The WWE Universe is currently buzzing over Asuka and what officials have in store for the veteran Superstar. With a major milestone on the horizon, Asuka has suddenly found herself in an ideal spot for another championship reign.
WWE’s Creative Writing Team was forced to pivot once again this week after Naomi was pulled from her RAW match against IYO SKY. Details are still limited, but the 37-year-old champion is said to be legitimately injured, and could be out for a long time. Naomi cashed in Money In the Bank at WWE Evolution on July 13 to dethrone SKY of the Women’s World Championship, and made her first title defense at SummerSlam last weekend, retaining over the former champion and Rhea Ripley.
RAW was to mark Naomi’s second title defense. However, SKY was defeated by Roxanne Perez instead, amid tension with Asuka and Kairi Sane after their interference back-fired. Asuka returned from a lengthy injury hiatus in mid-June after months of speculation on the future of Damage CTRL, which picked up when Dakota Kai was released in May, while Asuka and Sane were both on the shelf.
Damage CTRL was officially disbanded in the weeks following Asuka’s return, but things have lingered with SKY and The Kabuki Warriors. The situation boiled over backstage on this week’s RAW following IYO’s chaotic loss to Perez as Asuka shoved her former stablemate, then walked off as a stunned Sane looked at SKY. Kairi then walked out as Michael Cole declared the situation to be a mess.
The Empress of Tomorrow is facing a potential match with The Pirate Princess against The Genius of The Sky and a surprising ally: Rhea Ripley. Despite the obstacle, sources indicate Asuka is headed back to the championship chase, and she has a major milestone coming up.
Asuka Set For Heel Turn And Push On WWE RAW
Asuka first appeared for WWE on August 22, 2015 at NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn. Her signing was then announced at a press conference on September 8 in Tokyo, and her NXT TV debut came during the September 23 episode.
Depending on how you look at it, Friday, August 22 or Monday, September 8 will mark 10 years since the Japanese legend made her first WWE appearance, and Tuesday, September 23 will mark one decade since her TV debut. It will be interesting to see how WWE acknowledges the anniversary on TV, if at all.
The Empress of Tomorrow is set to turn heel as she celebrates 10 years with WWE. PWInsider reports that original plans called for Asuka to be featured in a slow-burn type of heel turn over the next several weeks, but things are changing due to Naomi’s injury.
The RAW angle with Asuka, IYO SKY, and Kairi Sane was bumped up to this week due to Naomi not being cleared to compete. It’s not clear when the full-fledged heel turn will take place, but a championship reign is rumored for the history-making former NXT Champion, which is why SKY was seemingly written out of the title chase with the loss to Roxanne Perez this past Monday.