Asuka made her surprise return to WWE on the June 16 episode of Monday Night Raw after being out of action for more than a year. \"The Empress of Tomorrow\" immediately made an impact, winning her first-round match in the Queen of the Ring tournament.
This was Asuka\'s first appearance since undergoing knee surgery in May 2024. Her last match was at the Backlash France event, where she and Kairi Sane lost the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship. During her long absence, her former faction, Damage CTRL, quietly disbanded.
Making her entrance to her popular original theme music, \"The Future\" by CFO$, Asuka competed in a fatal four-way qualifying match against Raquel Rodriguez, Ivy Nile, and Stephanie Vaquer. The finish saw Rhea Ripley interfere, costing Rodriguez the match and allowing Asuka to get the pinfall victory.
With the win, Asuka now advances to the semi-finals of the Queen of the Ring tournament, where she is set to face Alexa Bliss. The other semi-final on the Raw side of the bracket will see Roxanne Perez take on Jade Cargill. The tournament final will take place at WWE Night of Champions on June 28, with the winner receiving a world title match at SummerSlam.
Loading tweet...
Loading tweet...
