Io Shirai Responds To WWE Departure Rumours
Top NXT star calls hearsay on talk she is on her way out of WWE.
Top NXT 2.0 star Io Shirai appears to have responded to talk that she is on her way out of WWE.
The former WWE NXT Women's Champion tweeted the word "rumors" accompanied by a vomiting emoji on Tuesday:-
Rumors?
Advertisement— 紫雷イオ、Io Shirai (@shirai_io) July 12, 2022
This follows a report from the Wrestling Observer's Dave Meltzer that Shirai already had one foot out WWE's door and was "pretty much gone" from the promotion, which broke overnight on Monday. Previously, Meltzer had reported that Shirai was working on an expiring contract and had yet to sign WWE's offered extension, putting her future in the company in jeopardy.
Shirai's native Japan was pinpointed as a potential landing spot for the 32-year-old in the original report. It was stated that Io was interested in returning home to be closer to her family, having worked out of the United States for over five years since signing with WWE in 2017.
Io hasn't appeared on WWE television since April. That month's Stand & Deliver event saw her suffer an injury while competing in an NXT Women's Title four-way, thus putting her out of action for an undetermined period of time. Whether or not Shirai is still struggling with the issue remains to be seen. For now, though, rumours about her future persist.