Tag: Asuka

Backstage Update: Naomi’s Absence Forces WWE to Fast-Track Asuka Heel Turn on Raw

WWE had to pull a last-minute audible on this week’s Monday Night Raw after Women’s World Champion Naomi was unexpectedly ruled out of her scheduled title defense against IYO SKY. The company announced just hours before the show that Naomi wasn’t medically cleared to compete, though no reason has been publicly revealed for her absence.

The change didn’t just affect that night’s lineup — it also reshaped a major storyline. According to PWInsider Elite, WWE had been building toward a slow-burn heel turn for Asuka against her Damage CTRL partner SKY. That confrontation was originally planned to happen further down the road, but with Naomi out, WWE decided to move up the split. Fans saw the seeds planted after SKY’s loss to Roxanne Perez, when Asuka walked out on her partner in frustration.

Interestingly, the Perez vs. SKY match itself wasn’t the original plan either. WWE reportedly considered booking Perez and Raquel Rodriguez against SKY and Rhea Ripley in tag action. It’s unclear why the singles match was chosen instead, or whether Asuka’s heel turn would’ve still happened in a tag scenario.

The accelerated breakup angle could hint that Naomi will be out of action for at least a short while longer. She is, however, scheduled to appear alongside her husband, Jimmy Uso, on Stephanie McMahon’s What’s Your Story? podcast this Thursday. That appearance might provide some answers about her status — and the fate of the Women’s World Championship picture.

Asuka Returning from Injury for WWE Queen of the Ring 2025 Tournament

After nearly a year away from in-ring action, “The Empress of Tomorrow” is finally back.

WWE has confirmed that Asuka will make her long-anticipated return as part of the 2025 Queen of the Ring tournament. The former Women’s Champion, who has been sidelined since May 2024 due to a knee injury that required surgery, is set to compete in a high-stakes fatal four-way match in the opening round of the tournament next week.

Asuka’s return was quietly revealed during WWE’s announcement of the tournament bracket, a subtle but powerful nod to her looming presence in the women’s division.

She’ll face a tough challenge right out of the gate. Her first-round matchup will include rising star Ivy Nile, current Women’s Tag Team Champion Raquel Rodriguez, and red-hot newcomer to WWE Raw—and former NXT Women’s Champion—Stephanie Vaquer. The winner will advance to the semifinals to face whoever emerges victorious from a SmackDown four-way between Charlotte Flair, Alexa Bliss, Chelsea Green, and Candice LeRae.

The tournament will culminate at Night of Champions in Saudi Arabia later this month, with the Queen of the Ring winner earning a championship opportunity at SummerSlam.

Asuka’s last WWE appearance came in May 2024, when she and Kairi Sane dropped the Women’s Tag Team Titles to the powerhouse duo of Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill. Following the loss, Asuka underwent surgery for a knee injury and has been off WWE programming ever since.

Her return now not only reignites her own career, but adds serious star power and unpredictability to this year’s Queen of the Ring bracket. If Asuka can shake off the ring rust quickly, she could easily be a top contender to claim the crown and punch her ticket to a title match at WWE’s biggest party of the summer.

Asuka Issues Firm Warning to Fans, WWE & TKO Taking Action To Protect Her

WWE Superstar Asuka is making it clear—she wants no romantic advances from fans.

Earlier this week, the former Women’s Champion took to Twitter (X) with a direct message, urging fans to stop developing romantic feelings for her, calling it “100% pointless.”

She also revealed that she has been feeling unsafe lately and has already consulted the police regarding the matter. Asuka expressed concern that, if this continues, she may feel threatened even when approached by fans in public settings like airports or city streets, making her hesitant to interact.

Her statement was unambiguous:

“I absolutely reject any romantic or personal approaches toward me. There is absolutely no possibility for others to interfere in my private life.”

WWE and TKO Step In

Following her initial post, Asuka provided an update on Friday, informing fans that WWE and TKO Group Holdings are taking action to protect her. While she didn’t specify the exact measures being implemented, it’s clear that the company is treating the situation seriously.

Fan Behavior Crosses the Line

Unfortunately, Asuka is not the first WWE Superstar to deal with overzealous or inappropriate fan behavior. Alexa Bliss, Sonya Deville, and Rhea Ripley have all had publicized incidents involving stalkers or obsessive fans in recent years. While most fans are respectful, cases like this highlight the darker side of fan interactions, reinforcing the importance of boundaries and personal safety for performers.

A Reminder to Respect Boundaries

Asuka’s message serves as a reminder that wrestlers are entertainers—not romantic interests for their fans. While social media and meet-and-greets allow for more interaction than ever, there’s a fine line between admiration and invasion of privacy.

WWE has yet to comment publicly on the situation, but with TKO stepping in, it’s clear they are taking Asuka’s concerns seriously. Hopefully, these measures will ensure her safety and peace of mind moving forward.

