Backstage News On When Io Shirai Could Be Starting with WWE and Her Stardom Departure Plan

As noted, Stardom star and Japanese standout Io Shirai has announced she will be finishing up with Stardom in the coming weeks and it is expected she has signed a deal with WWE. Stardom has announced Shirai’s final match with the promotion will be on June 17th at Korakuen Hall.

According to The Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Shirai is expected to compete in a match on June 10th in at Shinkiba in Tokyo, in which she will compete in a series of one-minute matches and face everyone on the Stardom roster. The bout will lead to her final match which is currently planned to be Shirai and Mayu Iwatani vs Kagetsu and Hazuki.

Assuming Shirai passes all her required WWE medical tests, she will start with the company on July 16th, which is around the same time as Keith Lee, another top indie star who is finishing up his current dates, is expected to report to the WWE Performance Center.

Shirai was previously offered a WWE deal in 2017, however, the deal was later rescinded when a heart issue was discovered during Shirai’s WWE medical exams. If Shirai does indeed pass all her required WWE tests and officially signs a deal with the company, her debut could come in time for the Mae Young Classic this year, however, it is currently unknown if WWE has plans to use her in this year’s tournament.