• Asuka lost to IYO SKY at WWE Backlash and shared an emotional post-match embrace that sparked widespread retirement speculation
• Fightful Select confirms Asuka is planned for Monday’s Raw in Knoxville, Tennessee, despite taking time off soon
• Her time off has been planned internally for a while and is not connected to WWE’s recent post-WrestleMania roster cuts
• Asuka signed a long-term WWE deal in the summer of 2024, and sources believe Backlash was not her final match
• Stars including IYO SKY, AJ Styles, Bayley, Charlotte Flair, and Rhea Ripley have all posted tributes following the emotional Backlash moment

Asuka’s WWE future has been the most talked-about topic in wrestling since Saturday night — and now, just hours before Raw, there’s finally something concrete to hold onto.

According to Fightful Select, the Empress of Tomorrow is planned for tonight’s episode of WWE Raw, live from the Food City Center in Knoxville, Tennessee on Netflix. She will be taking some time off, that part is confirmed — but the key detail is that this absence has been in the works internally for a while and has nothing to do with the wave of roster cuts that followed WrestleMania 42, which included the release of her longtime Kabuki Warriors partner Kairi Sane.

PWInsider’s Mike Johnson also reported that Asuka was physically present in Knoxville ahead of the show and ready to appear if WWE creative called for it, adding that she is believed to remain “aligned with the company.” Johnson did note a story making the rounds within some WWE circles that Asuka could be returning to Japan to handle a family matter, but stressed that report had not been confirmed and that her presence in Knoxville complicated that narrative considerably.

What Actually Happened at Backlash

The speculation started Saturday night at WWE Backlash in Tampa, Florida, where Asuka and IYO SKY delivered a match that tore the house down. The two traded submissions, reversed each other’s signature moves, and went nearly twenty minutes in a deeply personal student-versus-teacher showdown that the crowd inside the Benchmark International Arena was completely locked into. SKY ultimately got the win, pinning Asuka with a German suplex and moonsault combination.

What happened next is what set the internet on fire. Rather than simply walking to the back, Asuka embraced SKY in the ring, tears in her eyes, before repeatedly waving to the crowd. She blew a kiss. She rolled out slowly while the fans showered her with appreciation. It felt, unmistakably, like a goodbye.

Big E didn’t help quiet the speculation during the Backlash post-show. “I wonder if this is a goodbye,” he said. “I haven’t really seen Asuka this emotional. If this is goodbye, I know she will be dearly missed. She has been a pioneer. She has done just truly incredible things in the ring before she even got to WWE, but has further staked her claim as an all-time great here in WWE.”

Backstage, the mood was just as unclear as it was for fans watching at home. Fightful Select reported that Asuka’s situation appeared to be “a mystery to the locker room, and to a number of people around the creative process, who weren’t sure if this was actually a goodbye.” Even people inside WWE creative were reportedly uncertain whether the emotional scene was an official farewell angle or simply the natural conclusion to a feud.

The “Semi-Retired” Confusion

Dave Meltzer added fuel to the fire on Wrestling Observer Radio after the show, saying he’d been told Asuka is now “semi-retired” — while openly admitting he wasn’t entirely sure what that meant in practice.

“So, the story I heard is that she is semi-retired,” Meltzer said. “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.”

His co-host Bryan Alvarez simply replied, “That sucks, I’m going to miss Asuka.”

Meltzer and Alvarez even speculated out loud about whether Asuka could have been part of the recent WWE roster cuts — a theory that has since been walked back by multiple outlets. Bodyslam.net’s Viper pushed back on the retirement framing altogether, reporting that Asuka is “out indefinitely” for personal reasons and that, as of the night of Backlash, retirement or semi-retirement “is not the case.”

So for a full day, the wrestling world was essentially dealing with Schrödinger’s Asuka — simultaneously retired and not retired, depending on which report you were reading.

What Fightful’s reporting clarified is that everyone they spoke to believes Backlash was not Asuka’s final match. That was described as a unanimous belief among those in the locker room and around creative. One WWE higher-up told Fightful she was “always reliable no matter what was thrown her way” — the kind of praise you don’t typically offer someone you’re writing off.

