Less than 24 hours aftercapturing the interim ROH Women's Television Championship, Mina Shirakawa sustained a broken hand while competing in the Women's Casino Gauntlet at AEW All In Texas. On the subsequent episode of "AEW Dynamite," AEW commentator Tony Schiavone noted that Shirakawa specifically suffered the injury when taking the O-Face from Athena toward the end of the match. A new report, however, claims that the injury actually happened at a different point.
According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Shirakawa broke her hand while delivering a spinning backfist to former AEW Women's Champion Thunder Rosa, with the strike said to have connected "way too hard." As of now, there is no word on how long Shirakawa is expected to be sidelined with her injury or how AEW/ROH will now approach her status as the interim ROH Women's TV Champion.
Red Velvet, the reigning ROH Women's TV Champion, recently sustained an injury of her own while wrestling in Mexico last month. AEW President Tony Khan later noted that although Velvet's injury seemed manageable, she wouldn't be cleared to defend it at ROH Supercard of Honor on July 11, hence the decision to make a four-way match to crown an interim champion in her absence. In it, Shirakawa bested Yuka Sakazaki, Miyu Yamashita and Persephone.
At All In on July 12, Athena pinned Shirakawa to earn a future shot at the AEW Women's Championship. Her future opponent? "Timeless" Toni Storm, who defeated "The CEO" Mercedes Mone to retain the respective title at All In.
