Asuka has broken her silence on her WWE future, confirming in a YouTube video on her KanaChanTV channel that she is dealing with a personal matter in Japan and will be back.
Speaking in Japanese — translated via auto-translate — Asuka addressed the speculation head-on.
“It’s already been about two weeks since my last match at Backlash. I know there are a ton of rumors flying around out there. People asking, ‘Are we ever going to see Asuka wrestle again? Is she going back to Japan? Is she leaving WWE?’ The truth is, it was a personal matter. I reached out to WWE and we talked it through. But let’s be clear — as you all know from watching my matches, I can still go. I am still at the top of my game.”
She reflected on how her constant presence over more than a decade may have led fans to take her for granted, and said appearances will be rarer going forward.
“I’ve been with WWE for over 10 years now, almost like it was just a given. And because it became such a part of your daily routine, I think my presence there just became something everyone took for granted. But remember — nothing lasts forever. Everything is finite. So there’s a chance I might just pop up in front of you when you least expect it.”
Asuka has been with WWE since 2015. Her last match was a loss to Iyo Sky at WWE Backlash on May 9, after which she embraced Sky in the ring, waved to the crowd and left the arena with her luggage on the following Raw. WWE sources had described her status internally as “semi-retired,” and the Wrestling Observer reported she signed a long-term deal in the summer of 2024 that could run until 2029.
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