More details have emerged regarding former AEW Women’s World Champion Hikaru Shida’s new contract with the promotion. A new report from Fightful Select has confirmed that Shida’s new deal with the company is a multi-year contract, ensuring that one of the pioneers of the AEW women’s division will be with the promotion for the foreseeable future. The report also notes that the 37-year-old is “well-liked” backstage and was “missed” by her peers during her recent time away from the company while she was dealing with work visa issues.
The news of her new, multi-year deal comes just days after Shida herself confirmed that she had re-signed with AEW and was not retiring, a rumor that began after she starred in a Japanese stage play where she portrayed a retiring wrestler. The Fightful Select report also addressed Shida’s absence from the AEW Worlds End 2024 pay-per-view, an event that took place in an area where she was living at the time, which had “raised eyebrows” backstage.
However, the report states that everything is now “smooth sailing” between the two sides, and she is set to make her return to the United States and AEW programming. She holds the record for the longest single reign as AEW Women’s World Champion, a 372-day reign that was a force for the division during the pandemic era.
She is also the only three-time AEW Women’s World Champion in the company’s history. Her last match for the promotion was in November 2024, where she unsuccessfully challenged the current champion, Kris Statlander. With her new multi-year contract in hand and her visa issues resolved, the “Full Metal” star is poised to make an impact upon her return to a division that is more competitive than ever.
The current landscape features a new AEW Women’s World Champion in Kris Statlander, a dominant TBS Champion in Mercedes Mone, and a host of other top-tier talent.
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