Mina Shirakawas AEW run just hit a major snag.
On the July 16 episode of AEW Dynamite, Tony Schiavone announced that Shirakawa suffered a broken hand during the womens casino gauntlet match at AEW All In.
The injury occurred when Athena leveled Shirakawa with her O-Face finisher, then pinned her to secure a future AEW Womens Title shot. The impact reportedly caused the break, leaving Shirakawa sidelined indefinitely as AEWs womens division continues to shift.
Athena didnt waste any time referencing the injury. In a backstage promo aimed at Toni Storm, who was watching from a balcony, Athena made it clear she was clearing out competition, pointing out that not only was Luther out of the picturebut Mina was too.
This comes just weeks after Shirakawa won the Interim ROH Womens Television Championship at ROH Supercard of Honor, defeating Miyu Yamashita, Persephone, and Yuka Sakazaki in a four-way match. That title was introduced following an injury to Red Velvet, and now Mina finds herself in a similar situation.
Shirakawa is officially part of AEW full-time, making this injury an unfortunate pause in what had been a strong climb through the ranks. With Athena surging toward a championship shot, its unclear where Mina will stand once shes cleared to return.
Should AEW give Shirakawa a title shot once shes healed, or will she need to earn her way back up? Hit the comments and let us know what you think.
