Top AEW Star Discusses Fans Abusing Joshi Wrestlers On Social Media

AEW

A top AEW star has discussed fans abusing joshi wrestlers on social media.

Joshi performers have been a staple of All Elite Wrestling since the inception of the promotion in 2019.

From Riho becoming the inaugural AEW Women’s World Champion and Hikaru Shida being the longest reigning AEW Women’s World Champion, joshi wrestling has been a highlight of AEW’s women’s division.

However, joshi wrestlers have experienced online hatred and racism from fans over the years.

In a new interview with Swerve Strickland on the Swerve City podcast, AEW EVP Kenny Omega discussed his frustrations regarding the treatment of joshi wrestlers in All Elite Wrestling. He explained:

“You’re gonna see it everywhere, to some degree, you’re gonna find trolls, but you’ll never see it to the degree that you see it in wrestling in America.”

Elaborating on the many cultural that joshi wrestlers must go through to compete in the United States before praising their persistent work ethic regardless of these struggles, Omega said:

“From year one onwards they were so reliable, never had a bad performance, and really showed a level of professionalism and a level of dedication to their craft from a technical standpoint.”

On joshi wrestlers’ perspective regarding the hatred they experience online, Kenny stated:

“[They] ask me, ‘Why does everyone hate me?… Why do they want me to get hurt? Why are they calling me a schoolgirl?”

Pointing out the hateful comments that Riho received from fans due to people feeling that she doesn’t look like a conventional pro wrestler, he recalled:

“It goes without saying, not every wrestler looks the same,” Omega reminded, “Not everyone is gonna look like Big Bertha Faye… Just because someone isn’t [big] doesn’t mean that they haven’t committed their entire lives to what we do.”

Omega does acknowledge that some of the hate the joshi wrestlers in AEW get was because of him being one of their biggest advocates in the company. He said:

“There are people that hate what I do, and because they know that I had a hand in signing them and introducing the world to their style or a different style.”

“It’s like ‘Oh, you represent what Kenny Does and we hate Kenny so I’m gonna come up with a reason to hate you.'” 

Despite these struggles, Omega is proud that the perception of joshi wrestlers in AEW has improved in recent times due to the performances of the likes of Shida, Emi Sakura and more.

Transcription via Wrestling Inc.

Think you’re a wrestling mastermind? Well you can prove it by taking quizzes in our brand new quiz section! Don’t forget to tweet us your results!

• joshi wrestling
• Hikaru Shida
• Kenny Omega
• AEW

Share this article with friends