AEW Scrapped Plans for Major Kenny Omega Match After Injury

Kenny Omega and Kota Ibushi were set for a Golden Lovers reunion match in AEW just a few months ago—but the plan was scrapped after Ibushi’s 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 Ibushi’s broken femur.

“A match that never happened—the Golden Lovers. Ibushi—it was actually supposed to happen pretty recently, but he had a really bad leg break. We were supposed to do Kenny and Ibushi a couple months ago. You guys tell me—we ended up doing a six-man tag instead.”

It’s 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 Ibushi’s absence.

This comes after Ibushi posted an emotional rehab update on Instagram, showing off major progress in his recovery. Despite being told he’d need up to two years to compete again, Ibushi’s already regaining leg strength with kettlebell workouts.

“I suffered a serious injury. The doctor told me that it would take about two years for me to return to competition. It's been about two months since I was injured. However, it seems that I don't need that.”

Even so, Ibushi isn’t rushing the comeback—and made it clear that when he returns, he wants to do it right.

“But that doesn't mean I'll take any easy steps. This time, I really want to step into the wrestling ring. So please give me a little more time.”

Back in October 2025, reports from Dave Meltzer described Ibushi’s injury as severe enough to cause major leg atrophy—requiring him to relearn basic movement from scratch. In the end, Ibushi’s recovery update gives that scrapped match a second life in fans’ imaginations. It may not happen tomorrow—but 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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