"I'm not retiring"- 37-year-old star provides massive update on her AEW contract amid absence

A 37-year-old star recently revealed that she has signed a new contract with AEW following months of silence on her status with Tony Khan's promotion.

Hikaru Shida has been getting a lot of attention since she divulged that she has renewed her contract with All Elite Wrestling. The Japanese superstar has been absent from Tony Khan's promotion since November last year, following her match with Kris Statlander on Dynamite. Despite her absence from the Jacksonville-based promotion, the former AEW Women's World Champion has been actively competing in the ring in many different Japanese promotions.

During a recent YouTube livestream, Hikaru Shida addressed speculation about her wrestling future. She mentioned that many fans have been asking if she plans to retire, but clarified that she has no intention of stepping away from the ring. In fact, the 37-year-old revealed that she has renewed both her All Elite Wrestling contract and her visa.

"Actually after the show, many fans asked me 'are you retiring? Or it's just play' and of course it's just play. I'm not retiring, I just renewed Visa and contract so I'm not retiring." she said

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Check out her live stream below:

It was a major update for her fans who have been anticipating her return to All Elite Wrestling since last year. With the ever-changing landscape of All Elite Wrestling, Shida's comeback could be a game-changing move for the women's division.

AEW's Hikaru Shida says she is ready to go back to the USA

Hikaru Shida's absence from AEW's women's division has left a huge void in the company. Fans have been rooting for her return since last year. However, it seems like the former AEW World Champion is finally set to be back in the ring for Tony Khan's company as per her recent social media post.

Taking to X, Shida posted a picture of herself from a Japanese airport. In the caption, she wrote that she is now ready to go back to the United States after having a good time in her home country.

"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]

Check out her X post below:

This post also made it clear that the Japanese star is likely to be back in action in the coming weeks for All Elite Wrestling. With that said, it will be interesting to see what Tony Khan has in store for Shida from here on.

About the author

Anugrah Tyagi is an AEW writer at Sportskeeda. With a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, his academic background is rooted in business. However, his true passion has always been storytelling, especially the kind of tales that unfold in the world of professional wrestling. Writing gave him a way to channel that passion, and soon it turned into his profession. He has been working as a sports journalist for over two years. During this time, he has contributed to multiple prominent sports media outlets.

He first got into pro wrestling in 2014, during the unforgettable Daniel Bryan vs. The Authority storyline in WWE. As a journalist, accuracy and integrity are non-negotiable for Anugrah. He always verifies facts through credible sources before publishing anything. Whether it’s breaking news or analysis, he double-checks details. He has written over 2000 articles so far, with one of his pieces drawing a positive reaction from NXT's Thea Hail.

Anugrah's favorite wrestler is Seth Rollins. He admires The Visionary's work ethic, resilience, and unwavering dedication to his craft. If he could travel back to the Attitude Era, he would have loved to manage Chris Jericho. Anugrah feels Y2J was the perfect mix of charisma, rebellion, and in-ring talent in WWE. He would have helped the multi-time world champion scale new heights.

When not watching or writing about pro wrestling, Anugrah likes diving into movies and TV shows, especially ones with strong storytelling. He's also into calisthenics; it's his way of staying grounded and pushing his limits. Anugrah also enjoys reading books and solving puzzles that challenge his thinking ability.

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Edited by Anugrah Tyagi