Backstage News On Asuka's Status For Tonight's WWE Raw And Beyond

After what felt like a "goodbye" to WWE fans following her loss to IYO SKY at WWE Backlash, more information about the status of Asuka has been revealed. After a report that many in the locker room were unsure what was happening with the "Empress of Tomorrow," Fightful Select issued a new update ahead of "WWE Raw" on Monday.

According to the outlet, Asuka is planned for "Raw" tonight in Knoxville, Tennessee, but she will be taking some time off. Fightful reported that her time off is not related to the recent cuts, that included her Kabuki Warriors tag team partner Kairi Sane mid-storyline, but has been planned for a while. 

An earlier report in the day by PWInsiderElite indicated that a story going around in WWE is that Asuka could be returning to Japan to handle a family matter for an extended period, but the outlet noted that information had not been confirmed, and said that Asuka is backstage in Knoxville. PWIE had been told by several sources that the belief is Asuka will remain aligned with WWE.

Fightful confirmed that Asuka signed a long-term contract with WWE in 2024, but the duration of the deal is not known. In addition to those in the locker room who were unsure of what was going on, many of whom posted tributes to Asuka on social media following Backlash, a number of people involved in creative were also reportedly uncertain earlier on Monday.

Dave Meltzer indicated that Asuka is now semi-retired, and those Fightful spoke to said that they believed Backlash was not Asuka's final match. While fans have been vocally frustrated with the release of Sane, both online and in-person, with "We Want Kairi" chants in the Tampa crowd, it was reportedly not known if Asuka shared those frustrations.