https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0-schfYQ4w
While not a surprise in light of the news that WWE is preparing for a women’s tournament a la the Cruiserweight Classic, it looks like the promotion is hiring more Japanese talent to boost the talent level of the division. According to Dave Meltzer in the newest Wrestling Observer Newsletter (subscribers only), Io Shirai and Kairi Hojo from the Stardom promotion in Japan are coming to WWE. However, Meltzer’s report is unclear as to if they will be in the tournament and then return full-time after (a la Akira Tozawa in the cruiserweight classic) or if they won’t be in the tournament at all.
Stardom is apparently asking them to stay, as along with Mayu Iwatani, they’re two of the top three stars in the promotion. There’s still a lot of time to go if they have’t actually signed, but the idea is that they will come to the United States after Shirai’s 10th anniversary show (March 20th) and Hojo’s “homecoming” show in April. While Stardom is the biggest women’s promotion in Japan, in 2016, that unfortunately doesn’t say much, and losing two of their three top stars would be a huge blow.
Analysis: WWE does have a need for more veteran female workers, both on the main roster and on NXT, so this is a very good move. As good as the current crop of rising female stars in the company is, Asuka, Natalya, and Becky Lynch aren’t enough to help the less experienced wrestlers learn on the road.