Asuka Breaks Silence on Hard-Fought WWE Return After Year-Long Absence

Asuka is officially back—and after nearly a year away from WWE, she’s letting fans know just how hard the road to recovery really was.

The former women’s champion made her long-awaited return in June 2025 as part of the Queen of the Ring tournament. After advancing to the finals, Asuka took to her YouTube channel, KanaChanTV, to share an emotional message with fans about her comeback.

“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. 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.”

Asuka admitted the year away from WWE wasn’t easy—physically or mentally—and revealed there were moments she struggled to stay motivated.

“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!”

The Queen of the Ring final is set to take place at WWE Night of Champions on June 28th in Saudi Arabia. On the June 23rd episode of Monday Night Raw, Roxanne Perez and Jade Cargill will battle to see who gets the shot at Asuka in the finals.

Asuka made it clear her return isn’t the end of the story—it’s only the beginning.

“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.”

Asuka’s comeback story is far from over—but one thing’s for sure, she’s got the fight and the fan support to keep pushing forward. With the Queen of the Ring crown in sight, the only question now is whether anyone can stop her. What do you think—does Asuka finish her return story with gold, or does someone else steal the spotlight? Sound off in the comments and let us know.