Report: AEW hoping to bring back Riho next month
As AEW looks to boost their women's division with the upcoming Women's World Championship Eliminator Tournament, the company is reportedly wanting to bring back Riho as early as next month.
In the latest edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer reports that AEW is currently working on bringing back their former Women's World Champion, Riho.
Riho hasn't wrestled for AEW for 10 months due to travel restrictions enforced by the COVID-19 pandemic. Her last match for the company was on March 18th last year when she competed in a fatal four-way match against Hikaru Shida, Kris Statlander and Penelope Ford.
Since then, Riho has been wrestling for STARDOM, where she was High Speed Champion. She dropped the title to AZM in July of last year ending her 351-day reign in the process.
Last month it was reported that Riho was done with the Joshi promotion, with her last match for the company taking place on December 26th.
Riho was AEW's first-ever Women's World Champion.
Riho won the AEW Women's Championship on the premiere episode of Dynamite in a highly entertaining battle with Nyla Rose.
On January 20th, AEW announced they are hosting their first-ever Women's World Championship Eliminator Tournament to crown a new No. 1 contender for the women's championship.
Since the announcement, AEW has not released any further updates regarding the tournament. Judging by the bracket graphic, it will be a 16-woman tournament with the winner going on to challenge for the AEW Women's World Championship.
As AEW's first women's titleholder it makes sense that they would be looking to bring her back stateside for the tournament.
If reports are accurate, then Riho's return could open the door for many other Joshi wrestlers to comeback to AEW, such as Yuka Sakazaki and Emi Sakura, who all remain on AEW's women's roster page. Sakura even expressed interest in the tournament, stating that it is "time" for her to have another title match in AEW:
Riho, Sakura and Sakazaki would be a welcome return to AEW to bolster their struggling and heavily-criticized women's division.
What do you make of the reports? Would you be excited to Riho returning to AEW? Sound off in the comments below.