Hikaru Shida

Hikaru Shida (志田 光, Shida Hikaru; born June 11, 1988) is a Japanese professional wrestler, martial artist, actress, and model. She is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where she is a former three-time AEW Women's World Champion, with her first reign being the longest in the title's history. She also wrestles for AEW's sister promotion Ring of Honor (ROH), and for Japanese promotions Oz Academy and Pro Wrestling Wave.

Shida started her professional wrestling career in 2008, when she joined the Ice Ribbon promotion, after taking part in a film titled Three Count, set in the world of professional wrestling. She remained with the promotion until 2014, becoming a one-time ICE×60 Champion and five-time International Ribbon Tag Team Champion. Shida has also held the Wave Single Championship twice, the Oz Academy Tag Team Championship, and the Sendai Girls Tag Team Championship. She joined AEW as one of its original female wrestlers in April 2019 and is a three-time AEW Women's World Champion. She also holds the record for the title's longest reign at 372 days, which she accomplished during her first reign.

In her childhood, Shida practised both judo and kendo, reaching third-dan in the latter. She later embarked on a career as an actress, most notably working on the television series Muscle Venus, forming an idol group with fellow cast members Hina Kozuki, Ichiko Mayu, Miyako Matsumoto, Sachiko Koga, Tomoyo Morihisa, Tsukasa Fujimoto, Yuki Ueda and Yuri Natsume. In 2009, Shida was cast in the leading role in a film titled Three Count, set in the world of professional wrestling and also starring veteran professional wrestlers Emi Sakura, Kyoko Inoue and Yoshiko Tamura. For the role, Shida began training under Sakura at her Ice Ribbon dojo and after the conclusion of the taping, decided to find a new career in professional wrestling, joining Ice Ribbon with fellow cast members of both Muscle Venus and Three Count, Ichiko Mayu, Miyako Matsumoto, Sachiko Koga, Tomoyo Morihisa, Tsukasa Fujimoto and Yuki Ueda, though only Shida, Matsumoto and Fujimoto lasted more than six months, making new careers out of professional wrestling.

Shida made her debut for Ice Ribbon on July 20, 2008, losing to Kazumi Shimouma. As is customary for a rookie in Japanese professional wrestling, Shida's first months in the business included mainly losses with only one singles victory, over Miyako Matsumoto on November 15. In March 2009, Shida finally started picking up victories more regularly, starting a partnership, and later a feud, with Makoto. On September 13, 2009, Shida ventured into the world of mixed martial arts, when she took part in a grappling match at the Jewels promotion's 5th Ring event. Shida lost the match, after submitting to Ayaka Hamasaki's armlock in 38 seconds.

During the summer of 2010, Shida made several appearances for the NEO Japan Ladies Pro-Wrestling promotion. Though pegged early on as the "Future Ace of Joshi Puroresu", Shida was the last of the Three Count threesome to reach a championship in Ice Ribbon. On October 20, 2010, Shida and Tsukasa Fujimoto received their first shot at the International Ribbon Tag Team Championship, but were defeated by Emi Sakura and Nanae Takahashi. In a rematch between the two teams on December 23, Shida and Fujimoto were victorious and became the new International Ribbon Tag Team Champions. The following day the team, known collectively as Muscle Venus, made their debut for the Smash promotion at Happening Eve, where they teamed with Sayaka Obihiro in a six-woman tag team match, where they were defeated by Cherry, Tomoka Nakagawa and Toshie Uematsu. Back in Ice Ribbon, Shida wrestled the biggest match of her career, up to that point, when she unsuccessfully challenged Yoshiko Tamura for the NWA Women's Pacific/NEO Single Championship on December 26 at Ribbon Mania 2010. Shida and Fujimoto then went on to successfully defend the International Tag Team Championship against Hikari Minami and Riho on January 4, 2011, and against the teams of Mochi Miyagi and Ryo Mizunami, and Makoto and Riho on February 6, winning the "Ike! Ike! Ima, Ike! Ribbon Tag Tournament" in the process. After defending the International Ribbon Tag Team Championship against Bambi and Makoto at a Kaientai Dojo event on March 20, Shida and Fujimoto lost the title to Emi Sakura and Ray six days later.

