9-time champion wants to go to AEW
Nine-time champion has expressed her desire to compete in AEW. The star in question is none other than Maki Itoh.
Itoh has already made appearances in the promotion and she has been well-received by fans. She teamed with Britt Baker to defeat Thunder Rosa and Riho at Revolution in 2021. She also appeared on Dark: Elevation, where she lost to Riho. Last month she completed in a dark match after Dynamite in a tag team contest with Abadon and Riho.
In an interview with Wrestling With Honor, Itoh revealed her aspirations to join the All Elite Wrestling roster and secure an active role on television.
"I still want to go to AEW. It's a narrow door, but my dream is to be part of the AEW roster and have an active role on TV," Itoh said.
“I still want to go to AEW. It's a narrow door, but my dream is to be part of the AEW roster and have an active role on TV.”
- Maki Itoh
(via Wrestling With Honor) https://t.co/gvAyzpaW6B
The promotion has been actively seeking to expand its presence in the Japanese market, with the recent signing of Konosuke Takeshita. Itoh is not the only Japanese wrestler intrigued by the prospect of competing in the promotion.
Reports have surfaced indicating that former IWGP World Champion Kota Ibushi also expressed interest. In fact, he is set to make his highly anticipated debut on Dynamite Blood and Guts this week.
It remains to be seen if Tony Khan will sign Itoh, but she has made it clear that she wants to be a part of the company. If they do sign her, she would be a valuable asset to the roster.
Maki Itoh says that she would never join WWE and credited AEW for her popularity
Despite the allure of WWE, it seems that loyal Maki Itoh remains dedicated to the Tony Khan-led promotion.
In an interview, Itoh made it clear that she has no intentions of joining WWE. She expressed her gratitude to All Elite Wrestling.
"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.
Since her debut in February 2021, Itoh has made sporadic appearances in the Jacksonville-based promotion. This includes a notable match against Britt Baker in the Owen Hart cup in 2022.
Do you think Tony Khan should sign Maki Itoh on full-time contract? Sound off in the comment section below.