Io Shirai’s WWE Debut Halted Due to Injury, Ex-Divas Backstage

Unfortunately, a female superstar will not be coming over to WWE anytime soon. The Wrestling Observer reports that Io Shirai recently suffered a neck injury, and she will not be reporting to the Performance Center until after the injury has healed. The Observer notes that damage to Shirai’s was detected during her medical exams with WWE. No word on how long the injury is going to keep her out for, but she is not going to be coming over until after the injury has been properly tended to. It was reported back in May that the Japanese star signed a contract with WWE, but her debut on the NXT brand is going to have to wait for a little white longer now.
Shirai was signed by the company recently after a successful run in World Wonder Ring Stardom in Japan. She managed to capture nearly every single title that the promotion offered, and it was reported earlier this year that WWE signed both her, and fellow Stardom star Kairi Hojo to contracts. Shirai has worked with current NXT Women’s Champion Asuka in the past, and she could be a great star for the WWE’s developmental show. Neck injuries can take several months to heal from, but hopefully this one is not so serious. Shirai is still expected to join the company after she has recovered, and she was previously rumored to be taking part in the upcoming Mae Young Classic tournament.
A few former WWE stars were backstage at the recent Raw show from Los Angeles, California. Brad Gilmore, co-host of Heated Conversations with Booker T, uploaded a photo of Mickie James, and former stars Candice Michelle, Christy Hemme, Torrie Wilson, and Sharmell posing together for photos. Lillian Garcia also revealed that she was there with a photo of herself, Stephanie McMahon, Michelle, Hemme, and Wilson. With the Mae Young Classic coming up, it’s possible that they were all there for a reason, but this doesn’t look like anything more than a meetup. The photo of the wrestling bunch reuniting can be seen directly below.