In October of last year, it was reported that AEW star Hikaru Shida was in the process of renewing her visa. A previous report indicated that she spent much of 2025 working to resolve her visa issues while also dealing with shoulder problems.
Sean Ross Sapp discussed Shida’s current status with AEW on the latest edition of Fightful Select Answers, noting that she has not been on TV for over a year.
According to Sapp, her visa issues appear to be resolved, and she has been back in the United States for some time. In January, she was spotted backstage during an episode of Dynamite in Orlando, Florida, where she resides.
Sapp mentioned that there is currently no information on why Shida has not returned to television. He pointed out that often, with talent who have been absent from TV for a while, the situation tends to be simply a case of “out of sight, out of mind.”
Shida last competed for AEW in November 2024. She participated in several matches in Japan last year, with her most recent appearance being at Sonoko Kato’s retirement show for OZ Academy on November 23, 2025.
In that match, she teamed up with Aja Kong, Chikayo Nagashima, and Nagisa Nozaki to secure a victory over Hiroyo Matsumoto, Rina Yamashita, VENY, and Yuki Kamifuku in an eight-person tag team match.
