At Summerslam 2022, we’d see a major call up from the NXT roster – with Io Shirai finally leaving the developmental brand behind. Having done everything possible on the brand, including winning both the NXT Women’s & Women’s Tag Championships – and the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic – it was time to move on. An injury would end her run, and gave a perfect chance to move on.
Io Shirai Overcame A Broken Ankle
While speaking to Tokyo Sports, Shirai would have a chance to explain how this injury happened – and why she was taken from TV for months.
“When I flew in a moonsault outside the ring against Kay Lee Ray, I hit my foot on the announcer’s table and broke my right ankle and had to have surgery. I was referred to a “master ankle surgeon” in Alabama, who is a WWE official. Now I have one bolt in to hold the bone in place. I was unable to put any weight on my right leg for about a month, and I had to use a crutch and a wheelchair. It took me about three months to be able to put my full weight on it.”
Becoming Iyo Sky On The Main Roster
As for the recent name change to Iyo Sky, Shirai would explain that she felt it simply made her name easier to explain. She’d be quoted saying the following to Tokyo Sports.
“I think the image of the previous “Shirai” can be conveyed in kanji to Japanese people, but that is not the case in the United States. I think it is a good name because the “sky” in it conveys the image. The first letter of “Io” was capitalized and the second letter was lower-case “Io. So it looked like a lowercase L and O (lo), or like a number, and some people misread it. Now it’s all capitalized “IYO,” which I think makes it easier to understand.”
Do you think the name Iyo Sky is a good name for her? Let us know what you think in the comment section down below.
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