3-time champion shares good news with fans amid extended AEW absence

A former three-time AEW Champion who has been away from the Jacksonville-based promotion for several months excited fans online by sharing some good news.

Hikaru Shida is a former three-time AEW Women's World Champion. The Japanese star was last seen on All Elite Wrestling television programming back in November 2024 in a match against Kris Statlander on Dynamite. Amid her absence, Shida has been actively wrestling back home in Japan. The former champion is widely regarded as one of the most sought-after in-ring talents and has been yearning for a chance to return to business in Tony Khan's promotion. Now, her recent social media update suggests that the 37-year-old's return to the company is imminent.

Earlier today, Hikaru Shida posted a photo of herself sitting at a Japanese airport lounge on X/Twitter, along with a message saying she was leaving the country and heading to the USA.

"Soaking in the hot springs at the airport, eating curry in the lounge, and fully prepared! See you later, Japan 👋🇯🇵 I’m ready to go back to the US✈️🇺🇸," wrote Shida. [Translated from Japanese]

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Kenny Omega earlier revealed the reasons behind Hikaru Shida's long absence from AEW

A few months ago, AEW star Kenny Omega gave insight into why Hikaru Shida had been absent from the Jacksonville-based promotion for such an extended period of time.

The Cleaner was talking on his Twitch stream, where he mentioned that the 37-year-old was stuck in Japan, renewing her visa, a process that was taking longer than expected.

“You never really know how long the process is going to take. And in this case, it’s taking quite a while,” he said. [ H/T: Wrestling Observer]

With her visa issues seemingly resolved, Shida is now heading back to the US. Fans can expect her to return to All Elite Wrestling soon.

About the author

Karan Raj is a senior writer in Sportskeeda's AEW division. He holds an engineering degree from Manipal University, but his passion for sports motivated him to pursue an MSc in Sports Business from the University of Liverpool. Karan has been in the sports marketing industry for the past seven years.

As a lifelong WWE fan and enthusiast of wrestling entertainment, he has always been drawn to the industry's unique blend of sports and storytelling. Karan was introduced to the business by his elder sister when he was 10 years old.

Before assuming his current role at Sportskeeda, Karan worked for several reputable organizations, such as Ting Works LLP and Sportz Interactive, wearing different hats. He also wrote the anthem of UP Rudras, a hockey team that played in the Hockey India League. Karan conducts thorough research while writing articles and only relies on credible sources for information.

Karan's favorite pro wrestler is Seth Rollins. He admires The Visionary's versatility as a performer and his ability to play both heel and babyface characters to perfection. Besides Rollins, Karan looks up to Roman Reigns for his storytelling skills and ability to captivate audiences.

In AEW, he enjoys watching Will Ospreay compete inside the ring. Karan loves The Aerial Assassin's technical in-ring ability and athleticism. If Karan could go back to the Attitude Era, he would combine forces with Jericho and promise to elevate his career to the same level as The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin.When not writing about pro wrestling, Karan loves to play and watch football. It is a huge part of his life.

He is also a massive fan of tennis and is learning to play the sport. Apart from sports, he also knows how to play the ukulele.

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Edited by Karan Raj