WWE star Zelina Vega leads tributes to Hana Kimura on anniversary of wrestler’s death aged 22-Alistair McGeorge-Entertainment – Metro

Zelina Vega described Hana Kimura as a ‘sweet soul’ (Picture: WWE/Getty)

Zelina Vega has paid tribute to the late Hana Kimura on the third anniversary of her tragic death.

The WWE superstar hailed the wrestler – who took her own life aged just 22 in 2020, days after receiving social media abuse over her appearance in Netflix reality show Terrace House – as a ‘sweet soul’.

Sharing photos of Kimura on Twitter, Zelina – who crossed paths with her in Japanese wrestling promotion Stardom – wrote: ‘She seemed like such a sweet soul when I met her back in 2016 in Stardom.. remembering you today and always #RIPHanaKimura.’

Fans have also paid tribute to Kimura on the anniversary of her death.

One fan tweeted: ‘3 years have passed since the passing of Hana Kimura. She inspired many, she would light up whatever room she was in, she was special, we all miss her so much, I love Hana so much, I think about her everyday, her impact will never be forgotten.’

Another wrote: ‘Three years ago the world lost a kind-hearted, bright soul. hana – your legacy and career will never be forgotten.’

And a third person said: ‘Remembering Hana Kimura ❤️ There will never be another 🌺 Be kind today. Be there for your friends. Let them know how much they’re loved. You never know what demons they’re facing, or how badly they need to know they aren’t alone.’

Kimura’s death promoted calls for the Japanese government to take more action against anonymous social media users posting abusive content.

In June 2022, an amendment to the penal code was passed which made online insults punishable by a maximum fine of ¥300,000 or up to a year in prison.

She had received online abuse after a confrontation with a male housemate on Terrace House back in October 2019 after he ruined the costume she wore for a major match before Wrestle Kingdom 14.

Kimura had also posted a number of concerning tweets, in which she said she ‘didn’t want to be a human anymore’ and reportedly implied she had been cyber bullied.

Zelina met Kimura in Stardom, where she made her name (Picture: Etsuo Hara/Getty Images)

As reported by Variety, she wrote: ‘Nearly 100 frank opinions every day. I couldn’t deny that I was hurt. I’m dead. Thank you for giving me a mother. It was a life I wanted to be loved.

‘Thank you to everyone who supported me. I love it. I’m weak, I’m sorry. I don’t want to be a human anymore. It was a life I wanted to be loved. Thank you, everyone. I love you. Bye.’

Hana also alluded to self-harm in a number of tweets.

The wrestler – whose mother was also in the industry – made her debut under the Wrestle-1 banner in 2016 and won her first title, the JWP Junior Championship, the same year.

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In 2019, she left the promotion to join Stardom, where she became the leader of the Tokyo Cyber Squad faction.

During her time with the company, she won the Artist of Stardom championship twice, and also captured the Goddess of Stardom championship.

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