Her Contract and What Comes Next

There’s also the matter of Asuka’s contract. Fightful confirmed she signed a new long-term WWE deal in the summer of 2024. The exact length hasn’t been disclosed publicly, but most deals signed during that period were reportedly for five years — which would make a full retirement right now a complicated proposition.

There has been broader reporting that TKO has been working to restructure some talent deals as the company’s live event schedule has shifted dramatically, with house shows significantly reduced and performers working far fewer dates than previous generations. Whether Asuka’s situation intersects with any of those restructuring conversations isn’t confirmed.

What is confirmed: she’s not among the released talent. That list, which dropped on April 24, included Kairi Sane — and that release has been its own source of frustration backstage. Multiple sources told Fightful there was significant disappointment over WWE investing television time into the Asuka-Kairi storyline without ever paying off Kairi’s role in the arc. The Tampa crowd chanted “We Want Kairi” during the Backlash match itself, which tells you everything about how that decision landed with fans. Whether Asuka shared those frustrations internally was not confirmed.

The Tributes Keep Coming

While the reports swirled, the wrestling world didn’t wait for an official announcement to show Asuka how they feel.

IYO SKY posted an emotional message after the show, calling their Backlash match the conclusion of their shared story. “Our story comes to its final chapter with today’s match,” SKY wrote. “The moment the match ended, my heart was filled with all sorts of emotions. Meeting ASUKA-san, spending the same time together, being able to learn so much up close — these are irreplaceable treasures to me. Thank you so much ASUKA-san. We love you ASUKA-san.”

AJ Styles, who retired from in-ring competition himself earlier this year at the Royal Rumble, posted a photo of himself and Asuka from his own retirement segment on Raw with a simple, direct message: “I don’t know the facts, but I know @wwe_asuka will be a Hall of Famer.”

Bayley called Asuka and IYO SKY “two of the rarest wrestlers in the entire world.” Rhea Ripley praised the match itself, writing, “Phenomenal! Best of the best!” Natalya said you could “feel their passion” in every moment. Michin kept it short and sweet: “We love Asuka around here.” Charlotte Flair and Shinsuke Nakamura both posted photos of her — and when a fan asked Flair what her post implied, she simply said she was “just a fan.”

Even Ash By Elegance from TNA Wrestling weighed in, noting she was “blessed” to have been Asuka’s first match in WWE: “Honored… Legend! Sexy muscle friend.”

For a performer who joined WWE in 2015, went undefeated for 914 days, became the inaugural Women’s Royal Rumble winner, and collected four main roster Women’s Championships, one NXT Women’s title, five Women’s Tag Team reigns, a Money in the Bank briefcase, and a Grand Slam — the outpouring makes complete sense. Asuka is, by any measure, one of the most decorated women in WWE history.

Tonight’s Raw will tell us something. Whether Asuka appears on screen, addresses the crowd, or simply works the show without appearing on camera, her presence in Knoxville means this story isn’t finished yet. The Empress isn’t done — she’s just taking a breath.

The post Asuka Planned for Raw Despite Retirement Rumors appeared first on Cream.

• Roman Reigns retained the World Heavyweight Championship over Jacob Fatu in a thriller at Backlash 2026 in Tampa
• Bron Breakker defeated Seth Rollins in what many are calling the match of the night after an electric 21-minute war
• Iyo Sky beat her former mentor Asuka, whose emotional post-match goodbye has the wrestling world speculating about retirement
• John Cena appeared to announce the John Cena Classic, a new fan-voted championship event pitting main roster stars against NXT talent
• Trick Williams successfully defended the United States Championship against Sami Zayn in a rematch better than their WrestleMania bout

WWE Backlash 2026 had a job to do. After the mixed reception that greeted WrestleMania 42, the company needed its first premium live event of the new year to remind everyone why they fell in love with this product. On Saturday night at the Benchmark International Arena in Tampa, Florida — in front of a sold-out crowd of over 15,000 — WWE delivered exactly that. Five matches, almost all of them excellent, and one moment after the final bell that nobody is going to stop talking about for a very long time.

