Will Asuka Return To WWE?

Asuka has been out of WWE action for a while now. Will she return?

Introduction

Asuka is one of the most popular WWE Superstars. She is a former NXT Women’s Champion and a two-time Raw Women’s Champion. However, she has been out of action for almost a year now due to injury.

There have been rumors that Asuka may return to WWE soon. However, there is no confirmation from WWE or Asuka herself.

Asuka is contracted to WWE until April 2021.

Asuka’s Time in WWE

Asuka has been a dominant force in WWE ever since she made her debut in 2015. She is a two-time WWE Women’s Champion and was the first-ever Women’s Royal Rumble winner. She is set to face Becky Lynch at WrestleMania 35. However, there is a rumor circulating that Asuka will not be renewing her contract with WWE. Let’s take a look at this rumor and see if there is any credence to it.

NXT

The Empress of Tomorrow made her WWE debut in 2015, as part of NXT. Asuka quickly became one of the most dominant forces in the NXT women’s division, going undefeated for 501 days and defeating the likes of Ember Moon, Bayley, and Charlotte Flair.

She captured the NXT Women’s Championship at TakeOver: Brooklyn III in August 2017, before relinquishing the title due to injury in April 2018. Asuka made her return to NXT television in September 2018.

Asuka has had multiple title reigns in WWE, including one as WWE Raw Women’s Champion and one as WWE SmackDown Women’s Champion.

Main Roster

Asuka made her WWE main roster debut in October 2017, and quickly became one of the most dominant performers in the company. She held the WWE Raw Women’s Championship for nearly a year, and was considered one of the top stars on the red brand.

However, Asuka’s time on the main roster was not without its challenges. She suffered a number of high-profile losses, including to Charlotte Flair at WrestleMania 34. Asuka also struggled to find her place on WWE television, often appearing as a background player in longer storylines.

In April 2019, Asuka was drafted to the WWE SmackDown brand as part of the Superstar Shake-up. She won the SmackDown Women’s Championship less than a month later, becoming the first woman to hold both titles. Asuka would go on to hold the title for over five months, before losing it to Naomi at WrestleKingdom 14 in January 2020.

Asuka’s contract with WWE expired in mid-2020, and she has not been seen on WWE television since then. There have been rumors that she may return to the company at some point, but nothing has been confirmed as of yet.

Why Asuka May Return

Over the past few years, Asuka has become one of the most popular WWE superstars. She is a two-time WWE SmackDown Women’s Champion and a former NXT Women’s Champion. Asuka is also a Royal Rumble winner. However, she has not been seen on WWE television since early 2019. There have been rumors that she may return to WWE soon. Let’s take a look at some of the reasons why Asuka may return to WWE.

Injuries

Asuka’s recent string of injuries may be the reason why we haven’t seen her on WWE television as of late.

The 32 year old superstar has been out of action since early June, first suffering a broken collarbone at a live event. Asuka would then undergo successful surgery to repair the injury, but it was discovered that she also had a cyst on her brain, which needed to be removed.

Asuka would briefly return to action in late July, but she was quickly sidelined again with what was reported to be an injured jaw.

While there has been no official word from WWE on Asuka’s status, Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter has stated that Asuka is still not cleared to compete and her return date is unknown.

Lack of Competition

Asuka has been out of action for a few months now, and there is no clear indication of when she will return. The reason for this is largely due to the lack of competition for her on the WWE roster.

Asuka is currently the WWE Women’s Champion, but there are only a handful of women on the roster who could realistically challenge for her title. The likes of Charlotte Flair, Becky Lynch, and Alexa Bliss have all held the title in the past, but they are all busy with other storylines at the moment.

This leaves Asuka in a bit of a predicament, as she has no one to feud with at the moment. It is possible that WWE will bring in some new talent to help freshen up the women’s division, but it is also possible that Asuka will be moved to a different brand such as RAW or SmackDown in order to find new opponents.

Only time will tell what WWE has planned for Asuka, but it is clear that they are in no rush to bring her back.

Why Asuka May Not Return

Asuka has not been seen in WWE since she lost the Raw Women’s Championship at WrestleMania 35. There are a number of reasons why Asuka may not return to WWE. Let’s take a look at a few of them.

WWE’s Treatment of Women

Asuka’s time in WWE has been nothing short of incredible. She is a two-time SmackDown Women’s Champion, a former NXT Women’s Champion, and was the first-ever Women’s Royal Rumble winner. In addition to her in-ring accomplishments, Asuka has also helped pave the way for a new generation of Japanese female Superstars in WWE.

However, despite all her success, there is growing speculation that Asuka may not return to WWE when her contract expires. The main reason for this is WWE’s treatment of women, both on-screen and behind the scenes.

It was recently reported that Asuka was one of several women who were not happy with WWE’s decision to move the women’s division to Friday nights on SmackDown. This is just the latest example of WWE seemingly de-emphasizing the women’s division, and it’s something that Asuka has been vocal about in the past.

Asuka is also reportedly upset with how she has been used on television as of late. She was recently involved in a losing effort to Bayley at WrestleMania 36, and she hasn’t had a singles match on television since early April.

With her contract set to expire soon, it appears that WWE may have botched their relationship with one of their top female Superstars. Only time will tell if Asuka decides to renew her contract or if she decides to leave WWE for greener pastures.

Better Opportunities Elsewhere

Asuka is currently signed to WWE until August 2021. Her current contract status has led to speculation about her future in WWE, as well as whether or not she may return to Japan when her contract expires.

Asuka is one of the most popular Superstars in WWE, and her popularity has only grown since she made her main roster debut in 2018. She is a former NXT Women’s Champion and the first-ever women’s Royal Rumble winner. She has also held the WWE Raw Women’s Championship and is a two-time SmackDown Women’s Champion.

While Asuka is currently signed to WWE, her contract is set to expire in August 2021. This has led to speculation that she may not renew her contract with WWE and instead return to Japan.

There are several reasons why Asuka may not renew her contract with WWE when it expires. Firstly, Asuka is from Japan and she may prefer to return to her home country when her contract expires. Secondly, Asuka could have better opportunities elsewhere if she does not renew her contract with WWE.

Asuka is a very popular Superstar, and there is no doubt that she would be successful if she decided to return to Japan or pursue other opportunities outside of WWE. Only time will tell what Asuka decides to do when her contract expires, but it would not be surprising if she did not renew it with WWE.

Conclusion

As of right now, it is unknown when – or even if – Asuka will return to WWE. She is still advertised for live events taking place in June, so it’s possible that she will make her way back to the ring before then. However, with her recent string of injuries and the fact that she has yet to sign a new contract with WWE, it’s also possible that we have seen the last of Asuka in a WWE ring. Only time will tell.