Hikaru Shida on regaining the AEW Women’s Championship, her desire to wrestle ROH Women’s Champion Athena, All In attire

By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)

SEScoops interview with guest Hikaru Shida
Interview conducted by Ella Jay
Interview available at SEScoops.com

On regaining the AEW Women’s Championship: “Actually I couldn’t sleep at all. Yeah, the feeling my body was so tired and my brain is like a ‘yay happy brain’. So I couldn’t sleep. When I woke up, I think it was like 1 p.m. or something, woke up and my cat laid down on my arms and wait, ‘I got to Dynamite? I actually I did or not? [or] I just stayed at home?’ I was confused. But yeah, I saw the message from Japan, like congratulations. And oh my God, it was real.”

Wanting to wrestle ROH Women’s Champion Athena: “Yeah, actually, I have one name. It’s Athena. Yeah. We had just one single at SHIMMER. It was a long time ago, but I really love that much. I’m watching her for a long time, of course, in AEW but before when she was in the other company, I saw her long time and always she’s good. So yeah, I believe in this reign I wrestle her. I really want to.”

Defending her title in front of over 80,000 people at Wembley Stadium: “To be honest, for now, I can’t imagine at all. Yeah, 80,000 is too many. But I think my [mind] is so ready. Yeah, I think it’s because my second reign. So I have more clear, I have things what I want to do is now more clear. So my mind is so ready. And I just finished my new gear. So gear is ready too and I’m working on my condition. So I think I can bring 120 percent Shida to Wembley.”

On special ring gear for All In – and feeling like she finally deserves to wear the Japanese flag: “Actually, this gear is not from the other character, but I just put the Japanese flag. Red circle. This is my first time. And I finally feel I deserve to put the flag. So this is maybe it’s going to be the best gear for me. I think the show at Wembley is the biggest show for all Japanese Joshi Wrestler, I think in the history. So finally, I can feel I put my name on the history. That’s my whole life goal. Like, since I was a child, I always wanted to put my name on history somehow. So finally, I feel it’s the time.”