Asuka Breaks Silence on 'Difficult' Injury Recovery
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
On May 6, 2024, fan-favorite WWE Superstar Asuka revealed that she had suffered a knee injury and would be taking a hiatus from in-ring action.
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Over a year later, the Empress of Tomorrow finally made her WWE television return on June 16, 2025, in a Queen of the Ring qualifying match.
Asuka would go on to defeat Alexa Bliss in the semi-finals, earning herself a match against either Jade Cargill or Roxanne Perez.
Needless to say, fans are happy to have Asuka back on WWE television. And after a long and difficult experience, it looks like Asuka is happy to be back, too.
HOUSTON, TEXAS - MARCH 11: Asuka reacts during WWE Monday Night RAW at Toyota Center on March 11, 2024 in Houston, Texas.
HOUSTON, TEXAS - MARCH 11: Asuka reacts during WWE Monday Night RAW at Toyota Center on March 11, 2024 in Houston, Texas.
Alex BierensRecently, Asuka took to her YouTube channel to thank her fans and speak about the emotional difficulties in recovering from serious injury, especially when it keeps you from doing what you love.
"Hey... welcome to KanaChanTV, and so, we've been filming a video in a hurry. This is just a quick video, and I really want to say this: I'm back! I finally made my return to the ring," Asuka said, per Andrew Thompson of Fightful. "So, thank you so much for all your support, your kind messages, and your love.
"It means more than I can say. It really was a great help to me. I can't even put it into words. Thank you so much for all your messages and support. Being away for almost a year, it wasn't easy. This was by no means easy. It was really hard.
"Well, I'd been away from the ring for almost a year, and it really wasn't easy, and to be honest, there was some tough days, but I managed to get through it... But your voice kept me going, really. Well, everyone's voices were there, so yeah... I guess you could say it never stopped. I guess the point is that I didn't stop.
"Now, I'm here again! My match was always intense. Physically and mentally, it has been pushed to the limit. I really do feel like I was on the edge, both mentally and physically. I was able to win the comeback. I would like to talk about this, but this is just the beginning..."
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One of the most dedicated female wrestlers in the history of the business, Asuka began wrestling in 2004, eventually appearing for companies like Reina Joshi Puroresu, Smash, and Pro Wrestling Wave.
In 2015, Asuka made her WWE debut as a member of NXT, quickly defeating Bayley for the NXT Women's Championship. She would hold the title for a record-breaking 522 days before vacating it due to injury.
Asuka was brought up to the main roster in 2017, where she continued an undefeated streak that lasted longer than Goldberg's in WCW.
Since then, Asuka has remained one of the most prominent and beloved wrestlers on the roster.
In WWE, Asuka has won the WWE Women's Championship three times, the WWE Women's SmackDown Championship, the NXT Women's Championship, and the WWE Women's Tag Team Championship four times.
Asuka won the first-ever Women's Royal Rumble in 2018 as well as Women's Money in the Bank in 2020.
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For more WWE and professional wrestling news, head on over to Newsweek Sports.
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