Kota Ibushi out of action indefinitely due to injury

[Big Red Machine]

Source: www.F4WOnline.com

Kota Ibushi, one of the top performers in the world over the past decade, will be out of action indefinitely due to a herniated disc.

Both New Japan and DDT, the two companies he's under contract two, made the announcement today. Ibushi missed his weekend DDT shows and the rumor was that he had a serious health issue. At the press conference, it was announced that even though he won't be wrestling for a while and his New Japan contract expires in January, that he will be renewed by the company even though he won't be wrestling soon.

New Japan made the announcement that he would be out of Saturday's Power Struggle show. DDT announced he would be out of action "a long time."

Ibushi & Hiroshi Tanahashi were scheduled to face Kazuchika Okada & Kazushi Sakuraba on Saturday's show at the Edion Arena in Osaka. The match was to set up Sakuraba vs. Ibushi, although there were issues with that match taking place given Sakuraba's MMA fight with Shinya Aoki on 12/27 for Rizin.

A replacement is expected to be announced shortly. Katsuyori Shibata is not booked on the card so he would make sense.

New Japan announced the complete card for Saturday's show:

Jushin Liger & Tiger Mask & Ryusuke Taguchi & Mascara Dorada vs. Yohei
Komatsu & Sho Tanaka & David Finlay & Jay White
Togi Makabe & Captain New Japan & Juice Robinson vs. Doc Gallows & Cody
Hall & Tama Tonga
Hirooki Goto vs. King of Darkness EVIL (Takaaki Watanabe)
Bobby Fish & Kyle O'Reilly & Alex Shelley & Kushida vs. Young Bucks &
Chase Owens & Kenny Omega
Matt Sydal & Ricochet vs. Rocky Romero & Baretta in the Super Junior tag
tournament finals
Toru Yano & Yoshi-Hashi vs. A.J. Styles & Bad Luck Fale
Tomohiro Ishii vs. Tomoaki Honma for Never Open Weight title
Hiroshi Tanahashi &? vs. Kazushi Sakuraba & Kazuchika Okada
Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Karl Anderson for IWGP IC title

[Big Red Machine]

Sad news... but it's not like New Japan is doing anything with him.