IYO SKY vs. Asuka appears to be off the WrestleMania 42 lineup, with multiple developments suggesting the match has been quietly dropped.
According to Dave Meltzer in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, the bout had been planned as recently as last week and was still being referenced on WWE programming. However, the latest indications point toward a change in direction.
“This has not been officially confirmed to us, but I believe Iyo Sky vs. Asuka is off,” Meltzer wrote. “The match was on the schedule last week. They were building it up last week and still did a segment for it on Raw this week.”
Meltzer highlighted two key factors behind that belief. The first came on SmackDown, where SKY was defeated cleanly by Jade Cargill in under 10 minutes — a finish that appeared to prioritize building momentum for Cargill’s upcoming Women’s Championship clash with Rhea Ripley rather than advancing a WrestleMania program for SKY.
“It was clear Sky’s role was to put over Cargill, and not for herself,” Meltzer wrote, noting that if the Asuka match were still planned, a more logical outcome would have involved interference to build toward their showdown.
The second, and perhaps most telling clue, came via social media activity.
“She was told to do that because the match was on. She quietly deleted that message on 4/13,” Meltzer wrote.
Meltzer added that while the situation had not been completely finalized at the time of his report, the expectation was that the match would not take place.
“The last word we got is that it is probably off but that it was not decided, but that was a few days ago.”
Another situation to watch involves Nikki Bella, whose status remains uncertain after suffering an ankle injury. Meltzer noted that her availability was still unclear heading into WrestleMania weekend.
“The other question is if Nikki Bella will be able to wrestle after her ankle injury. The last word we got on that is that it was still up in the air.”
Despite these changes, Meltzer stated that the rest of the WrestleMania 42 card is “pretty much locked in.”
WrestleMania 42 takes place across two nights — Saturday, April 18 and Sunday, April 19 — at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. The event will stream live on the ESPN app, with select opening matches airing on ESPN networks.
Stay tuned to PWMania.com for full WrestleMania 42 coverage and updates.
