Hikaru Shida Possibly Injured At A Non-AEW Event

Hikaru Shida was pulled from the AEW Owen Hart Foundation tournament on this week’s episode of Dynamite. The Japanese superstar was said to have been injured in her street fight against Serena Deeb in late April. Shida has wrestled in Japan since then, so the nature of her injury is questionable.

On the latest episode of Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer discussed Shida’s situation. Shida was being built as one of the centerpieces of the tournament, so if she was pulled, there must be something to it. Meltzer believes there was a legitimate injury, but since Hikaru Shida wrestled after the Philly Street Fight, it must’ve happened in Japan.

“They mentioned that Hikaru Shida is out of the tournament due to injuries in the street fight, although she’s been wrestling in Japan. So, I presume she must’ve gotten hurt in Japan, because they had been building her for the tournament. Kris Statlander will be taking her place next week.”

Shida will be replaced in the women’s Owen Hart tournament by Kris Statlander. She will be the opponent for Red Velvet in a May 20th first-round matchup. There was no further information on Hikaru Shida’s injury.

The storyline will be that Serena Deeb injured Shida, regardless of where any actual injury may have occurred. That will keep their long-running rivalry going strong. Statlander is more-than-capable of filling in, especially if Shida was not planned to win the tournament.

Time will tell when we will get to see Hikaru Shida next. It is believed she did suffer an injury, but nobody knows for sure. For now, it’s next person up, and that will be Kris Statlander.

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Transcription by Ringside News