Io Shirai's WWE Signing On Hold Due To Neck Injury?
It could be a while before we see the Japanese standout.
Japanese women's wrestling standout Io Shirai has been on WWE's radar for a while. She underwent a tryout at the Performance Center in March, and in May, Dave Meltzer reported that She had accepted a contract, and would soon move to the United States to start working for WWE.
Unfortunately, it looks like Shirai's arrival has hit a snag. Meltzer stated on a recent edition of Wrestling Observer Radio that WWE had uncovered a significant neck injury during Shirai's medicals in Pittsburgh, and that while she'll still be joining the company when she recovers, it'll be "quite a while" before she's healthy.
Best known for her work in Stardom, Shirai's 18-month reign as the promotion's top champion came to an end last week. She announced the following day that she'd be undergoing an indefinite hiatus to receive treatment for a neck injury, but there was immediate speculation that this was a work to cover her leaving for WWE. As per Meltzer's report, this is not the case.
Shirai's former Stardom colleague Kairi Hojo arrived at the WWE Performance Center last week, and is expected to compete in the forthcoming Mae Young Classic tournament. Sadly, that competition will come far too early for Io.