Asuka Reportedly Injured During Latest SmackDown

It hasn’t always been the smoothest road to WrestleMania 40, with plans involving The Rock, Cody Rhodes, and Roman Reigns changing a few times, while an injury to CM Punk also led to an audible regarding the WWE World Heavyweight Championship match. Now, another injury has emerged to potentially throw a monkey wrench into WWE’s plans for the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships.

PWInsider reports that Asuka, one-half of the Women’s Tag Champions with Kairi Sane, suffered an injury to her knee on “SmackDown” this past Friday night. The news will not come as a huge shock to viewers, as Asuka could be seen limping during the closing angle of “SmackDown,” where she, Kairi, Dakota Kai, and WWE Women’s Champion IYO SKY attacked Bayley following the latter’s match against Kai.

Asuka was subsequently pulled off the road this weekend, as a precaution, and is expected to undergo medical tests to determine the severity of the injury. At this time, it remains to be seen whether Asuka will be able to wrestle through the injury, or if she will be forced to take significant time off. It would be Asuka’s second notable injury in three years, after she was forced to miss 9 months of action from July 2021 to April 2022 due to an arm injury.

While no match had been announced for Asuka and Kairi at WrestleMania, it was expected that the duo would put their titles on the line on either Night One or Night Two of the event. Should Asuka be forced to miss significant time, she would become the second WWE women’s star forced off of Mania this year due to injury, joining Charlotte Flair, who suffered an injury wrestling Asuka back in December and is expected to be out till later this year.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

John Cena, Cody Rhodes, Paul Heyman And Asuka Set For Next Week’s NXT

No fewer than four huge names on the WWE main roster will be headed to “WWE NXT” next Tuesday as the show goes head-to-head against “AEW Dynamite.” In addition to Asuka, who will be wrestling Roxanne Perez on the show, John Cena, Cody Rhodes, and Paul Heyman will all be appearing in what has to be considered the most star-studded “NXT” event of all time.

Cena will be in former “NXT” Champion Carmelo Hayes’ corner when he faces Bron Breakker, who, as it turnes out, will have Heyman in his corner. Cena is currently involved in a feud with the Bloodline and will face Solo Sikoa and Jimmy Uso in tag team action alongside LA Knight at the Fastlane premium live event on Saturday. As for Rhodes, he’s set to make “a major announcement,” but what exactly Cody wants to talk about has not been revealed.

“NXT” will go up against “Dynamite” on AEW President Tony Khan’s birthday, on what Khan is calling “Title Tuesday.” Only one match has been announced for the show so far, but it’s a big one: Adam Copeland, formerly known as Edge in WWE, will be making his in-ring AEW debut on the Tuesday edition of “Dynamite” against Luchasaurus. WWE’s recent strategy of infusing “NXT” broadcasts with main roster talent like Dominik Mysterio and Becky Lynch has paid off in ratings numbers that rival the ones “Dynamite” gets on Wednesdays; as a result, these announcements can safely be read as an attempt by WWE not only to counter-program “Title Tuesday” (and Copeland’s debut) but to beat “Dynamite” in the ratings for the first time since the heyday of the “Wednesday Night War.”

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Asuka Receives New WWE Women’s Championship On SmackDown, Charlotte Flair Returns And Challenges Asuka

On Friday’s episode of “WWE SmackDown,” general manager Adam Pearce presented Asuka with a brand new WWE Women’s Championship belt, replacing the “Raw” Women’s Championship she won from Bianca Belair at Night of Champions

Before Pearce could even buckle the belt around Asuka’s waist, she was confronted by a returning Charlotte Flair, who informed Pearce that she had no intention of waiting in line for a title shot and challenged Asuka to a championship match, which was immediately accepted. The appearance marked Flair’s return to WWE programming after a two-month hiatus; she was last seen losing the “SmackDown” Women’s Championship to Rhea Ripley at WrestleMania 39.

Asuka’s acceptance of Flair’s challenge potentially sets up the fourth televised championship singles match between the two women, with Flair currently holding a 2-1 advantage (there have been 11 total singles match between them, six won by Flair, five by Asuka). It also puts Pearce in a bind, as earlier in the broadcast, he had promised Belair a rematch for the title. While Pearce mentioned in a backstage segment that Asuka vs. Charlotte could occur the night on the June 30 “SmackDown,” the night before Money in the Bank, it’s also possible WWE is ultimately setting up a triple threat involving Belair.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Asuka Reportedly Dealing With A Concussion

RAW Women’s Champion Asuka is still out of action because she’s reportedly dealing with a concussion.

Asuka lost a tooth in taking the stiff kick to the mouth from WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion Shayna Baszler during the February 22 RAW show, but she also suffered a concussion during that spot, according to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.

There’s no word on when Asuka might be medically cleared to compete, and there’s still enough time that she might be able to work WrestleMania 37, but that is not a given.

