Backstage Update On Asuka's Continued WWE Absence
Why exactly has the Empress of Tomorrow been missing from WWE TV for the past month?
While the Raw women's division has recently revolved around Charlotte Flair, Rhea Ripley and current Raw Women's Champion Nikki A.S.H., one talent conspicuous by their absence is Asuka.
In an update on why the Empress of Tomorrow hasn't been seen on WWE programming lately, the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter reports that this is simply a case of WWE not having anything for Asuka right now.
The Women's Grand Slam Champion is not injured and was actually in attendance for a recent episode of Raw, although she exited that Raw early once it was confirmed she wasn't booked to appear that night.
It's now just over a month since Asuka last wrestled, with that match being the women's ladder bout at July's Money in the Bank PPV. Prior to that, she was embroiled in the ongoing rivalry between Charlotte Flair and Rhea Ripley.
Throughout the pandemic era, the hugely popular Japanese star forever proved to be one of the most entertaining aspects of WWE programming, with her spending a large part of those empty arena/Thunderdome days as the Raw Women's Champion - embarking on a 78-day reign and a mammoth 231-day run with the red brand's top female prize during that time.