Io Shirai NOT Headed To WWE
The joshi star is back in Stardom.
Io Shirai - the general consensus best female wrestler on the planet - is, contradicting general consensus reporting, not heading to WWE. As per the Wrestling Observer, the situation is as follows:
Shirai accepted WWE's contract offer in May of this year. She was presumed to star in, and given her star status, win the Mae Young Classic tournament. This followed what was initially reported as a tryout in March - later revealed to be quite the opposite. Shirai visited the Performance Center to see if WWE was the right fit for her, and not the other way 'round.
Shirai's name was a curious omission from the tournament bracket. Reports of neck issues were noted as the cause, and this recent development confirms that the extent of her troubles may run deeper than first feared; the WWE contract offer was since rescinded over concerns of long-term problems and, to put it more cynically, the potential culpability faced in the event of more serious injury. While doctors did clear her for in-ring competition, that isn't sufficient in itself for WWE, who are increasingly tentative over sending talents with neck and concussion histories through the wringer.
According to Dave Meltzer, Shirai made the call to Rossy Ogawa, and alerted the Stardom owner of her full-time availability. Shirai returned on the July 30 show, she joined Viper in the Queen's Quest stable.