After nearly nine months away from All Elite Wrestling, former three-time AEW Women’s World Champion Hikaru Shida appears to be teasing a return to the United States, and potentially to AEW television.
Hikaru Shida Could Soon Return To AEW?
On July 31, Shida posted a photo to her social media accounts showing her holding her passport in what looks to be an airport lounge. The post included only a single airplane emoji as the caption, but it was enough to spark excitement among fans eager to see her back in an AEW ring.
Earlier the same day, Shida posted a more cryptic message in Japanese, translated as:
“I’m trembling because my dream is about to come true…I’ve been working my hardest to make it happen, but when it’s actually about to come true, it’s like, eek! It’s amazing. It’s insane.”
While neither post directly confirms a return to AEW, the timing and tone of her updates strongly suggest a major development in her ongoing visa situation, which has kept her sidelined from the U.S.-based promotion for the entirety of 2025 so far. Shida, 37, has not wrestled for AEW since November 20, 2024, when she lost to Kris Statlander on an episode of AEW Dynamite.
What Has Hikaru Shida Been Up To?
This had followed a strong run in 2024, including a PPV bout with Mercedes Mone earlier in the year as well as a run to the semi-finals in the Owen Hart Foundation Tournament. Her prolonged absence from the company was later attributed to visa issues, a challenge that has historically affected several international talents attempting to work regularly in the United States.
Despite being unable to compete in AEW, Shida has remained active in Japan throughout 2025. She’s made numerous appearances on the independent scene, including a standout performance this past week at a major commemorative event celebrating the 49th anniversary of legendary wrestler Jaguar Yokota’s debut.
In the main event of that show, Shida teamed with Saori Anou and Starlight Kid to face off against Yokota, current World of Stardom Champion Saya Kamitani, and Joshi veteran Mayumi Ozaki, a rare six-woman tag that brought together top names across generations of women’s wrestling in Japan. A return to AEW would mark a significant moment for both Shida and the company’s women’s division.
The Japanese star remains one of the most accomplished and recognizable names in AEW’s roster, having held the AEW Women’s World Championship three times. Her first reign, which began at Double or Nothing 2020, lasted 372 days, which still stands as the longest in the title’s history.
More From LWOS Pro Wrestling
Header photo – AEW – Stay tuned to the Last Word on Pro Wrestling for more on Hikaru Shida, AEW, and other stories from around the world of wrestling, as they develop. You can always count on LWOPW to be on top of the major news in the wrestling world. As well as to provide you with analysis, previews, videos, interviews, and editorials on the wrestling world. You can catch AEW Dynamite on Wednesday nights at 8 PM ET on TBS. AEW Collision airs Saturday at 8 pm Eastern on TNT. More AEW content available on their YouTube
