Hana Kimura: What to Know About Her Wrestling Career

Hana Kimura died by suicide this week, which shocked the entire wrestling world. She was only 22 years old when she died and was one of the rising pro wrestling stars in Japan. WWE star Kairi Sane tried to save her life, attempting to call someone to check on her. Kimura sent out a number of concerning tweets, including one which said goodbye. Sane saw the tweets and tired to call anyone in the area, which was challenging since it was the middle of the night in Japan.

Kimura never wrestled in the U.S full-time., but based on her career, she was on her way to having a lot of success, which could have led to her signing a deal with WWE or AEW down the road. Her popularity in wrestling helped her land the Netflix series Terrace House: Tokyo. Production for the latest season has been canceled due to Kimura’s death. Scroll down to find out more about Kimura’s wrestling career.

If you or someone you know are in crisis, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting TALK to 741-741.

Second Generation Wrestler

Hana Kimura was the daughter of pro wrestler Kyoko Kimura. Kyoko was a pro for nearly 15 years and competed in JWP, NEO and World Wonder Ring Stardom. She retired from in-ring action in January 2017. 

Wrestled Against her Mother

In Kyoko’s final match, she wrestled against Hana, which could be considered a passing of the torch moment. Hana defeated Kyoko by pinfall, but it wasn’t the first time they have faced each other in the ring. In 2005, Kyoko defeated Hana for the DDT Ironman Heavymetalweight Championship. And the thing about that was Hana was only 7 years old. 

Debut in 2016

Hana made her debut in 2016 after graduating  Wrestle-1 training academy. She debuted in the promotion in March of that year, losing to Reika Saiki. The two wrestled each other numerous times throughout the year. 

First Championship

Not too long after making her debut, Kimura was able to win her first championship, winning the JWP Junior title by defeating Yako Fujigasaki in September 2016. Around this time, she was appearing in World Wonder Ring Stardom with her mother. 

Title with Mom

In October 2016, Hana and Kyoko Kimura won the Artist of Stardom Championship. However, the team would have to vacate the titles when Hana got injured. This happened one week before she lost the JWP Junior Championship. 

Appeared in Ring of Honor

In January 2018, Kimura was officially announced to the Wrestle-1 roster. But she also worked internationally including making an appearance in the U.S. promotion Ring of Honor. She worked several matches with the promotion, including a six-woman tag match at G1 Supercard at Madison Square Garden. 

Making History

Kimura is known for her work in STARDOM. However, she was able to make history earlier this year, competing in New Japan’s Wrestle Kingdom 14 at the Tokyo Dome in a tag team match. It wasn’t part of the “official” show, but it was the first time in 18 years a women’s match was held at the Tokyo Dome.