Top Japanese Wrestling Prospect Heading To AEW?

The Tokyo Sports' Rookie of the Year and rising TJPW star may soon land on American shores.

Yuki Arai
TJPW

Top joshi prospect Yuki Arai has been tipped for a United States excursion - with All Elite Wrestling a likely base.

Tokyo Sports reported earlier this week that Arai's home promotion, TJPW, had decided to send her overseas, doing so after Yuki had requested "warrior training" after being eliminated from the company's Tokyo Princess Cup tournament.

TJPW spokesperson Tetsuya Koda commented:-

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"Miyu Yamashita, Yuka Sakazaki, Maki Ito, Shoko Nakajima and others have appeared in various organizations in the United States and the United Kingdom, including AEW. Arai can also practice overseas. I think it would be nice to do it."

Yamashita will challenge for Thunder Rosa's AEW Women's World Title on next week's Dynamite, having earned that shot by defeating Rosa in Japan recently.

Arai, meanwhile, was named Rookie of the Year 2021 by Tokyo Sports in December. She became a regular with TJPW last May, teaming with Miu Watanabe in a defeat to Arisu Endo and Maki Itoh, and has since emerged amongst the company's most exciting up-and-comers.

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Dave Meltzer reports in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that Arai is expected to work AEW shows and independent dates while in the US. Japanese wrestling promotions regularly send performers in her situation abroad to pick up experience and develop new skills, which appears to be the case here.

Arai's compatriot, Konosuke Takeshita, is currently in the midst of a year-long AEW excursion from his home company, DDT. DDT and TJPW share ownership in CyberFight Inc.

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Channel Manager

Andy has been with WhatCulture for six years and is currently WhatCulture's Senior Wrestling Reporter. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.