This past Saturday at the 2026 WWE Backlash premium live event, WWE legend Asuka faced IYO SKY in a singles match. Following the match, Asuka appeared to bid farewell by hugging SKY and waving to the fans as she exited. Reports indicate that Asuka is considered “semi-retired.”
According to Bodyslam.net's reporter, Viper, they were informed on Saturday that Asuka is “out indefinitely” due to personal reasons, though there will be no further disclosures about these reasons. Viper also noted that contrary to what Dave Meltzer suggested regarding Asuka’s retirement status, that is not the case.
Fightful Select added that everyone they have spoken to believes Asuka has not yet had her final match. The report emphasized that the sentiment among the talent and staff is “unanimous” in recognizing her popularity. Additionally, a high-ranking official in the company expressed that WWE is pleased with Asuka, highlighting that her performance over the past year has been “always reliable, no matter what challenges arose.”
Asuka signed a long-term deal with WWE in 2024, although the specifics of its duration are unclear. Most contracts at that time were typically for five years. The report also mentioned that while there was uncertainty among many in the locker room regarding the situation, several farewells were exchanged in person, along with tributes on social media.
Multiple sources indicated that there was considerable frustration regarding Kairi Sane’s release, although it was not confirmed if Asuka was among those who expressed such frustrations. A particular point of contention backstage involved the amount of TV time devoted to the storyline between Asuka and Sane, without adequately addressing Sane's role in the arc.
