Asuka May Be Semi-Retired Following WWE Backlash Moment

Asuka’s moment at WWE Backlash may have been much bigger than fans originally realized.

Following her loss to IYO SKY at Backlash, Asuka embraced her former student in the ring while the Tampa crowd loudly showed support for “The Empress of Tomorrow.” The emotional scene immediately sparked speculation online about whether fans had just witnessed Asuka’s final major WWE appearance.

Now, according to Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio, people backstage in WWE were treating the moment like a goodbye as well. Meltzer admitted he still doesn’t know exactly what “semi-retired” means in Asuka’s situation or whether she plans to continue wrestling outside WWE.

“So, the story I heard is that she is semi-retired. I haven’t really gotten an exact meaning of what semi-retired means, but I guess people were wishing her goodbye and things like that backstage.”

“So I don’t know if that means she’s going to Japan and still wrestle. I don’t know if that means she’s going to still do stuff here and there, but I was told semi-retired.”

Bryan Alvarez then reacted emotionally to the news.

“That sucks, I’m going to miss Asuka.”

Later in the show, Meltzer and Alvarez even discussed whether Asuka could have potentially been part of WWE’s recent roster cuts, although neither confirmed that was actually the case.

“I wonder if she was with other people that was cut. I mean, I don’t know.”

Asuka has been part of WWE since 2015 and built one of the most decorated careers in modern women’s wrestling. During her run, she became a multiple-time women’s champion, won the Women’s Royal Rumble, captured Money in the Bank, dominated NXT, and held the Women’s Tag Team Titles several times.

At this point, WWE fans are still waiting for official clarification, but it’s becoming more and more clear that the Backlash moment may have been the start of a major transition in Asuka’s career.

Do you think Asuka should fully retire, or do you want to see her wrestle again either in WWE or Japan? Leave your thoughts and feedback in the comments below.