27-year-old female star allegedly not interested in WWE move even if Triple H gives a "cheeky offer"
The lure of WWE is apparently not enough to draw away a loyal AEW star.
Japanese star Maki Itoh made her first appearance for Tony Khan's promotion in February 2021, facing Ryo Mizunami as her first opponent. Since then, she has been featured on the show sporadically. Her most notable match so far was the Owen Hart cup match against Britt Baker, where she put up an impressive performance against the former Women's Champion.
In a recent interview with Steve Fall of WrestlingNews.co, Maki Itoh declared that she would never join WWE.
"No, nothing. The reason she became this popular is thanks to AEW. Whatever happens, even if WWE gives her a cheeky offer from nowhere, she would not accept it and she would stay right beside AEW all the way," Itoh said via her translator. [H/T: Fightful]
You can check out the full interview here:
Itoh has been absent from AEW for a while now. It remains to be seen when she will be back
A WWE star is currently speculated to join AEW
While Maki Itoh may never join WWE, Sasha Banks is speculated to potentially join AEW instead.
The former RAW Women's Champion walked out of the Stamford-based promotion earlier this year due to a dispute with Vince McMahon regarding creative decisions. Since then, her return to the pro-wrestling scene has been a hot topic, with many questioning whether AEW could be her new home.
While fans believe Banks may appear on Tony Khan's roster, Dutch Mantell thinks otherwise. In an episode of Sportskeeda Wrestling's Smack Talk, the veteran explained why it was unlikely for the Boss to join AEW.
"OK, if she got that big money in Japan, she's not going to AEW because Tony Khan, he's not going to roll over on that money. As this $100,000, that's a lot of moolah and he's not going to do it and I don't blame him," said Mantell. [From 39:55 – 40:16]
You can watch the full episode below:
While Maki Itoh's move to Triple H's roster is unlikely, it remains to be seen if Sasha Banks will jump ship in the future.
Do you think Maki Itoh should be pushed more in AEW? Sound off in the comments below!