That moment belonged to Asuka.

Iyo Sky vs. Asuka: A Match — and Maybe a Career — Worth Remembering

This one was supposed to happen at WrestleMania. Fans were furious when it didn’t, especially after the match was bumped from WWE’s flagship event while the show somehow found room for a parade of commercials. Then came the gut punch: Kairi Sane, the third pillar of this whole storyline, was released by WWE shortly after WrestleMania 42. The crowd in Tampa made sure nobody forgot — “We Want Kairi” chants rang out almost from the opening bell.

But what Asuka and Iyo Sky gave those fans in return was something close to a masterpiece.

The nearly 25-minute match was a showcase of everything that makes both women special. Sky’s acrobatics and timing. Asuka’s technical precision and willingness to punish. They traded near-falls, submissions, and momentum swings at a pace that had the crowd on their feet. One of the match’s best moments came on the announce table, when Asuka loaded up the green mist — only for Sky to snatch Wade Barrett’s notebook and use it as a shield. The crowd absolutely lost it.

Sky eventually sealed the win with her Over the Moonsault finisher, landing it cleanly after a breathless closing sequence that included Asuka locking in the Asuka Lock not once but multiple times, Sky escaping each one, and the crowd chanting “This is awesome” loud enough to shake the building.

Then came the moment.

Sky bowed to Asuka. Asuka — visibly emotional, tears streaming — hugged her former student, kissed her, and then turned to the crowd and waved. A long, slow wave that felt less like a curtain call and more like a farewell.

The wrestling world immediately started connecting dots. Earlier that Saturday, Asuka had posted a photo on Instagram accompanied by Frank Sinatra’s “My Way” in her Story — a song that famously opens with the words “And now, the end is near / And so I face the final curtain.” Charlotte Flair, who ended Asuka’s legendary undefeated streak at WrestleMania 34, posted a black-and-white photo of the Empress on X without a single word. Sometimes silence says everything.

Bayley posted a photo of herself with both Sky and Asuka, writing: “No matter what, where, or when…Iyo Sky and Asuka are two of the rarest wrestlers in the entire world.” Rhea Ripley — another former rival — called the match “phenomenal” and added, “Best of the best!” Natalya wrote that you could “feel their passion and how both are true leaders in the ring.” Even Danhausen, in full Danhausen fashion, contributed: “ASUKAHAUSEN and IYO SKYHAUSEN!!!!!!”

On the Backlash post-show, Big E put into words what a lot of people were feeling but couldn’t quite say.

“I wonder if this is a goodbye,” he said. “I haven’t really seen Asuka this emotional. If this is goodbye, I know she will be dearly missed. She has been a pioneer; she has done truly incredible things in the ring before she even got to WWE but has further staked her claim as an all-time great here in WWE. I don’t know what this means, but shout out to IYO SKY for another incredible performance. She’s someone I expect to be in that World Title picture again very, very soon.”

To be clear: nothing is confirmed. Asuka has been with WWE since 2015, is a multi-time world champion, and was the first-ever winner of the Women’s Royal Rumble Match. There’s been no official announcement. But the Instagram post, the wave, the tears, the way the entire locker room showed up on social media — all of it points in one direction. Whether or not Saturday was Asuka’s last match, it was a performance worthy of being her last. And if she did just do it her way one final time, the Empress of Tomorrow gave us something to carry with us.

Breakker and Rollins Tear the House Down to Open the Night

If Asuka and Sky were the emotional heart of Backlash, Seth Rollins and Bron Breakker were the adrenaline shot that set the tone from the jump.

Breakker — flanked by Paul Heyman and wearing gear that nodded to his father’s WCW days — charged at Rollins the second the bell rang, going straight for a spear. Rollins leapfrogged it, sending Breakker crashing into the corner, and immediately went on the attack with suicide dives on both sides of the ring. From there, the match became a 21-minute war between Rollins’s veteran craftiness and Breakker’s terrifying athleticism.

