Kenny Omega and Kota Ibushi were set for a Golden Lovers reunion match in AEW just a few months agobut the plan was scrapped after Ibushis devastating leg injury.
During the February 2, 2026 episode of Being The Elite, Nick Jackson revealed that AEW was preparing for a tag match featuring Omega and Ibushi before everything was derailed by Ibushis broken femur.
Its the first public confirmation that a full-fledged Golden Lovers return was on the AEW books. Instead, plans pivoted, and the match was reworked into a six-man tag to make up for Ibushis absence.
This comes after Ibushi posted an emotional rehab update on Instagram, showing off major progress in his recovery. Despite being told hed need up to two years to compete again, Ibushis already regaining leg strength with kettlebell workouts.
Even so, Ibushi isnt rushing the comebackand made it clear that when he returns, he wants to do it right.
Back in October 2025, reports from Dave Meltzer described Ibushis injury as severe enough to cause major leg atrophyrequiring him to relearn basic movement from scratch. In the end, Ibushis recovery update gives that scrapped match a second life in fans imaginations. It may not happen tomorrowbut it might happen a lot sooner than anyone expects.
Were you hoping to see the Golden Lovers reunite in AEW? Should the match be revisited once Kota Ibushi is cleared? Drop your thoughts in the comments and let us know.
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