Mayu Iwatani Departs Stardom As Thekla Draws Interest From WWE & AEW

The losses for Stardom are starting to pile up as Mayu Iwatani and Thekla become the latest to depart the promotion.

Mayu Iwatani after winning IWGP Women's Championship / NJPW

The hits keep coming for Stardom.

Nearly a month to the day that Mina Shirakawa announced that she would be leaving the Japanese all women's wrestling promotion to sign with All Elite Wrestling, one of Stardom's top performers of the past decade plus has now confirmed her own departure.

During a news conference Monday morning, Mayu Iwatani announced that she would be leaving after spending the past 14 years of her career in Stardom. Her final match was Sunday night at Stardom All-Star Grand Queendom where Syuri ended her 735 day reign as the IWGP Women's Champion.

スターダム退団しました。
１４年3ヶ月。
ほんっとうにありがとうございました！

笑っていなくなりたかったけど
涙が出るなんてびっくり。

この決断をした自分にもびっくり。

スターダムのアイコンじゃなく
女子プロレスのアイコンになります。

これからも着いてきて欲しいです。

家出してくるね pic.twitter.com/lEHpbJKfjE

— 岩谷麻優 MayuIwatani (@MayuIwatani) April 28, 2025

Iwatani noted multiple times that it was a difficult decision to leave, but she feels as though she's accomplished everything she can in Stardom. Including her two reigns as World of Stardom Champion. It's not clear at this time what Mayu's next move will be.

The future is a little more clear for Thekla, who has also confirmed that she is leaving promotion. The Vienna, Austria native made headlines after a recent scripted confrontation with Stardom President Taro Okada, where she ended up attacking Okada and other staff members before flipping everyone the finger.

Thekla is legitimately done with Stardom, and is expected to work in the United States, @FightfulSelect has learned.

She's now got representation for the process and multiple American companies have been interested, specifically WWE and AEW

Full story for subscribers pic.twitter.com/EuIpneEJ97

— Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful.com (@SeanRossSapp) April 27, 2025

The angle was done to write her off television as Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Select has now confirmed that Thekla is bound for the United States. She is apparently drawing interest from multiple promotions, including WWE and AEW.

Also of note, Tam Nakano lost a retirement match to Saya Kamitani at All-Star Grand Queendom Sunday night. That makes three key loses for Stardom in the past couple of days, on top of losing Shirakawa, Giulia, Utami Hayashishita and MIRAI, who have all departed the promotion in the past year.

The Latest On WWE, AEW & More

WWE Raw On Netflix Preview (4/28/25): Start Time, Match Card, How To Watch & Live Stream

Former WWE Superstar Announces TNA Signing At Rebellion PPV

Bryan Danielson Reveals More Memorable Title Win: AEW All In Or WWE WrestleMania 30

Chelsea Green Says Goodbye To WWE After Losing Women's United States Championship