Io Shirai trying out at the WWE Performance Center
Io Shirai, the current World of Stardom Champion, is the top name at this week’s WWE tryouts at the Performance Center in Orlando, Florida.
WWE.com posted an article about Shirai trying out that has since been taken down.
It has been known for a while that Shirai, one of the top wrestlers in the Stardom promotion in Japan, was on WWE’s radar. Dave Meltzer reported in the October 31st, 2016 edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that both she and fellow Stardom star Kairi Hojo had been offered deals to start with WWE in 2017.
It was later reported that both had decided to stay. However, in last week’s Observer, Meltzer wrote that Hojo had signed a three-year contract with WWE, telling Stardom she was leaving in April. He also noted that Shirai was reconsidering coming in as well.
Other names at this week’s tryouts are:
- Ingrid “Kira” Hogtun and Kamilla “Natasja” Tjöstland (independent wrestlers from Norway)
- Delilah Doom (Texas-based independent wrestler)
- Chik Tormenta (independent wrestler from Mexico)
- Katsiaryna Kavaleva (championship kickboxer/MMA fighter from Belarus)
- Jaime Espinal (Dominican-born Olympic freestyle wrestler that represented Puerto Rico in 2012)
- Wes Brisco (former FCW developmental talent, son of Gerald Brisco and nephew of Jack Brisco)