NXT's Io Shirai Out Injured For Two Months

Awful timing for the Genius of the Sky.

by Michael Sidgwick
Io Shirai Toni Storm NXT
WWE.com

In some unfortunate news, the Wrestling Observer's Dave Meltzer has reported that Io Shirai will miss two months of action after suffering a knee injury in her match with Toni Storm on last week's NXT. An awkward landing was attributed as the cause, and Shirai has more or less corroborated the report by recently tweeting a picture of a knee brace.

Author's note:

Shirai is a high point of NXT's excellent Women's division, a performer so awesome that fans in Full Sail (except for that one racist ar*ehole) simply denied that her heel turn ever happened, and continued to receive her as one of if not the most over babyface in the company. This injury comes at a time when NXT had perhaps began to recognise this, and when reports of her unhappiness have surfaced online. A performer of her calibre and popularity effectively imposed the NXT Championship match onto TakeOver: Tampa, but even if Shirai is cleared in time, NXT would have to get creative with the build.

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Regardless, NXT's strong ecosystem of a Women's division means that this injury, while very unfortunate, is not disastrous.

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Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and surefire Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!