‘The Genius of the Sky’ reflects on her rise to the top.
WWE are set to return to Japan next week for SuperShow Japan at Tokyo’s Ryogoku Kokugikan, with former WWE Women’s Champion IYO SKY among the names confirmed to appear.
Speaking to The Japan Times ahead of her return to her home country, IYO SKY reflected on her journey to WWE and expressed her excitement over the continued growth and global recognition of women’s wrestling in Japan.
“Japan in particular had a long period of decline, but the number of wrestlers, popularity and recognition have all really grown. When I was in Japan, it was difficult to get women’s professional wrestling out to other media and the public, and the genre itself was in the midst of a boom. So I’m excited about the current excitement surrounding women’s professional wrestling.”
-IYO SKY
Despite her success in World Wonder Ring STARDOM, the then-Io Shirai’s decision to leave Japan for the United States and join WWE was viewed by many as a significant gamble.
Reflecting on that decision, SKY admitted that adapting to WWE’s style was a major technical challenge, highlighting the stark contrast between how professional wrestling is presented in Japan compared to the United States.
“Japanese professional wrestling is more like a ‘sports broadcast,’ so wrestlers only need to concentrate on the match, but WWE is a TV program, so the match and drama need to be conveyed to viewers through the camera. To do this, while fighting opponents during a match, wrestlers do countless other things simultaneously — all in English. It’s no exaggeration to say that it’s completely different from a match in Japan.”
-IYO SKY
After stunning the world by defeating Rhea Ripley to capture the WWE Women’s Championship in March, IYO SKY went on to successfully defend the title against both Ripley and Bianca Belair at WrestleMania 41, a match widely praised by fans and critics alike.
The victory also marked a historic milestone, as SKY became the first Japanese woman to win a match at WrestleMania, an accomplishment the 35-year-old describes as the greatest moment of her life.
“I’m apparently the first Japanese woman to win at WrestleMania, and since it was also a defence of WWE’s most prestigious title, it was definitely the greatest moment of my life. Not just the result but also being with the best wrestlers in Bianca and Rhea. I was able to take on the best stage, the best performers, the best match, and make the most of history.”
-IYO SKY
WWE SuperShow Japan is set for October 17 and 18 at Tokyo’s Ryogoku Kokugikan. On night one, IYO SKY will challenge Giulia for the WWE Women’s United States Championship in a triple threat match also featuring Rhea Ripley. The following night, SKY and Ripley will unite to face The Judgment Day’s Roxanne Perez and Raquel Rodriguez in tag team action.
IYO SKY’s return to Japan doesn’t end there, as she’s also set to appear for Marigold at their Grand Destiny pay-per-view on October 26. There, she’ll face Mayu Iwatani in the main event, marking the first time the two of Japan’s most celebrated women’s wrestlers have faced each other since 2018.
Elsewhere in the interview, SKY praised Stephanie Vaquer, noting her impressive in-ring ability and stating that the two could make for a very interesting tag team in the future. You can read more about that here.
As always, we’ll aim to provide any further updates on future plans for IYO SKY as soon as we hear more.
