Juniors tournament.
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On June 10, Kota Ibushi first defeated Davey Richards in the semifinals and then Ryusuke Taguchi in the finals to win the 2011 Best of the Super Juniors tournament and earn a shot at Prince Devitt's IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship.
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Kota Ibushi made his first defense of the title on July 24, defeating Devitt in a rematch at Ryogoku Peter Pan 2011, and his second on August 1, defeating Devitt's tag team partner Ryusuke Taguchi.
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Later in the event, Kota Ibushi challenged Low Ki to a match for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship.
37.
On January 4,2013, at Wrestle Kingdom 7 in Tokyo Dome, Kota Ibushi unsuccessfully challenged Prince Devitt for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship in a three-way match, which included Low Ki.
38.
On July 5, Kota Ibushi was announced as a surprise participant in the 2013 G1 Climax.
39.
Kota Ibushi finished the tournament with four wins and five losses, failing to advance from his block.
40.
On January 4,2014, at Wrestle Kingdom 8 in Tokyo Dome, Kota Ibushi defeated Devitt to win the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship for the third time.
41.
On June 21 at Dominion 6.21, Kota Ibushi successfully defended the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship against the winner of the 2014 Best of the Super Juniors, Ricochet.
42.
Kota Ibushi received his shot at the title on January 4,2015, at Wrestle Kingdom 9 in Tokyo Dome, but was defeated by Nakamura.
43.
On March 5, Kota Ibushi entered the 2015 New Japan Cup, defeating IWGP Tag Team Champion Doc Gallows in his first round match.
44.
From July 20 to August 14, Kota Ibushi took part in the 2015 G1 Climax.
45.
On February 21,2016, Kota Ibushi announced that while he had been cleared to return to the ring from his herniated cervical disc, he had decided to resign from both DDT and NJPW and continue his career as a freelancer due to feeling he could not handle the burden of working two schedules.
46.
On June 13,2016, Kota Ibushi was announced as a participant in WWE's Cruiserweight Classic tournament.
47.
When Itami was injured, Ibushi was paired up with T J Perkins.
48.
On October 10,2016, Kota Ibushi returned to NJPW, taking part in a dark match prior to the King of Pro-Wrestling event.
49.
Kota Ibushi wrestled the match as the masked character "Tiger Mask W", based on the anime series of the same name, defeating Red Death Mask.
50.
On January 4,2018, Kota Ibushi defeated Cody at Wrestle Kingdom 12.
51.
At The New Beginning in Sapporo, Kota Ibushi returned the favor, saving Omega, who was involved in an altercation with other Bullet Club members Cody and Hangman Page.
52.
Kota Ibushi then participated in the 2018 G1 Climax, finishing with a record of 6 wins and 3 losses, tied for top of his block.
53.
On February 11,2019, Kota Ibushi announced that he was staying in New Japan.
54.
Kota Ibushi said, that he will be first competitor in 2019 New Japan Cup.
55.
Kota Ibushi successfully defeated Naito and became the IWGP Intercontinental Champion for the first time in his career.
56.
At Dominion 6.9 in Osaka-jo Hall, Kota Ibushi lost the IWGP Intercontinental Championship back to Naito.
57.
Kota Ibushi went on to compete in the 2019 G1 Climax winning the A block, finishing with 14 points, defeating Lance Archer, Bad Luck Fale, Will Ospreay, Zack Sabre Jr, Sanada, Hiroshi Tanahashi, and IWGP Heavyweight Champion Kazuchika Okada.
58.
Kota Ibushi went on the defeat the winner of the B Block, Jay White, in the finals to win the tournament.
59.
Kota Ibushi received his G1 Climax title shot on Night 1 of Wrestle Kingdom 14, where he was defeated by Okada for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship, before losing to White in a singles match on Night 2.
60.
Kota Ibushi only lost two matches during the whole tournament, against Shingo Takagi and the man he beat to win the previous year's G1, Jay White.
61.
On November 7,2020, at Power Struggle, Kota Ibushi became the first man to unsuccessfully defend the Tokyo Dome IWGP Heavyweight and Intercontinental Championships challenge rights certificate, by losing the briefcase to White.
62.
On January 4,2021, at Wrestle Kingdom 15, Kota Ibushi pinned Tetsuya Naito in the main event to win the IWGP Heavyweight and Intercontinental Championships, becoming only the third man to win the IWGP Heavyweight and Junior Heavyweight Championships in history.
63.
Kota Ibushi went on to successfully defend both titles against Jay White the following night on Wrestle Kingdom 15 Night 2.
64.
Kota Ibushi would go on to make his fourth consecutive G1 Climax final, but would lose to Kazuchika Okada after suffering an arm injury, causing a referee stoppage.
65.
In 2006, Kota Ibushi was planning on making his K-1 MAX debut, but it was cancelled after his opponent was injured.
66.
On November 11,2014, Kota Ibushi announced he would be making his shoot boxing debut in an exhibition match on November 30.