On March 21, Shida was voted by Ice Ribbon fans as the opponent for visiting Smash wrestler Syuri. Shida would win the match with the Falcon arrow. The match eventually led to a partnership between the two Kanagawa wrestlers, and, after defeating Chii Tomiya and Makoto on April 16, Shida and Syuri went on to unsuccessfully challenge Emi Sakura and Ray for the International Ribbon Tag Team Championship on May 5. The partnership also carried over to Smash, where Shida and Syuri defeated Io and Mio Shirai in a tag team match on May 3 at Smash.17. On June 9 at Smash.18, Shida was defeated by Syuri in a first round match of a tournament to determine the inaugural Smash Diva Champion. On September 24, Shida and Fujimoto attempted to regain the International Ribbon Tag Team Championship, but were defeated in the semifinals of a tournament for the vacant title by Manami Toyota and Tsukushi. The following month, Shida and Fujimoto, along with Emi Sakura and Hikari Minami, traveled to Nottingham, England to take part in events promoted by Pro Wrestling EVE and Southside Wrestling Entertainment (SWE). During 2011, Shida also took part in Ice Ribbon's interpromotional rivalry with the Sendai Girls' Pro Wrestling promotion. On October 27, Shida, Emi Sakura, Hikari Minami, Tsukasa Fujimoto and Tsukushi represented Ice Ribbon in Sendai's Joshi Puroresu Dantai Taikou Flash tournament, a single-elimination tournament, where different joshi promotions battled each other. The team was eliminated from the tournament in the first round by Team Sendai (Meiko Satomura, Dash Chisako, Kagetsu, Miyako Morino and Sendai Sachiko).

When Tsukasa Fujimoto regained the ICE×60 Championship on November 19, it was announced that Shida would be her first challenger on December 25 at RibbonMania 2011. On December 7, Shida pinned Fujimoto in a tag team match, where she teamed with Maki Narumiya and Fujimoto with Mochi Miyagi. At RibbonMania 2011, Shida defeated Fujimoto to win the ICE×60 Championship for the first time. Three days later, Shida and Maki Narumiya defeated Emi Sakura and Tsukushi to win the International Ribbon Tag Team Championship, making Shida a double champion. On January 8, 2012, Shida main evented Bull Nakano's retirement show, losing to World Wonder Ring Stardom wrestler and Wonder of Stardom Champion Yuzuki Aikawa. After successful defenses against the Lovely Butchers (Hamuko Hoshi and Mochi Miyagi) and Dorami Nagano and Hailey Hatred, Shida and Narumiya lost the International Ribbon Tag Team Championship to Tsukasa Fujimoto and Tsukushi on February 5. On March 4, Shida made her debut for the Universal Woman's Pro Wrestling Reina promotion, defeating fellow Ice Ribbon worker Neko Nitta in the opening match of Reina.28. On March 20, Shida made her first defense of the ICE×60 Championship, defeating Aoi Kizuki. Her second successful defense took place on April 21, when she defeated IW19 Champion Kurumi. After defeating Otera Pro representative Aki Shizuku in a non-title match, Shida sent out a challenge to her friend, Wrestling New Classic's Kana. The first confrontation between Shida and Kana took place on April 25, when Kana and Shizuku defeated Shida and April Davids in a tag team match. On May 5 at Golden Ribbon 2012, Shida was defeated by Kana in a non-title singles match. Afterwards, Shida began feuding with former tag team partner Maki Narumiya. After a non-title match between the two on May 26 ended in a ten-minute time limit draw, Narumiya was named the number one contender to the ICE×60 Championship, provided she could make the 60 kg (130 lb) weight limit. On June 9, Shida took part in the first event of Reina X World, the follow-up promotion to Universal Woman's Pro Wrestling Reina, during which she and Tsukasa Fujimoto defeated Aki Kanbayashi and Mia Yim in the finals of a four-team tournament to win the vacant Reina World Tag Team Championship. On June 17, Shida defeated Maki Narumiya in the main event of Ice Ribbon's sixth anniversary event to make her third successful defense of the ICE×60 Championship. In July, as the reigning Reina World Tag Team Champions, Shida and Fujimoto traveled to Mexico to work for Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL). Working just under their given names, Hikaru and Tsukasa made their CMLL debuts on July 3 in Guadalajara, teaming with La Comandante in a six-woman tag team match, where they were defeated by Goya Kong, Luna Mágica and Silueta. Three days later, Hikaru and Tsukasa teamed with Lady Apache in Mexico City in another six-woman tag team match, where they were defeated by Dark Angel, Estrellita and Marcela. Hikaru's and Tsukasa's tour of CMLL concluded on June 8 in Mexico City, when they teamed with Princesa Sujei to defeat Dalys la Caribeña, Lluvia and Luna Mágica in a six-woman tag team match. Upon her return to Japan, Shida made her fourth successful defense of the ICE×60 Championship by defeating Hamuko Hoshi on July 15 at Sapporo Ribbon 2012. On August 5, Shida made her debut for Oz Academy, losing to Aja Kong. On August 19, Ice Ribbon held a special event to celebrate Muscle Venus' fourth anniversary in professional wrestling, which saw Shida and Fujimoto defeat Maki Narumiya and Meari Naito in the main event for their first successful defense of the Reina World Tag Team Championship. The following day, Shida became the longest reigning ICE×60 Champion in history by surpassing Fujimoto's previous record of 238 days. Shida's and Fujimoto's second successful defense of the Reina World Tag Team Championship took place back in Reina X World on August 26, when they defeated Crazy Star and Silueta. Three days later, Shida made her fifth successful defense of the ICE×60 Championship against Neko Nitta. On September 23 at Ribbon no Kishitachi 2012, Shida lost the ICE×60 Championship to freelancer Mio Shirai in her sixth defense, ending her record-setting reign at 273 days. Ribbon no Kishitachi 2012 also saw the debut of the first wrestler trained by Shida, Oshima Kujira.

