Former WCW & WWE wrestler Meiko Satomura has officially concluded her in-ring career with a pair of emotional matches in Japan.
She began her career in 1995 and rose to international prominence with appearances in World Championship Wrestling in 1996, wrestled her final scheduled match on April 29 at Tokyo’s iconic Korakuen Hall.
Teaming with her 20-year-old protégé Manami, Satomura faced off against longtime rivals Aja Kong and Chihiro Hashimoto in a match under the Sendai Girls’ Pro Wrestling banner. Satomura and Nanami emerged victorious in the tag team bout, capping off a milestone night in front of a packed crowd.
Before the match, Satomura was honored with a bouquet of flowers presented by wrestling legend Kenta Kobashi.
Meiko Satomura has retiredpic.twitter.com/TH9biWsRYS
— WrestleFeed (@WrestleFeedApp) April 29, 2025
In a surprise twist, Aja Kong took the microphone after their match and requested one final tag team outing with Satomura—despite their long history as rivals. The impromptu match saw Satomura and Kong join forces against Chihiro Hashimoto, Senka Akatsuki, Takumi Iroha, YUNA, and Mika Iwata. The bout concluded in a five-minute draw, closing the book on Satomura’s in-ring career.
Several wrestlers, including Asuka, Kairi Sane, IYO SKY, Hiroshi Tanahashi, Shinsuke Nakamura, Devil Masami, Bull Nakano, Akira Hokuto, Lioness Asuka, and Chigusa Nagayo sent video messages to congratulate Satomura on finishing her journey:
— WrestleFeed (@WrestleFeedApp) April 29, 2025
Satomura’s legacy extends well beyond Japan. After competing in the second Mae Young Classic in 2018, she signed with WWE in October 2020. Initially a part of the NXT UK brand, she made her debut on NXT 2.0 in August 2022 and had her final WWE televised match in March 2023, losing to Roxanne Perez.
Her final WWE appearance took place on July 27, 2024, during the WWE SuperShow Summer Tour of Japan, where she challenged Bayley for the WWE Women’s Championship at Tokyo’s Ryogoku Kokugikan in a losing effort.
Throughout her storied career, Satomura collected numerous titles, including becoming the inaugural and two-time—Sendai Girls World Champion. She also captured the World of Stardom Championship and the KO-D Openweight Championship.
In WWE, she made history as the final NXT UK Women’s Champion, holding the belt from June 10, 2021, until the brand’s closure at Worlds Collide in September 2022, where Mandy Rose unified the NXT and NXT UK Women’s Championships by defeating Satomura and Blair Davenport.
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