Popular bilingual Twitter user Enuhito hipped English language Twitter to the news that broke in Japan today on sites like Tokyo Sports: Dual promotion star Kota Ibushi, who’s currently out of action with a neck injury, has left both NJPW and DDT to work as a freelancer out of his own company, Ibushi Pro Wrestling Research Institute. He’ll still be returning to action at DDT’s annual Sumo Hall show on March 2nd, but he’s no longer on their roster or NJPW’s.
Breaking News:
Kota Ibushi will leave both NJPW & DDT and becomes a freelance. pic.twitter.com/14kUwW4rHD
— enuhito(English) (@enuhito_eng) February 22, 2016
Ibushi will leave both NJPW & DDT.
It is because it is really tough both physically and mentally for him to wrestle two companies.
— enuhito(English) (@enuhito_eng) February 22, 2016
So Ibushi will launch a new organization called "Ibushi wrestling Research Institute(IWRI?)".
— enuhito(English) (@enuhito_eng) February 22, 2016
Ibushi will return to the ring on March 21st at DDT Ryogoku show as IWRI guy.
He will be free man to spread prowrestling as member of IWRI
— enuhito(English) (@enuhito_eng) February 22, 2016
It’s hard to figure out whether this is going to mean anything, substantively speaking. He’s obviously still working for DDT and will probably still work for NJPW, as well. It’s probably a matter of how many dates he’s obligated to work, especially with the responsibility being the top guy in DDT in addition to being a top guy in NJPW. Most likely not much actually changes in terms of who he works for when, but he dictates his terms a bit more. NJPW’s going to need him in light of the departures of A.J. Styles and Shinsuke Nakamura, so maybe that works out for the best. Plenty of big stars have had great runs as freelancers, maybe he can be next.