A familiar faced former three-time world champion quietly made their presence felt behind the scenes this week in the world of All Elite Wrestling.
Former AEW Women’s World Champion Hikaru Shida was backstage at AEW Dynamite in Orlando, Florida, marking her first known appearance at an AEW event in the United States in some time.
Shida’s absence from AEW Worlds End 2024 had previously raised some eyebrows, particularly given that she resides in the Orlando area. However, those close to the situation indicated that her visit was simply due to AEW being in town.
Behind the scenes, Shida has spent much of 2025 working through visa-related issues, which kept her off AEW television despite being a cornerstone of the women’s division for several years.
During that stretch away from AEW TV, Shida remained active in Japan on a limited basis and also dealt with lingering shoulder issues.
Whether this backstage appearance signals an eventual on-screen return remains to be seen.
But her presence alone didn’t go unnoticed.
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(H/T: Fightful Select)
