Io Shirai has been one of the cornerstone figures of the WWE NXT roster for the past couple of years. During her timespan on the third brand of the show, she has not only picked up the NXT Women’s Title but also proved herself to be a veteran star. Coming all the way from the eastern region of the world, she excelled inside the squared circle competition in the WWE.
Now that Io Shirai has almost achieved every single thing on NXT, it must be time for her to arrive on the mainstay scene and prove that she’s capable of delivering big matches with the top superstars, too. The same was reflected in a recent conversation where she expressed her desire to move into the main roster and then participate in matches with some top female names.
The Rock Was Originally Planned To Make WWE Raw & Survivor Series 2021 Appearance
Io Shirai recently spoke with Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated and was asked about possibly moving to WWE RAW or WWE SmackDown. The answer was not only positive but also she name-dropped at least a couple of superstars in Sasha Banks and Bayley with whom she wants to dance in the ring,
“Of course, I would be open to a move to SmackDown or Raw,” Io Shirai said. “The opportunity would present new goals and encounters different from what I have achieved and experienced in NXT.
“I would like a rematch with Sasha Banks as soon as possible. I also heard Bayley say she wanted to have a match with me, and I would definitely relish my first confrontation with her. If it is a title match, even better.”
Ex WWE Raw Superstar Reflects On Her Two Failed Runs In The Company
Io Shirai already had a match on a main roster PPV
As a former NXT Women’s Champion, Io Shirai defeated Sasha Banks in a singles match at the NXT Great American Bash Night 1 event on July 1, 2020. They also shared the ring at the 2019 Survivor Series pay-per-view as Team NXT (Shirai, Bianca Belair, Candice LeRae, Rhea Ripley, Toni Storm) defeated Team RAW (Charlotte Flair, Asuka, Natalya, Kairi Sane, Sarah Logan) and Team SmackDown (Banks, Carmella, Dana Brooke, Lacey Evans, Nikki A.S.H.) in a 5-on-5-on-5 Traditional Elimination Match.
During the conversation, Io Shirai was also asked about her learning experience in the WWE, so far and here’s what she had to offer,
“I learned with my own eyes that the world’s top performers within sports entertainment are created on a scale much larger than I expected.”
The Japanese superstar was last in action at the WWE NXT WarGames event, teaming up with Cora Jade, Raquel Gonzalez, and Kay Lee Ray against the team of NXT Women’s Tag Team Champions Jacy Jayne and Gigi Dolin, and NXT Women’s Champion Mandy Rose in the Women’s WarGames Match.
