World Wonder Ring Stardom ace Io Shirai has signed with WWE, according to an article published by Tokyo Sports. Shirai lost her World of Stardom Championship to up and coming star Momo Watanabe in her twelfth title defense on May 23, and doesn’t appear in any of the promotion’s ads for shows from July 2018 onward. Stardom president Rossy Ogawa confirmed the report, saying “I will explain in a proper form in the near future.”
Shirai was first rumored to be considering signing with WWE back in 2017, when fellow Stardom wrestler Kairi Sane, fka Hojo, jumped ship. (Get it, because she’s the Pirate Princess???) Shirai’s signing ended up being delayed due to a neck injury. While Sane went on to win the first Mae Young Classic, Shirai returned to Japan and started performing for Stardom again on July 30, 2017. However, in an interview soon afterwards, she said that WWE was still a career goal of hers, and “I will continue to ask as long as I keep on active service.”
For those unfamiliar and looking to check out her work before we see her stateside, Io Shirai is a former stablemate and rival of Asuka (as Kana), and the two have had many memorable matches together. Shirai’s great 2017 match with Shayna Baszler is rumored to have gotten Baszler her NXT contract. And some wrestling fans might be most familiar with Shirai from her match as Hitokiri against current Lucha Underground Champion and Impact World Champion Pentagon Jr, which you can watch 100% legally on YouTube thanks to the El Rey Network.
