Beloved Pro Wrestling Star Injured, Experiencing Arm Numbness

A popular professional wrestler from Japan is taking some time away from the ring due to an injury. Earlier this month, Tokyo Joshi Pro Wrestling (TJPW) announced that Maki Itoh has been experiencing numbness in her arm since her match against Rina Yamashita on Jan. 4. It's not clear when she will return to the ring. 

"Maki Ito has been experiencing numbness in her arm since her match at Korakuen Hall on the 4th, and after undergoing an MRI scan on the 5th, her doctor determined that she needed to rest and receive treatment," TJPW and Itoh said in a statement, per Fightful. "I will be absent from all matches scheduled for today, including domestic and international matches, for a while."

Itoh 28, has been with TJPW since 2016. During her time with the promotion, Itoh won the International Princess Championship twice and the Princess Tag Team Championship with Miyu Yamashita. In February 2021, Itoh made her All Elite Wrestling (AEW) debut, losing to Ryo Mizunami in the first round of the AEW Women's World Title Eliminator tournament. She would compete in a few more matches that year before losing to Britt Baker in the Owen Hart Cup in May 2022. 

In an interview with Wrestling With Honor last year, Itoh was asked about her goals, and he said she wanted to be a part of AEW. "I still want to be in AEW. It is a narrow gate, but my dream is to become a [part of the] AEW roster and play an active role on TV," Itoh said, per SEScoops. 

Itoh also spoke to Fightful last year about her role in AEW when she returned to the company. She said: "When I go back to AEW, I want to continue to be myself and not be restricted as to what a babyface or heel is. I want to remain silly, keep everyone moved by the way I wrestle, but get them to laugh by the way I wrestle. Laughing with me."

It's clear Itoh wants to be "Elite." But would she ever join WWE? "No, nothing. The reason she became this popular is thanks to AEW. Whatever happens, even if WWE gives her a cheeky offer from nowhere, she would not accept it and she would stay right beside AEW all the way," Itoh said via her translator to WrestlingNews.co.