On September 25, Shida entered Pro Wrestling Wave's 2012 Dual Shock Wave tournament as Yumi Ohka's partner. Ohka had chosen Shida as her partner, after her rival Misaki Ohata had chosen to team with Tsukasa Fujimoto. In their opening round-robin match of the tournament, Shida and Ohka were defeated by Shuu Shibutani and Syuri. They, however, bounced back, defeating Kurigohan (Ayumi Kurihara and Mika Iida) on September 30 and first Impact (Makoto and Moeka Haruhi) on October 23 to finish their round-robin tournament at four points, tied at the top with Shuu Shibutani and Syuri, forcing a decision match between the two teams. Shida and Ohka ended up losing the decision match and were, as a result, eliminated from the tournament. On October 27, Shida made her debut for World Wonder Ring Stardom, teaming with Act Yasukawa and Cherry in a six-woman tag team match, where they were defeated by the Kimura Monster-gun (Alpha Female, Hailey Hatred and Kyoko Kimura). The following day at an Ice Ribbon event, Shida challenged Hatred for the Triangle Ribbon Championship in a three-way match, which also included Aki Shizuku, but was disqualified after using a shinai on the champion. Earlier in the event, Aja Kong made a rare Ice Ribbon appearance, inviting Shida back to Oz Academy. Shida continued using the shinai in her matches for the next month. On November 25 at Nagoya Ribbon II – 2012, Shida and Tsukasa Fujimoto entered a one-day tag team tournament, where they were forced to put the Reina World Tag Team Championship on the line in all of their matches. They were, however, given a bye directly to the semifinals of the tournament. After defeating Neko Nitta and Shuu Shibutani in their semifinal match, Shida and Fujimoto defeated Kurumi and Tsukushi to not only win the tournament and retain the Reina World Tag Team Championship, but to also win the International Ribbon Tag Team Championship. However, just three days later, Shida and Fujimoto lost both titles to Hailey Hatred and Hamuko Hoshi. On December 9, Shida returned to Oz Academy, losing to Aja Kong in the second match between the two. At Ice Ribbon's year-end RibbonMania 2012 event on December 31, Shida and Tsukasa Fujimoto were defeated in a tag team match by World Wonder Ring Stardom representatives Nanae Takahashi and Natsuki☆Taiyo. Back in Pro Wrestling Wave on January 4, 2013, Shida and Yumi Ohka failed to capture the Wave Tag Team Championship from Misaki Ohata and Tsukasa Fujimoto in a title match, which ended in a thirty-minute time limit draw. The following day, Aja Kong made her Ice Ribbon in-ring debut to team with Shida in a tag team main event, where they were defeated by Hamuko Hoshi and Maki Narumiya. On January 13, Shida made another appearance for Oz Academy, teaming with Kong in a tag team match, where they were defeated by Hiroyo Matsumoto and Tomoka Nakagawa. After the ICE×60 Championship was vacated, following Maki Narumiya being sidelined with an injury, Shida entered a round-robin tournament to determine the new champion, defeating her trainee Risa Sera in her opening match on January 16. After a draw with Tsukushi on January 26, and a win over Neko Nitta on February 2, Shida finished at the top of her round-robin block, ensuring a spot in the semifinals of the tournament. On February 8, Shida took part in Syuri's first self-produced event, Stimulus, which saw the two lose to Meiko Satomura and Tomoka Nakagawa in a main event tag team match. On February 23, Shida was eliminated from the ICE×60 Championship tournament in the semifinals by Miyako Matsumoto.