WWE has plans for Charlotte Flair to challenge for the RAW Women’s Title at WrestleMania, but that will depend on Asuka’s health. This is the second time that Flair’s WrestleMania 37 match has been put in jeopardy as they originally had her scheduled to feud with Lacey Evans, but Evans is now pregnant.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Becky Lynch Is Pregnant, Relinquishes Raw Women’s Title To Asuka

The Man is set to become a Mom.

Becky Lynch relinquished the RAW Women’s Championship to Asuka, winner of Sunday’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match.

Lynch made the announcement at the beginning of Raw tonight and began by talking about her time throughout the company, as well as what the fans have meant to her. Becky then said she had to go away for awhile, but was interrupted by Asuka.

When Asuka came to the ring, she learned the Money in the Bank match wasn’t just for a title opportunity … it was for the Raw Women’s title. Becky opened the briefcase to reveal the title inside. Asuka celebrated with her belt and danced around the ring.

Becky told Asuka to go be a warrior and she will go be a mother.

 

Becky won the Raw Women’s title at WrestleMania 35 after defeating Ronda Rousey and Charlotte Flair in the main event of the show. She then held the belt through WrestleMania 36 and defended her title successfully against Shayna Baszler. Becky’s reign lasted 399 days.

Lynch and Seth Rollins announced their engagement in August of last year.

In a subsequent interview with People.com, Becky says she learned she was pregnant in April and that the baby is due in December.

Lynch also said she won’t be making a decision regarding her in-ring future yet. “It’s just such a joyous time and then such a sad time too. I loved this and I’ve given my life to this. I’ve achieved everything that I want to achieve in this business,” she explained.

“I don’t know what the next chapter is because I only know what it’s like to think for myself when I’m by myself,” the WWE star continued. “So I don’t know what it’ll look like and how my priorities shift and what I’m going to want in the future. So, everything’s open.”

 

Watch her announcement below.

https://streamable.com/s3f68n

WWE Superstar Asuka Posts On Social Media About Escaping The Fashion Show Mall Shooting

The Las Vegas Metro Police are investigating a shooting that happened last night at the Fashion Show Mall, according to 8 News NOW. There are reportedly three people injured.

WWE star Asuka was at the venue at the time of the shooting. She tweeted about the situation, updating fans that she escaped and noted that it was a GUESS store that protected her.

“I just escaped,” Asuka wrote on Twitter. “There was a scream in front of me at #FashionShowMall. It was like shooting. #GUESS near the shooting range protected me.”

https://twitter.com/WWEAsuka/status/1219821812378488832

https://twitter.com/SMAlvaranga/status/1219823505195192320

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Paige On WWE Creative Frustration With The Kabuki Warriors, Recent Vince McMahon Interaction

Paige recently spoke with The Sun to promote the DVD release of WWE Studios’ “Fighting with My Family” movie and was asked about Vince McMahon’s reaction to the film.

“I don’t know what Vince’s reaction to it was. But if you get a big hug from Vince McMahon you’re doing well. I saw him last week and he gave me a big hug and said, ‘I’m very happy for you.’ I don’t know it that’s about the movie or the fact that I’m healthy. I think he probably liked it if he did watch it,” Paige said.

Paige also spoke about being the manager for The Kabuki Warriors, Asuka and Kairi Sane. Paige is convinced the team can be a game changer for the WWE women’s tag team division, if they can get the TV time. She talked about being frustrated over how the team has been used.

“If we don’t get used I get really frustrated because we’re a good tag team and we need to be utilised. Sometimes the writers have so much on their plate with everyone else’s storylines, they put things on the backburner. I have to remind them, ‘Ok, but there is a women’s tag team title… I’m like, ‘What the hell dudes? Let’s make something happen.’

“It frustrates me but once you actually get to speak with Vince and Hunter about your problems and frustrations, they’re always the first to say, ‘Let’s change this.’ If you go up to writers it’s like talking to a brick wall sometimes, whereas if you go to Vince and Hunter they’re like, ‘If you have a problem we can change that for you.’ The Kabuki Warriors can be a force to be reckoned with and that was the plan from the beginning… After the match in Tokyo hopefully we’ll get to build towards a pay-per-view, which gives the girls something to look forward to. So I’m happy we have a boss that really listens to us.”

As noted, Sane and Asuka became the new #1 contenders to WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions The IIconics by winning a non-title match in Tokyo this past week. There’s no word yet on when they will get their title shot.

Regarding her WWE future, Paige said she wouldn’t be interested in a role on the creative team, but she does see herself staying with WWE in some capacity, and she’s interested in pursuing acting.

“One way or another I’ll always be a part of WWE, whether it’s in front of the camera or behind the camera. I’d love to do a GM role again. I felt like I really found myself in that role. It really pushed me,” she said. “Also, I love acting, I truly really love it. Obviously wrestling always will be my first passion but unfortunately I can’t do that anymore.”

Source: Wrestling Inc.