History was made last night at WWE’s Backlash as Asuka faced Iyo Sky in a 1-on-1 match. What was the history? This was the first time in the promotion’s history that two Japanese wrestler’s had a singles match against each other on a WWE premium live event (PLE). It ended with Iyo Sky coming out the victor, a beautiful and emotional exchange between the two women, and what looked like a passing of the torch from Asuka to Iyo.
Is this the end for Asuka’s career with WWE? Is this just beginning of the end with Asuka being semi-retired? This something that we don’t know right now but it has a lot of people on social media talking. If this either the end or even the beginning of the end, Asuka deserves her praise and her flowers for her love of and dedication to the business.
Asuka debuted in the promotion AtoZ in Japan in June of 2004 where she stayed until she was diagnosed with chronic nephritis in March of 2006 and retired from wrestling. She made her return to wrestling in September of 2007 as a freelance wrestler. She even ran some of her own shows as a promotion in Japan at the time did not like the fact she called out some allegedly predatory activity, which we won’t go into here. While in the promotion NEO Japan Women’s pro wrestling, she regularly tagged with Mio Shirai, Iyo Sky’s sister. In October of 2011, she debuted in the United States for the both Shimmer Women’s Athletes and Chikara. It is her work with Shimmer that is credited with her learning the American style of wrestling.
It was during her time with Chikara that her future WWE co-superstar, Drew Gulak, met her. He has nothing but good things to say about the Empress of Tomorrow:
“I met Asuka when she came in to work for Chikara in 2011. Her and Sara del Rey put on the match of the night in the middle of Tennessee with a missing bottom rope! (The middle one snapped in an earlier match and they swapped it out mid show.) I got to see her again in 2016 when she was with NXT here and there at the performance center when I was touring with the RAW brand and 205 Live. We would often train together at the performance center and I’d get to catch up with her backstage at RAW and SmackDown after she debuted on their main roster.”
He continues by saying: “Asuka represents Japanese Wrestling at its best and constantly shows how their dedication and respect for all aspects of Professional Wrestling sets and raises the bar worldwide. She connects with fans as well as any of the best performers of all time. And she did so with so many challenges by getting a later start than many of her peers in Japan and raising a family and moving overseas and overcoming a language barrier. It’s difficult enough to make it as a wrestler so I am always blown away by the ones who cross cultural barriers to do it. I have many fond memories of getting to spend some time around this absolute legend of a person and no matter what she’s up to next it will be great.”
Drew Gulak and Asuka. *included with permission from Drew Gulak
Before she signed with the WWE in August of 2014, she tagged with none other than Kenny Omega against Masato Tanaka and Hikaru Shida. This match can be easily found online if you want to watch it and I highly suggest you do which is why I am selfishly sneaking it into this article. In September of 2015, it was revealed in a press conference in Toyko that she was the first Japanese female to have signed with the WWE since Bull Nakano in 1994. It is said that she was almost moved to the main roster in March of 2016 but she was thought to be the anchor of the NXT brand and was needed there.
Her joy and love for wrestling was always so apparent whenever she entered the ring. The pride in the presentation of her character to her joyfully dancing in the elevator during the pandemic era corporate ladder match for the Money In The Bank briefcase, her love for this great business. If this is the end or even the beginning of the end of Asuka’s wrestling career as an in ring performer, we should all be so grateful to have witnessed her paving the way for other Japanese women coming to the States and for the joy she has brought to us all.
Domo Arigatogozaimasu, Asuka. We all wish you the best of luck where ever your decision or path takes you. Whether its still wrestling, developing video games, or writing more articles, you will be amazing. Just know how loved and appreciated you are.
Here are her list of accomplishments as a wrestler in WWE:
- 3x WWE Women’s Champion
- 1x WWE Women’s World Champion
- 1x NXT Women’s Champion
- 5x WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion
- 1x Royal Rumble Winner (and FIRST women to win the rumble)
- 1x MITB Winner
- 1x Mixed Match Challenge Winner
- 1x Elimination Chamber Winner
