Asuka Reportedly In Knoxville Ahead Of WWE RAW

Asuka will reportedly be at tonight’s WWE RAW, though some believe she could head back to Japan for a family matter.

Following her loss to IYO SKY at Backlash, Asuka gave her rival an emotional hug and seemed to thank the crowd, leading to speculation over her future. Having been with WWE since 2015, many wondered whether the 44-year-old was hinting towards a move away from the company, or even signalling her retirement from the ring as a whole. With fans left with more questions than answers, Asuka’s status for tonight’s WWE RAW has now been revealed.

According to PWInsider Elite, it’s believed Asuka is in Knoxville ahead of Monday Night RAW, ready to appear if the company wish to use her on the show.

“PWInsiderElite.com has been told by several that she is believed to remain aligned with the company. There was a story making the rounds among some in the company that she was returning to Japan for an extended period to handle a family matter that we will not disclose. At this moment, we cannot confirm that is accurate However, we CAN confirm she is in Knoxville, TN ahead of tonight’s Raw, so she’s there and ready to appear if WWE creative dictates.”

-PWInsider Elite

In the aftermath of Backlash, it emerged via Dave Meltzer that Asuka was believed to be ‘semi-retired’, indicating she’d could be set to wrestle on a more part-time status. However, there wasn’t a clear indication as to what this meant for immediate future.

Following this, Fightful Select’s update revealed that many within the company don’t believe Asuka has had her last match, with the report noting ‘The Empress Of Tomorrow’ had signed a new deal with WWE in 2024. You can read more on that here.

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