Iyo Sky Explains Why Her Ring Name Was Changed in WWE

– During a recent interview with Tokyo Sports, WWE Superstar Iyo Sky spoke about her name change in WWE from Io Shirai to Iyo Sky. Below are some highlights (via Google Translate):

Iyo Sky on her name change: “I think that the image of the former ‘Shirai’ is conveyed in kanji to Japanese people, but that’s not the case in the United States. I think it’s a good name because the image is conveyed by adding ‘Sky’ there. ‘Io’ was the first capital letter and the second lowercase ‘Io’ in the alphabet. That’s why some people misread it because it looked like a lowercase letter L and O (lo), or it looked like a number. I think it became easier to understand with ‘IYO’ in all capital letters.

On working with Dakota Kai and Bayley: “Yes. The three of us are in different situations, but we made a comeback to the ring at the same time, so we have a strong bond. In fact, before I returned to the game, I practiced with the three of us in Orlando (Florida).”

On her injury layoff after NXT STand & Deliver: “On April 2nd, during the Fatal 4-Way match of NXT Stand & Deliver, when I flew outside the arena with a moonsault, my foot crashed into the announcer table, and I broke my right ankle and had surgery. Thank you for introducing me to WWE’s Alabama-based “ankle doctor.” I now have one bolt to hold the bone in place. There was a month or so when he couldn’t put weight on his right leg, and he even used crutches and a wheelchair. It took him about three months before he could put his full weight on.”

Tomorrow on Raw, Iyo Sky will team with Dakota Kai in the finals of the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship Tournament against Raquel Rodriguez and Aliyah. The winners will be crowned the new champions for the vacant titles.