THE IBU ZONE!
Before we get to the edits: a bit of backstory.
Kota Ibushi is one of the most fascinating wrestlers of all time. He's incredibly naturally gifted, and so beautiful that he's been scouted for modelling before (he was even a print model for a while! if i remember, i'll attach some of his modelling pics here!)
BUT he's also extremely chaotic, totally driven, only cares about completing his goals, and very in love with professional wrestling. Kota Ibushi is a man who loves fireworks, not to watch them explode in the sky, but to shoot them at himself, and eat them.
This man once climbed a scaffolding to do a moonsault off of a very tall balcony at the Nippon Budokan, which resulted in a lifetime ban. (though he has wrestled there since!)
(for my readers who aren't savvy to wrestling, think of a moonsault as a fancy backflip that has you landing full-body on your opponent.)
That Budokan match, now infamous, was against his wrestling soulmate and career-long tag team partner, Kenny Omega. Kenny saw one of Ibushi's matches online and instantly knew they were destined to wrestle, that they were wrestling soulmates. He contacted Ibushi's home company DDT with a wrestling demo tape he'd made, and DDT decided to take a chance on it. They were initially supposed to be rivals, but after their first match together they knew they were meant to be more than that, and the Golden★Lovers were born. Kenny even learned how to speak Japanese for Ibushi!
(their first bout is an incredibly chaotic best 2-out-of-3 falls match at a DDT Beer Garden show in 2008 (produced by Ibushi!) that has them doing moves off the top of vending machines and fighting everywhere they possibly could. Ibushi says "I love Kenny Omega!!" in his post-match comments, the first but certainly not the last time they would declare their love over the years.)
If you'd like to watch their first match, you can check it out right here!
This has never been confirmed as far as I've seen, but there's a rumor they were initially supposed to be called the "Golden Twins" but pushed back against it, calling themselves the lovers instead. They have over a decade of history together now, so I won't get deeper into it here, but here is a great article to check out if you'd like to know more!
Ibushi is a man who has stuck to his principles his entire career. He's truly fascinating. He, above all else, loves professional wrestling, and wants to be a wrestler in his own way. He's never let anyone sway him from that goal, not even his own body, fighting through injuries over and over again. (though i wish he'd rest when he needs it!!!)
These edits are just a teeny tiny peek into his career. I hope you'll enjoy them!
Kota Ibushi & Danshoku Dino!
DDT Pro Wrestling
(Included matches take place from 2006-2010)
:3 i love these two so much
I treasure the few singles matches they've had together through their careers. they're mostly back towards the start of Ibushi's career, in the mid-late 2000s. I'm hopeful that they'll get to have more, too, because Ibushi is coming back to DDT as of July 21st, 2024!! And he and Dino will be teaming up for at least two matches! It's seriously like a dream come true!!
Dino is a bit of a controversial figure when it comes to DDT discussions overseas, but I think that Dino is truly the lifeblood of DDT. They wouldn't have grown into the beloved company they now are without him! He's DDT's beating heart, and i love him very much.
The song used is "Honey" by Luna Aura.
If you'd like to view these matches in full, you can find them HERE!!!
飯伏幸太のマンションプロレス (2011)
Kota Ibushi's Apartment Pro Wrestling (2011)
In 2008, DDT rented a condemned apartment complex that was set to be demolished, and decided to send their Golden Star, Kota Ibushi, on a gauntlet of 7 matches, up through the rooms of the apartment complex, until he reached the final boss on the roof.
It's a truly strange and incredible show, with each match wilder and messier than the one before it. For a long time, this show was impossible to find online!!! I had to pay for a BOOTLEG to see it!! I have a legit copy now, purchased for a very good price on jp mercari, which I am incredibly thankful for.
I plan on uploading it in it's entirety online someday so more people can see it (and when I do, I'll link it here) but for now, please enjoy a preview of it via my edit!
The song used is "Rush" by Troye Sivan.
Golden★Lovers first title win!
DDT Dramatic 2009 Special
Golden★Lovers vs. Harashima & Toru Owashi
You may want to turn the volume up for this one!!
The audio is a little bit quieter than my usual edits.
This edit is mostly about Ibushi's long-term tag team partner and fellow Golden Lover, Kenny Omega, but I wanted to include it on this page because it does include a few very cute Kenny/Kota moments, which are essential viewing of course!
This match was VS. Harashima and Toru Owashi for the DDT KOD Tag Team Titles! It took place on January 24th, 2009 at Dramatic 2009 Special in Shin-kiba 1st Ring in Tokyo.
This was their first ever title attempt togther (and they won!!), though Kota had been a tag champ in DDT previously with Daichi Kakimoto, who retired in 2015.
In this match, you can really see their natural chemistry and bond. They had this match just a few weeks after initially forming the Golden★Lovers, but they're incredibly in-sync already!! I think it's a great example of just what makes them wrestling soulmates.
The song used is "Girls on Film" by Duran Duran.
You can check this match out right HERE!!
That's all for now!! Thanks for reading! :3
