Riho’s AEW return still doesn’t appear to have a timetable, and right now there isn’t even a clear indication that creative plans are being put together for the former AEW Women’s World Champion. She remains under contract with the company, but her lengthy disappearance from television continues with no confirmed return date in sight.
Sean Ross Sapp addressed Riho’s status during the final Fightful Select Q&A of September 2026 after being asked when fans could expect to see her back. Sapp said he hasn’t heard anything recently pointing toward Riho returning, and he hasn’t even heard about her being backstage at AEW events.
“I haven’t heard a single thing about her returning as of late. I haven’t heard of her being at shows or anything like that.”
The biggest mystery is why Riho has remained away for so long. Sapp said he doesn’t know whether AEW is dealing with a visa situation, an injury, or whether Riho is simply taking extended time away, but he confirmed that her contract with AEW is still active.
“I do not know if it’s a visa thing, an injury thing or she just has time off, but she’s still under AEW contract. I just haven’t heard any creative plans mentioned for her so far.”
That leaves Riho in a strange spot. She hasn’t officially left AEW, but there also doesn’t appear to be a storyline waiting for her based on what Sapp has heard, and there’s currently no indication that her comeback is around the corner. Sapp also looked back at just how little Riho has wrestled over the past several years. He recalled her making a handful of appearances last year, including a match with Mercedes Moné, but noted that even those matches came after another very long stretch away from the ring.
“She last wrestled or appeared, I want to say like October, November of last year. So that’s, that’s the last. I haven’t heard of much of anything else. I know there were a lot of talent have visa issues, but I don’t know if she’s one of them.”
Riho’s sporadic schedule has become the bigger story. Even when she resurfaced last year, Sapp noted that she had already gone well over a year without wrestling before those appearances.
“But even when she was around last year, I, I want to say she did two matches in September, maybe three because she did face Mercedes as well. I remember that she did a couple in November and she had not been around and wrestled at all in like 14, 15 months before that.”
When everything is added together, Sapp said Riho has essentially been removed from regular AEW activity for years.
“So really, Riho has been pretty much out of it for two and a half years at this stage.”
For now, Riho is still an AEW wrestler on paper, but fans waiting for her comeback don’t have much to grab onto. There’s no confirmed injury explanation, no confirmed visa explanation, no return date, and—most importantly—no creative plans that Sapp has heard about, leaving one of AEW’s original women’s division stars stuck in limbo for the time being.
What do you think AEW should do with Riho when she finally returns, and would you put her straight back into the women’s title picture? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
This transcript was produced exclusively for Ringside News from the original recording. Republishing the transcription in full is prohibited. When using excerpts, provide prominent credit and a link to this article.
