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Asuka Is Reportedly ‘Semi-Retired’ After WWE Backlash

ByLewis Lawes-Cole
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Asuka is reportedly ‘semi-retired’ after her match at Backlash.

At last night’s WWE Backlash, IYO SKY defeated Asuka in one of the show’s most anticipated matchups. However, after ‘The Genius of The Sky’ had secured the win, Asuka took time to hug her rival and thank the crowd, prompting viewers to wonder whether ‘The Empress of Tomorrow’ was signalling the end of her time with WWE, or perhaps wrestling as a whole. Now, an update has emerged on Asuka’s status heading out of Backlash.

According to Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio, it’s believed Asuka is now ‘semi-retired’.

“The story I heard is that she (Asuka) is ‘semi-retired’. I haven’t really gotten an exact meaning of what ‘semi-retired’ means. But I guess, people were wishing her goodbye and things like that backstage so… I don’t know if that means she’s going to Japan and still wrestle, I don’t know if that means she’ll do stuff here and there. But I was told ‘semi-retired’.”

-Dave Meltzer

Prior to last night’s Premium Live Event, Asuka shared an Instagram post of herself with Frank Sinatra’s ‘My Way’ playing, adding to the speculation that she could be moving on in some form or another. For now, fans have more questions than answers with regard to what’s next for the 44-year-old, with the situation certainly one to keep an eye on in the coming weeks.

If this is it for Asuka in terms of a full-time WWE career, she can look back on four main roster world titles, one run with the NXT Women’s Championship, and five separate reigns as one-half of WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions. Alongside her gold, the star is also one of the few women to have won both the Royal Rumble and Money in the Bank during her time with the company.

For more WWE news heading out of Backlash, you can click here.

As always, we’ll aim to provide any further updates on Asuka’s WWE status post-Backlash as soon as we hear more.

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