I'm back home after almost a year. By the time this column is up, I will have returned to the US, but the main reason was to perform at the Makai on the 4th. This is the first time in almost two years that I have performed in the Makai.
Last year, I came back to Japan to manage and promote the Japanese block of the AEW Women's Championship Challenge Tournament, which was distributed from February to March. With the help of various organizations and players, I think we were able to present new possibilities for the relationship between Japanese women's wrestling and AEW, but things have changed a lot in the year since then.
In conclusion, my feeling is that the hurdle for Japanese women's professional wrestlers to come to AEW has become much higher. The big reason is the Corona disaster which is not easy to finish. And because the AEW women's division has grown so much in the past year.
The AEW is an ever-changing organisation, with players coming and going at a very fast pace. If you've been following AEW on FITE TV or YouTube, you'll know that the women's division, in particular, has seen an increase in the number of young, pretty and dynamic athletes over the past year.
At the time of the launch, the women's division of AEW relied heavily on Japanese female wrestlers, and that was one of the selling points of the division. But that was only the case for a while after the launch. Nowadays, being a Japanese female pro wrestler is not such an advantage as it used to be.
On the contrary, the language barrier, getting a work visa and the Corona disaster have become more of a disadvantage. I myself am no exception to this, and even I, a member of the AEW since its inception and a former Women's Champion, am struggling to survive in the current AEW.
In AEW, players have a lot of freedom, but they are responsible for everything. For example, if you want to find a place to live, even if you are Japanese, there is basically no assistance from the organization. That's how it was for me.
So when I heard that Sakura-san was moving to the US, I was worried. I was worried. I've been studying English since I was a kid, and I speak English better than most people think, but I still had a lot of trouble. Sakura-san, on the other hand, could barely hold an everyday conversation.
Even so, she found a room by herself and is desperately trying to get a chance at AEW. But even though she came to America with such determination, she was not given the chance to compete in TV matches. Before she can appeal herself in a match, she has to fight hard to get a chance to compete. That is what AEW is today.
However, AEW is an organization that is always pursuing new possibilities, and I don't think that Japanese women's wrestling has disappeared from the list of options. When Corona settles down, there will be a day when AEW and Japanese women's wrestling can interact in a new way. That said, I would like to take this opportunity to say that even if we are able to sign a contract, it's only a start.
As for myself, I will be returning to Japan this year to perform in all the upcoming shows of the Makai. I also hope to resume my activities as a professional wrestler in Japan soon. The last time I had a match in front of a Japanese audience was in October 2019. That was already two years and three months ago.
I believe that in the not too distant future there will be an AEW show in Japan, and I hope that the Japanese fans will see the evolution of Hikaru Shida in AEW. I would like to show my evolution in AEW to my fans in Japan. To all of you reading this column, I look forward to seeing you at the AEW show and seeing you again as professional wrestlers!