Asuka Denies Report On Her WWE Absence

The former NXT and Raw Women's Champion hasn't been on WWE TV in over a month.

by Andy H Murray
Asuka Raw
WWE.com

Asuka currently finds herself absent from WWE programming, having not appeared onscreen since Money in the Bank 2021 (18 July), where she competed in the titular women's ladder match.

The Wrestling Observer's Dave Meltzer reported last week that the former NXT and Raw Women's Champion isn't being used as the promotion doesn't have anything for her at the moment. Asuka herself has now disputed this, quote-tweeting a since-deleted post on the news, stating that "everything is different":-

The Japanese star then posted a quick follow-up minutes later:-

Though she has held both the Raw and Women's Tag Team Championships in 2021, this hasn't been a banner year for Asuka. Presented as the second wheel in her tandem with Charlotte Flair, she lost the Raw strap to Rhea Ripley at WrestleMania 37, lost her feud with Flair, then briefly found herself in a thrown-together tag team with Naomi. Now, she has been off television for over a month. It's worth pointing out that she hasn't. been wrestling on house shows during this period either.

There's currently no word on when, exactly, WWE will look to bring Asuka back.

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Andy has been with WhatCulture for six years and is currently WhatCulture's Senior Wrestling Reporter. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.