Is Asuka Done With WWE? (WWE News)

Asuka lost to her former protege IYO SKY on Saturday night at WWE Backlash, but all the chatter surrounding the 'Empress Of Tomorrow' came in the form of speculation as to whether that was her final match for the company after an 11-year run.

Whilst nothing was officially announced, Asuka dropped a couple hints of a possible departure herself. She posted an Instagram story hours before the PLE of her looking out the window with a clip of Frank Sinatra's "My Way" playing. The lyric, "And now the end is near / And so I face the final curtain" was isolated.

After her 18-minute match against IYO, the 'Genius Of The Sky' bowed to Asuka, who broke down and hugged her rival, openly sobbing while IYO raised her hand. Asuka then waved to the fans before leaving the ring.

During the Backlash post-show, Big E briefly speculated on what Asuka's emotional reaction meant:

"I wondered, ‘Is this a goodbye?’ We’ve never really seen Asuka this emotional. If this is goodbye, I know she will be dearly missed. She has been a pioneer. She has done just truly incredible things in the ring before she even got to WWE, but has further staked her claim as an all time great here in WWE."

Several wrestlers also posted pics of and tributes to Asuka on their Twitter/X accounts on Saturday, including Bayley, Charlotte Flair and Shinsuke Nakamura.

Last month, Asuka's friend and tag team partner Kairi Sane was among the dozens of wrestlers WWE released, despite the duo actively feuding with IYO. News reports have surfaced about WWE asking some wrestlers to restructure their existing deals and take pay cuts. As a result, any hints or rumours of a wrestler leaving the company will carry additional speculation.

Asuka joined WWE in 2015, already an international star with more than a decade of experience. She debuted in NXT and immediately began an undefeated streak that would last her entire 2-year tenure in the developmental brand, vacating the NXT Women's Championship upon joining the main roster. She remained undefeated until losing the Charlotte at WrestleMania 34, ending her streak at an astonishing 914 days.

During her run on the main roster, Asuka has racked up 4 major singles title reigns, 5 tag title reigns, a Money In The Bank victory, and a win in the first women's Royal Rumble match. She has built a reputation for being one of the most feared strikers in WWE, and an innate ability to be joyful, cruel and vicious in the span of seconds.

If this was Asuka's last match in WWE, she leaves while still one of the best in-ring performers in the company, and as someone who (despite her accolades) seemed to be simultaneously undervalued as a top-tier star.