Former WWE Women's Champion Asuka set to return after more than year of absence

WWE’s women's division is going to get a massive facelift as Asuka is all set to make her return on next week's WWE RAW.It has been ages since WWE has seen Asuka in the ring, owing to a drastic injury.

She was on the sidelines since suffering a knee injury back in 2024 that needed surgery to heal and intense rehab to follow.

Following her surgery last year, she said that her knees were in pain and she would get into rehab. However, she stayed extremely tight-lipped about when she would come back.

WWE announced Asuka’s return for next week

The return of Asuka was announced in a graphic that was aired during Raw, confirming her participation in a first-round Queen of the Ring match with the message, “Next Monday. Queen of the Ring. The Empress returns.” Later in a video posted on social media by WWE, there was a full-blown clip of Asuka’s in-ring exploits with the caption, “Will they be READY for the RETURN of ASUKA?!”As reported by Cory Hays of BodySlam, and advertised in the video by WWE, The Empress of Tomorrow will be a part of a fatal-four way match-up where she would be locking horns against former WWE NXT Women’s Champion, Stephanie Vaquer, one half of Women’s Tag Team champion, Raquel Rodriguez and Ivy Nile.The winner of this battle will go on to face the winner of WWE SmackDown’s four-way battle between Charlotte Flair, Alexa Bliss, Chelsea Green, and Candice LeRae. The tournament’s finals will be held at the Night of Champions in Saudi Arabia, scheduled to take place later this month.

Asuka’s last match-up for WWE was alongside Kairi Sane back in May 2024, where they dropped the tag-team titles to Jade Cargill and Bianca Belair.

Asuka’s tale in the WWE ring has been one of inspiration and dreams coming true. She started her career as a freelance graphic designer and video game journalist before she came to WWE in 2015. Debuting in NXT in 2015, she was quick to establish her dominance and also win the NXT championship shortly thereafter.It was in 2017 that Asuka got her promotion to the main roster, and the world witnessed her hard-hitting brand of wrestling brilliance.

Asuka’s triumph in the maiden edition of the women’s Royal Rumble was followed by her success in the SmackDown Women’s Championship, WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship, and Raw Women’s Championship.

Asuka has always been well-known for her agility in the ring, and now her return can serve as a massive booster for the WWE women’s roster. The Women’s roster has already been sparkling with the likes of Rhea Ripley, Raquel Rodriguez, Liv Morgan, and so many other superstars. Asuka’s comeback might just be another feather in what is already a glistening chapter.Also read: 5 WWE Nikki Bella matches after return announced for RAW