Since AEW has formed a working relationship with Japan female wrestling promotion STARDOM, several of Japan’s top female talent have crossed over and competed in AEW. Now one of AEW’s own, former Dark Order and Jericho Appreciation Society member Anna Jay, will venture out on the first excursion in her career. The 5STAR Grand Prix tournament is set to run from August 10th until August 31st in two separate blocks, Red and Blue. Jay is part of the Blue Stars A Block with Saori Anou, Syuri, Starlight Kid, Xena, Koguma and Miyu Amasaki.ย
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Because of it being a round robin style tournament, Jay will wrestle everyone in her block to accumulate points. The person with the most points wins the block and advances. AEW has been teasing her going to Japan for quite awhile. When AZM and Saya Kamitani were in AEW they teased recruiting the 26-year-old.
Anna Jay Says Wrestling in STARDOM Is an Honor
“Hi guys, Anna Jay here and I just wanna say how excited and honored I am to be competing in this year’s 5STAR Grand Prix tournament. It’s something I never thought I was gonna be able to do and now we’re here and now it’s happening and it’s literally next week,” Jay said in a STARDOM promotional video. “So I’m so excited, like I said, I’m so honored to be doing so. Girls like Toni Storm, Mariah May, people that I work with and see on a weekly basis who I admire have benefited tremendously from working with stardom. So to have that opportunity obviously means a lot to me and I cannot wait to take advantage of it. I’ve never been to Japan. That’s also just a bucket list destination in itself.ย
So to be able to go to Japan, wrestle, which is my dream, is an incredible opportunity and I cannot wait. I cannot wait to also taste a coffee in Japan. That is something I’m really looking forward to because I drink coffee every morning. I need it. So I’m really looking forward to trying that. And I’m also looking forward to trying, I think it’s called Fruit Sandos. I don’t really know if that’s the correct term for it, but it’s just fruit in a sandwich with whipped cream. I don’t know, I’ve been seeing it online for the past five years, and I have been craving one ever since. So I need one” (h/t: Fightful).
Aside from honing her craft, Jay explains she wants to make it to the finals and face AZM. “Something I’m also setting a goal for myself is to be in the finals. Whether or not that’s a far reach or not, I don’t care. We all have to have goals and dreams. So that is my goal. My goal is to face AZM,” Jay continued. “That would be a dream come true as well. AZM is somebody I know, somebody who is my friend. I wouldn’t want to face her in a malicious way. It would be out of respect. She is somebody that I would love to be in the ring with, somebody that I would love to have the opportunity to work with. That is the goal that I’m setting for myself.”
Jay has always been a fan-favorite in AEW although she hasn’t had a ton of time to grow her character. Wrestlers like Mariah May have really benefited from their time in Japan, honing their skills and coming back skilled fighters. Jay could undoubtedly do the same and break free from the bind she’s been in. It won’t just benefit Jay to work outside of her comfort zone — as STARDOM is now a subsidiary of New Japan, it’s likely more AEW faces will pop up in the future.
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