Update On Asuka's WWE Absence

WWE star Asuka has been out of action since May 2024, and a recent update has shed light on her current situation and when she could return.

"Fightful Select" reports that WWE sources have informed them that the Japanese star is still out of action due to injury and that there's no timeline for her return. The report further added that WWE had some ideas for her, news of which came out as early as January, but sources backstage were surprised that creative plans were being prepared for her at this stage. The report claims that WWE knew that Asuka would miss the entirety of 2024 as well as WrestleMania 41 earlier this year, and that they didn't believe that she would return before "The Show of Shows."

The former WWE Women's Champion suffered a knee injury last year, forcing her to undergo surgery and putting her on the shelf for over a year. Earlier reports claimed that WWE had plans for her to be in a tag team when she returns to the promotion. Prior to her injury, Asuka was in a tag team alongside compatriot Kairi Sane — who herself recently returned from injury — and featured as a tag team star for the majority of 2024. The Japanese star's last match in WWE was at Backlash in May 2024, where she and Sane lost the WWE Women's Tag Team titles to Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill.

Asuka's future is firmly in WWE as she reportedly signed a new long-term deal with the promotion last September, extending her 10-year run with WWE by a few more years.