It was back in March 2025 that Mina Shirakawa officially announced that she would be joining All Elite Wrestling. With this confirmation, she wrapping up her five-year run with STARDOM in Japan in the weeks that followed. Her final match for the Japanese wrestling promotion took place over WrestleMania 41 weekend in April where she received an emotional farewell.
Ever since, fans have wondered when Mina Shirakawa would officially make her full transition to the United States and start regularly appearing on AEW television. The anticipation got even bigger after the Japanese star recently took to social media to post a photo of herself standing in an empty locker room, reflecting on her past while expressing excitement about her future.
In an update regarding her status with All Elite Wrestling, Fightful Select reports that Mina Shirakawa is set to appear on AEW programming “imminently,” with discussions already being underway for her first appearance that should be happening within the next couple of weeks. Sources also indicate that she is poised to receive a significant push upon arrival, which should happen around the yearly Double or Nothing pay-per-view set for later this month.
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Mina Shirakawa impressed AEW officials with her past involvement
The last official appearance in AEW for Mina Shirakawa came at the Winter is Coming edition of AEW Dynamite in December 2024, where she unsuccessfully challenged Mariah May for the AEW Women’s World Championship. Later, she was involved in the Wrestle Dynasty event in January 2025, facing AEW’s Mercedes Mone, and then she also made a cameo appearance on an episode of ROH on HonorClub in April 2025.
Fightful was also told that Mina Shirakawa has impressed a number of AEW officials whenever she’s been involved with the company in the past, which ensures a big push after she starts functioning as a full-time member of the active roster.
For the record, Mina Shirakawa has already arrived in the United States as she’s just competed in New Japan Pro Wrestling’s Resurgence event on May 9 in Ontario, California, by taking part in a three-way match for the NJPW STRONG Women’s Championship alongside fellow challenger AZM, and champion Mercedes Mone. It was her to who suffered the pinfall loss to the new champion, AZM.