Following her match at WWE Backlash against IYO SKY and the developments that followed immediately thereafter, the status of multi-time Women's Champion Asuka has been a developing story over the last couple of days.
Initially, it was reported by Dave Meltzer of f4wonline.com that the backstage feeling was that Asuka was "semi-retired" but then later reports emerged that indicated that the Japanese standout just signed a new contract in 2024 that is believed to be five years in length and that she was not retired in any sense but was taking some time of for personal reasons.
In a new update, PWInsider Elite reports that several sources within WWE have indicated that Asuka remains "aligned with the company" and that one story making the rounds is that she is headed back to Japan for an "extended period" to handle a family matter.
That matter was not disclosed as it cannot be confirmed, however, what can be confirmed is that Asuka has not yet left for Japan and is in fact, in Knoxville, TN - the site for tonight's WWE Raw. It remains to be seen though if WWE creative has her penciled in for an on-camera role on the episode.
