There’s growing buzz within the WWE Universe about the return of Asuka, who has been out of action since May 2024 due to a serious knee injury. While WWE has yet to make anything official, reports suggest that the former Women’s Champion could be making her comeback to television very soon, potentially as early as this month.
Asuka’s last match took place at WWE Backlash: France on May 4, 2024, where she and tag partner Kairi Sane dropped the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships to Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill. It was later revealed that Asuka had been dealing with a nagging knee injury leading up to the bout, which required surgery shortly after the event. Her recovery has kept her sidelined from both Raw and SmackDown, including a notable absence from WrestleMania 41.
Now, almost a year removed from her last appearance, speculation is heating up. PWNexus and Bodyslam.net reported earlier this spring that Asuka was targeting a May 2025 return, with WWE reportedly taking a cautious approach to ensure a full recovery. Fightful Select (via subscription) noted that creative ideas—including a potential tag team match—were discussed in early 2025, but ultimately shelved due to the timing of her recovery.
Further fueling return speculation, Asuka’s name appeared on a leaked early draft of the WrestleMania 41 card, briefly shown in the Netflix docuseries WWE Unreal, which provides an inside look at WWE’s creative process. Though she wasn’t cleared in time to compete, the listing hinted that WWE was planning around her eventual return.
Asuka remains listed as part of the Raw roster, still technically aligned with Damage CTRL, though the group has been plagued by multiple injuries, including Kairi Sane and Dakota Kai. Despite her time off, Asuka has kept fans updated online, notably addressing her safety concerns earlier this year regarding fan behavior. WWE and parent company TKO Group Holdings were said to be taking protective measures on her behalf.
A return at or after WWE Backlash on May 10 seems increasingly likely, though it’s unclear whether WWE will build anticipation or opt for a surprise return moment, something the company has often favored with Asuka in the past.
Stay tuned to PWMania.com for continued updates on Asuka’s return timeline and all your breaking WWE news.
