Asuka made her return to WWE programming during the June 16 episode of WWE RAW, securing a victory in a Queen of the Ring tournament qualifier. The win advances her to the semifinals of the tournament.
The appearance was Asuka’s first in over a year. Her last match occurred at the Backlash premium live event on April 5, 2024, where she and Kairi Sane lost the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship. A knee injury sustained during that period kept her out of action until this past Monday’s event in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
Her return match was a fatal four-way contest against Ivy Nile, Stephanie Vaquer, and Raquel Rodriguez. The conclusion of the bout was decided by the interference of Rhea Ripley, who appeared at ringside and neutralized Rodriguez with a Riptide. Ripley then placed Rodriguez back into the ring, where Asuka capitalized with an Empress Impact to secure the pinfall victory.
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With this win, Asuka is scheduled to face Alexa Bliss in the next round of the tournament. The finals are set to take place at the Night of Champions premium live event on June 28.
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