Meiko Satomura confirms reports that she will be retiring.
In a press conference in Japan on Saturday, Satomura revealed that her final match will be in April 2025, marking her 30th year in professional wrestling. Tokyo Sports initially broke the news on Friday that she had been contemplating retirement.
Satomura also mentioned she will participate in a series of matches for her own promotion, Sendai Girls, in September and is open to wrestling for other promotions. AEW’s Emi Sakura attended the press conference and expressed her desire to wrestle Satomura before she retires.
Satomura began her wrestling career in 1995 with GAEA, remaining until the promotion closed in 2005. In 2006, she founded Sendai Girls. During her time with GAEA, she also appeared in WCW.
In 2020, Satomura joined WWE’s NXT UK, where she became the final NXT UK Women’s Champion. After the brand ended, she competed in the United States, including a three-way unification match at Worlds Collide 2022, where she lost to Mandy Rose and Blair Davenport. She also challenged Roxanne Perez for the NXT Women’s Championship at NXT Roadblock 2023, but was defeated.
This weekend, Satomura is appearing for WWE on their house show tour in Japan, where she will challenge Bayley for the WWE Women’s Championship on Saturday.