A few weeks back on AEW Dark, the 37 year old Portuguese wrestler Shanna debutted for AEW (All Elite Wrestling). She won many fans over in her losing effort to the returning Hikaru Shida, and it was later announced she had signed a 3 year deal with AEW.
In an interview with wrestling.pt, she revealed she was actually planning to retire until Kenny Omega reached out to her for a chance to compete in AEW, a move which instantly revitalized her career.
Shanna Before AEW
Prior to joining AEW, Shanna really didn’t accomplish much of anything. She mainly made her name in the both Europe & Asia. Shes an absolutely fantastic worker, and is a former High Speed Champion from the STARDOM promotion in Japan, but you can’t blame fans for not knowing her before she debutted for AEW. At 37 and having never made a splash or got the attention of any major promotions, she was ready to move on with life.
Kenny Omegas Role In The Womens Division
Kenny Omega is one person who helps scout and book the AEW womens division, being responsible for bringing in talents like Riho & Hikaru Shida as well. He has a fantastic eye for talent and star potential, but the AEW womens division lacks strong characters, something that will hopefully change down the line. There are some supremely talented women in their division, and someday soon they’ll be stealing the show. His big plan is to showcase joshi puroesu, a hard hitting style of Japanese womens wrestling, in the same way that WCW showcased Mexican lucha-libre in their esteemed Cruiserweight division.
Shannas Potential Role In AEW
Shanna in particular shows great potential. She’s a 13 year veteran of the wrestling industry, an incredible worker, and someone who could easily become AEW Womens Champion down the line.
While she doesn’t exactly bring anything new to the wrestling industry, she’s someone dependable, which every division needs as a backbone. I could see her filling a role similar to that of which Natalya fills within the WWE womens division, a solid veteran who can be trusted to make anyone look like an absolute star.
Regardless of what the future holds for Shanna, its just so nice to see someone get their break in the industry just as they were ready to give up. I hope AEW turns her into the star she deserves to be.
