WRESTLING NEWS
Facts About Asuka Only Hardcore Fans Know
By ERICA BANAS
A Brief Retirement
After debuting as Kana in the AtoZ Tokyo promotion in 2004, Asuka announced in 2006 that she was retiring due to her chronic nephritis condition. While there is no cure for chronic nephritis, Asuka treated and managed the condition to the point where she could return to wrestling in 2007.
A Graphic Designer
Before ever setting foot in a ring, Asuka attended and graduated from Osaka University of Arts Junior College where she studied graphic design. When she briefly retired from wrestling, Asuka founded and ran her graphic design office, and did character design for some Nintendo DS titles and Xbox 360 games.
She’s A Mom
A little-known fact about Asuka’s private life is that she’s a mother, although it’s unknown how many children she has. On May 11, 2020, Becky Lynch gave her Raw Women’s Championship to the MITB winner Asuka and said, “It's not really advertised [but Asuka is] a working mom.”
Her Gaming Experience
Asuka owns around 3,000 video games and well over two dozen consoles. On her YouTube channel, KanaChanTV, she plays several games and uploads wacky videos of herself where she is seen cooking or shopping for manga.
A Crossover Character
Asuka has appeared in two non-WWE video games as a crossover character. In 2017, she featured in Ubisoft’s fighting game “Brawlhalla” as one of the eight WWE superstars. The second non-WWE game to feature Asuka was 2020's “Fall Guys,” a battle royal game from Mediatonic.