Kota Ibushi suffers broken femur at AEW Collision, undergoes surgery

Kota Ibushi suffered a broken femur during the October 8 taping of All Elite Wrestling Collision at Daily's Place in Jacksonville, Florida, and has undergone surgery, the wrestler said in a social media post. The injury brought the opening match of the show against Josh Alexander to an abrupt halt, saw Ibushi stretchered from ringside and prompted an emotional response from the promotion and fans.

The incident occurred when Alexander had Ibushi positioned on his shoulders at the top turnbuckle during a spot that involved a firemans carry. The two lost their balance and fell to the floor outside the ring, with Ibushi landing on his leg. Ringside medical staff attended to him, the referee counted him out, and Alexander was awarded the victory by countout. Crew and EMTs helped place Ibushi on a stretcher before he was taken to a local hospital for further evaluation.

Ibushi posted on Instagram that he suffered a femur fracture that pierced through muscle and that surgery was successful. He wrote, "One year to fully recover. Two years until I can step into the ring again," and added that he intends to work toward a faster return. He described intense pain and limited movement after...