Major New AEW Signing, Tony Khan Booking Plans

AEW

A look at AEW potentially making a new major signing in Kota Ibushi, and the booking plans that Tony Khan may have in mind.

Ibushi is officially a free agent, so let’s take a look…

Kota Ibushi Joining AEW?

First of all, we still don’t know for a fact that Ibushi is AEW-bound.

His most recent comments were that he wants to stay in Japan right now to open a school, and doesn’t really care about any big money offers or anything like that.

However, he did specifically say he expects to have talks with AEW eventually, whenever that may be.

There are obvious connections between Ibushi and AEW’s EVPs (the Young Bucks, and mainly Kenny Omega) and most people are acting like it’s all but confirmed that AEW is where he’ll be going.

Let’s not forget that Ibushi WAS recruited for the Cruiserweight Classic way back in 2016, but he’s a completely different animal nowadays compared to back then.

But it at least shows that they know he exists, and if Vince McMahon isn’t involved in making signings (who even knows anymore if he is or isn’t?), we really shouldn’t rule out the idea of Paul Levesque (Triple H) looking to pick him up as a major Japanese star.

But yes, AEW is more likely.

Tony Khan’s Booking Plans For Kota Ibushi (And In General)

If Ibushi does end up in AEW, how’s he going to be used? You have to imagine, at some point, the connection with The Elite will be made, but will it be straight away?

Would that get in the way of the Elite/Adam Page saga? Would people notice and/or care?

I saw someone suggest that Khan should book Bryan Danielson vs Kota Ibushi as Ibushi’s debut in one of the matches on Danielson’s route to challenging MJF at Revolution.

1) Ibushi probably isn’t going to be there that early based on his comments mentioned earlier, and 2) STOP BEATING PEOPLE IN THEIR DEBUTS.

It’s been a theme throughout pretty much the history of AEW that someone comes in, either loses or only just scrapes by in competitive matches, and THEN there’s an effort to start pushing them after we’ve been exposed to the idea that they’re a bit rubbish.

Look at Wheeler Yuta and Daniel Garcia and how they’ve turned out. They were literal jobbers for months, and THEN there was an attempt to elevate them… and it didn’t really work.

You really shouldn’t debut someone, especially the caliber of Ibushi, without a CLEAR plan in mind of how to get them over straight away – not just have good matches that they always lose.

Tony Khan really needs to avoid that when (if) Ibushi comes in.

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• kota ibushi
• tony khan
• AEW

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