The wrestling world is buzzing as former WWE NXT UK Women’s Champion Meiko Satomura has announced her impending retirement. The announcement came after a recent tour of Japan, where Satomura squared off against WWE Women’s Champion Bayley at the iconic Ryogoku Sumo Hall, in what would be one of her final WWE matches.
At a press conference, Satomura shared that her retirement is set for April 2025. Before hanging up her boots, the wrestling legend will have one last hurrah with a series of matches for the Sendai Girls promotion, which she co-founded, starting this September. While her opponents have yet to be revealed, the anticipation is building.
Adding to the excitement, AEW star Emi Sakura made a surprise appearance at the press conference, challenging Satomura to a match before her retirement. This unexpected challenge has fans eagerly awaiting a potential clash between two of wrestling’s finest.
Satomura joined WWE as a “player/coach” for the NXT UK brand, which unfortunately shuttered in 2022. She continued to wrestle select matches in “WWE NXT,” including a high-profile challenge against NXT Women’s Champion Roxanne Perez at last year’s Road Block event. Beyond WWE, Satomura has kept her presence felt in various promotions, including a memorable cameo earlier this year in the first-ever Toden Train Match, an hour-long bout on a moving bullet train.