"So happy she’s not retiring! " "Miss her on screen" - Fans erupt after former AEW champion re-signs with Tony Khan's company

A former AEW champion revealed recently that she had re-signed with the Tony Khan-led promotion. Fans are now reacting to the news of the star in question, Hikaru Shida, opting to stay All Elite.

The Shining Samurai has been signed with All Elite Wrestling since 2019, and is widely regarded as one of the early lynchpins of the company's now thriving women's division. However, the Japanese grappler is yet to compete in the promotion so far in 2025, her last match having taken place on the November 20, 2024 episode of AEW Dynamite, where Shida was defeated by Kris Statlander in singles action.

Amidst her ongoing hiatus, the 37-year-old recently revealed that she had not in fact retired from in-ring competition as many had apparently suspected. She further clarified that she had renewed her visa, as well as her contract with All Elite Wrestling, confirming that she was staying on in the promotion.

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Fans have now logged on to X/Twitter to share their reactions to Hikaru Shida's update on her All Elite Wrestling status. Most users voiced their excitement over the former AEW Women's World Champion re-signing with the Jacksonville-based company, and expressed their anticipation for her on-screen return. One commenter even claimed that Shida had a home in Florida, insinuating that she could make her comeback this coming week on Dynamite : Title Tuesday to once again challenge Mercedes Mone. Another suggested that she could instead go after the newly-unveiled Women's Tag Titles with a tag partner of her choosing.

A fan's reaction to Hikaru Shida's recent update [Image Credits: X/Twitter]

It remains to be seen when Shida will officially make her in-ring return in AEW.

The AEW Women's Title will be on the line at WrestleDream 2025

Last month at All Out : Toronto, Toni Storm was finally unseated as Women's World Champion as she was pinned by Kris Statlander in their four-way title match, also involving Jamie Hayter and Thekla. On the following episode of Wednesday Night Dynamite, The Timeless One called out Born Again Kristen to a one-on-one rematch for the strap, a challenge which the champion accepted for AEW WrestleDream 2025.

Toni Storm and Kris Statlander [Image Credits: All Elite Wrestling on X ]

It remains to be seen if Stat will be able to retain her title against Storm in her second defense at the upcoming pay-per-view.

About the author

Anurag is an AEW writer for Sportskeeda Wrestling. He holds a BA and MA degree in English along with a TEFL certification to teach English. Before Sportskeeda, he worked as a Content and Correspondence writer at Nayabad Titas, a theater group. He has also worked as a English language tutor.

To ensure complete accuracy, he uses internet resources, social media platforms, and especially pieces composed by his peers to find solid, verified information that he presents as objectively as possible. Thanks to his academic background, he can research different subjects thoroughly.

Anurag's interest in wrestling began as a child. He watched RAW and Smackdown frequently from age 10 or 11 and was officially hooked by the YES Movement story in WWE heading into WrestleMania 30.

As a lifelong wrestling fan and lover of stories, Anurag would read news, articles, and other content about the talent and events he enjoyed watching. His understanding of the business continued to grow with time, and his interest in the art and sport of wrestling led him to pursue a career as a writer.

Apart from writing, he loves to read books, watch movies and television programs, play and listen to music, and write poetry and fiction.

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Edited by Anurag Mukherjee