Reason Why Mina Shirakawa Left STARDOM for AEW

Mina Shirakawa’s move from STARDOM to AEW turned heads earlier this year—but now she has finally explained exactly why she walked away from Japan and signed full‑time with All Elite Wrestling.

In a recent appearance on the AEW Unrestricted podcast, Mina revealed that constant travel between Japan and the United States in 2024 not only wore her down physically, but also made her realize she belonged in AEW. She admitted that the nonstop flights last year had her waking up disoriented from exhaustion.

“America, Japan — lots of travel. I was so tired last year, I’d wake up like, ‘Where am I? Oh… Japan? America?’”

But the real turning point wasn’t fatigue—it was Tony Khan. Mina said that while she was still under contract with STARDOM, Khan was watching every match she wrestled for AEW and giving instant, personal feedback. From that point on, her mind was made up.

“Every time I wrestled in AEW, Tony Khan would watch. Every single match. And after every match, he’d say to me, ‘Amazing! F***** great!’ I was so, so, so happy because in Japan, the higher-ups sometimes watch the matches, but not always.Tony Khan loves wrestling so much — I was like, ‘Oh, I like this boss. I love this boss.’”

Mina also said timing played a crucial role. She wanted to wrestle in the United States years earlier, but global shutdowns delayed everything. Once she finally had the opportunity, she didn’t hesitate.

“I think in life, timing is really important, right? For a long time, I wanted to wrestle in the U.S., but the pandemic happened… But last year, I thought, ‘Maybe now is the time.’ So this year, I’ve decided — I want to be a member of AEW.”

Since officially signing, Mina has already captured the AEW audience with her charisma, unique in‑ring style, and instant rapport with fans. And for someone who left behind a championship‑level spot in STARDOM, her gamble is already proving worthwhile.

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