On November 5, 2017, Kota Ibushi put up a strong effort in a match against the Intercontinental champion, Tanahashi; However, Ibushi would lose in the end. After the match, Bullet Club member and ROH Champion Cody would mock Ibushi for his loss. Later on, Cody took to twitter and said that the match is official as he will go toe to toe with Ibushi on January 4, 2018.
However, Cody is currently scheduled for two title defenses before his match against Ibushi. First, he'll face Roppongi 3K member Rocky Romero; and if he escapes with the title, he's rumored to face Dalton Castle at the ROH pay-per-view, Final Battle. If Cody is unable to successfully beat either opponent for the title then he will face Kota Ibushi regardless.
This should be a really fun match on an already stacked card.