During her interview with Tokyo Sports, Io Shirai revealed that it was an injury that prevented her from participating in the Royal Rumble. Here’s what she had to say:
I had a match with Toni Storm before the Royal Rumble, when Storm hit a tope to me at outside of the ring, my knee had bent to the wrong direction. I was scheduled to participate (in the) Royal Rumble, but I was so frustrated that I (couldn’t) participate.
The medial collateral ligament of the right knee was damaged. The medical staff said, ‘It’s bad and the recovery time is 3-4 months,’ but I thought it would be possible in a month. It took me two months to come back, but I was surprised at how fast the recovery was.
You can read the interview (in Japanese) HERE.
Credit: Tokyo Sports. H/T WrestlingInc.