Backstage Update On Hikaru Shida's AEW Status

An update on Hikaru Shida's AEW future following this week's Dynamite injury angle.

Hikaru Shida
AEW

Hikaru Shida is returning to her native Japan for an undisclosed period of time.

The former AEW Women's World Champion confirmed as much earlier this week, tweeting the following:-

Sold in the tweet are the events of this week's episode of AEW Dynamite, on which the former Women's World Champion had her knee destroyed by Serena Deeb.

Advertisement

The apparent injury angle concluded the latest chapter of a long-running feud between the two. Deeb had focused on attacking Shida's knee during each of their three matches, culminating in this week's mauling, which lasted only a few minutes from Serena attacking Shida on the ramp to the referee deciding the Japanese star had been rendered unable to continue.

Shida's absence was to be foreseen. Hikaru herself tweeted in November that she was heading back to Japan to restart the old MAKAI project, which aims to combine wrestling, music, and theatre. She will be participating in the MAKAI GENESIS ReBOOT show at Tokyo's Kameari Lirio Hall on 4 January.

Advertisement

The longest-reigning Women's World Champion in AEW's short history, Shida held the belt for 372 days between May 2020 and May 2021, having dropped the belt to Britt Baker at last year's Double Or Nothing.

Channel Manager
Channel Manager

Andy has been with WhatCulture for eight years and is currently WhatCulture's Wrestling Channel Manager. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.