Hikaru Shida Returns to AEW, Falls Short in TBS Title Clash on Collision

Hikaru Shida is officially back in All Elite Wrestling—and she didn’t waste any time stepping into a high-stakes situation.

On the special Thursday edition of AEW Collision, the former three-time AEW Women’s Champion made her long-awaited return by answering an open challenge issued by reigning TBS Champion Willow Nightingale. With Nightingale calling out the best competition AEW has to offer, Shida emerged as a fitting—and surprising—response after more than a year away from AEW action.

The match itself delivered down the stretch, with Shida nearly reclaiming championship gold in dramatic fashion. After avoiding Nightingale’s top-rope moonsault, Shida connected with a running knee that almost sealed the deal. She followed up with a second knee strike moments later, but Nightingale showed resilience by kicking out again. In a sudden twist, the champion caught Shida off guard with a backslide pin to retain her title.

Tensions teased boiling over after the match. Shida grabbed her signature kendo stick and appeared ready to attack Nightingale from behind, but ultimately thought better of it and dropped the weapon. Nightingale responded with a respectful thumbs-up, signaling mutual respect despite the heated battle.

This marked Shida’s first AEW match since November 2024, when she faced Kris Statlander on Dynamite. Her absence was largely due to visa complications, which were resolved in October 2025. Around that same time, Shida reportedly secured a new contract with AEW, setting the stage for her eventual return.

While away from AEW programming, Shida remained active in Japan, competing for several promotions including WAVE, ZERO1, and OZ Academy. One of her most recent appearances came in November 2025 at OZ Academy’s Sonoko Kato retirement event, where she competed in an eight-woman tag match.

With her return now in the books, the big question is what comes next. Whether this was a one-off appearance or the beginning of a more consistent run remains unclear—but if this performance was any indication, Shida is ready to make an impact once again.