Maki Itoh becomes a free agent

Maki Itoh, one of Japan's most prominent wrestlers, has just become a free agent. The former GCW Extreme Champion officially ended her contract with TJPW (Tokyo Joshi Pro-Wrestling) on August 23rd. Both parties have not reached a renewal agreement, so Itoh is free to sign with any other company, with many pointing to the United States as a possible destination.

The company revealed the news yesterday, explaining that both parties had held "many conversations" as the contract came to an end. However, none of them resulted in a new agreement, so it was ultimately decided not to renew her contract.

Itoh confirmed the news through a statement on her social media. In it, she wanted to thank Shansiro Takagi and TJPW for trusting in her and for nearly a decade of joint collaboration where she has been able to grow as a wrestler. The wrestler has not given any hints about her immediate future, although she hopes to reunite with her former teammates at some point in her journey.

"With the show at Korakuen Hall on August 23, 2025, my contract with TJPW has come to an end. When I was still wrestling as an idol, it was Takagi who discovered me. I wasn't good at singing or dancing, and I was never very popular, but the only thing I was ever praised for was wrestling. Thanks to TJPW, I was able to spend 8 years and 7 months growing and living with this company. Everything has been thanks to TJPW and all the people I have met along the way. I will keep fighting, so I'm sure we will meet again somewhere along the way. I will never forget the gratitude I feel towards all those who have supported me, and I will always treasure the experience and knowledge I gained here as I move forward. From the bottom of my heart, thank you... and screw you all!", wrote Maki.

Itoh burst into the professional wrestling business in 2013 competing occasionally for DDT Wrestling. However, it wasn't until 2017 when she began to wrestle regularly under contract with TJPW. Since then, Maki has captivated hundreds of thousands of fans as a true "anti-idol". And indeed, in addition to being a wrestler, Itoh is also a traditional "Idol", as she has been part of the musical group "LinQ" and currently performs with "Toki wo Ikiru" and "Maintenance".

In recent years, Itoh has shown a keen interest in competing abroad, especially in the United States. In fact, we have seen her regularly in GCW (where she won the Extreme Championship), MLW and even in AEW, where she made a great impression. Her last match took place in the final of the Tokyo Princess Cup of TJPW, where she lost in a singles match against Yuki Arai.