Breakker threw Rollins around like a ragdoll for long stretches — three German suplexes in succession, a top-rope Frankensteiner, a clothesline off the apron that sent Rollins crashing into the announce table. There was one slightly awkward exchange mid-match, but both men recovered quickly and kept rolling. Heyman did try to interfere near the end, drawing Rollins out of the ring, and Logan Paul and Austin Theory showed up to cause chaos — but Rollins dispatched them and got back in, only to eat a devastating spear.

The finishing sequence was the stuff highlight reels are made of. Rollins countered a Frankensteiner, hit two superkicks and a Pedigree, then climbed to the second rope for a super Stomp — and Breakker exploded upward with a mid-air spear to counter it. Then one more running spear, and it was over.

The rocket stays strapped to Breakker’s back. This was the biggest win of his career, and it wasn’t close.

Reigns Survives the Samoan Werewolf — Barely

The main event had a family reunion feel, and not the warm kind. Newly crowned World Heavyweight Champion Roman Reigns faced his cousin Jacob Fatu in his first title defense, and Fatu came in swinging.

The match was relentless. Fatu absorbed Superman punch after Superman punch — two of them — and kept coming. He powerbombed Reigns through the announce table, hit a Samoan Drop, landed a moonsault, unleashed headbutts, and locked in the Tongan Death Grip not once but twice. Every time it looked like Reigns had an answer, Fatu had a counter. The crowd was locked in from the first minute to the last.

The finish came when Reigns, desperate, removed a turnbuckle pad and sent Fatu crashing into the exposed steel. That bought him just enough separation for one final spear — and this time, Fatu stayed down for the three count.

But the story didn’t end there. Fatu, furious, attacked Reigns after the bell. He choked out the champion with the Tongan Death Grip, attacked the referee, fought off every official who tried to intervene, and then stood over a fallen Reigns holding the World Heavyweight Championship above him. The message was unmistakable: this isn’t over.

It shouldn’t be. Fatu looked like a legitimate monster throughout, and keeping the belt on Reigns while making Fatu look like the most dangerous person in the building was exactly the right call. This rivalry has more chapters to write.

Williams Holds On, Cena Makes an Announcement, and Danhausen Brings the Chaos

The United States Championship rematch between Trick Williams and Sami Zayn was a smoother, more layered version of their WrestleMania encounter. Zayn came in hot — literally trying to attack Williams and his celebrity sidekick Lil’ Yachty before the bell — and spent most of the match visibly rattled by the crowd’s affection for the champion. He tried every trick available, including faking a knee injury for a roll-up attempt and grabbing a kendo stick when things got desperate. Lil’ Yachty even hit Williams with the stick at one point, and Zayn responded by going outside and unloading on the rapper with punches and a Helluva Kick.

It didn’t matter. Williams hit the Trick Shot twice — the second one landing clean after Zayn turned around into it — and retained the title. Afterward, Yachty and Williams made it rain with dollar bills, because of course they did.

John Cena also made an appearance — not to wrestle, but to announce something he’s calling the John Cena Classic: an event where main roster stars face NXT talent for a brand new championship. The twist? Fans vote for the winner. “The sky is the limit on this one,” Cena said, adding that this is a championship he’s personally putting his name behind.

And then there was Danhausen’s mystery tag partner, revealed to be Minihausen — a smaller version of the beloved weirdo. He and Danhausen beat The Miz and Kit Wilson in a match that involved a fire extinguisher, a cloning machine producing multiple Minihausens, and more chaos than any wrestling match probably should. The crowd was entertained. That’s the whole point. Not every match needs to be a war — sometimes wrestling just needs to be fun, and this delivered exactly that.

Backlash 2026 was the reset button WWE needed after a complicated WrestleMania season. Five matches, most of them genuinely great, and one moment — Asuka waving goodbye to a crowd that loves her — that will stick around long after the results are forgotten. Big E said it best: if this was goodbye, she will be dearly missed. And if it wasn’t? Then the Empress still has unfinished business. Either way, Saturday night reminded everyone what this is supposed to feel like.

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