More WWE wrestlers continued to share tributes to Asuka over the weekend following reports she is now semi-retired after losing to IYO SKY at Backlash. WWE has not publicly explained the situation, but the reaction across the locker room and broader industry has been pouring in.
AJ Styles weighed in on his X account, keeping it brief.
“I don’t know the facts, but I know @wwe_asuka will be a Hall of Famer.”
Michin posted, “We love Asuka around here 💙”
Rhea Ripley, Nattie, Bayley, and TNA’s Ash By Elegance also chimed in, with several focused on Asuka’s Backlash match against IYO SKY.
Ripley wrote, “Iyo Sky vs Asuka 👏🏽 Phenomenal! Best of the best! You did it @Iyo_SkyWWE 🥹🖤✨ Proud of you!”
Nattie added, “Iyo and Asuka had such an incredible match tonight. You can feel their passion and how both are true leaders in the ring wanting to GIVE the most to eachother.”
Bayley wrote, “No matter what, where, or when…Iyo Sky and Asuka are two of the rarest wrestlers in the entire world.”
Ash By Elegance shared, “Blessed to have been Asuka’s first match in @WWE! Honored… Legend! ➡️ Sexy muscle friend”
The wave of tributes follows F4WOnline’s Dave Meltzer reporting on Wrestling Observer Radio that Asuka is semi-retired, telling listeners, “the story I heard is that she is semi-retired. I haven’t really gotten an exact meaning of what semi-retired means, but I guess people were wishing her goodbye and things like that backstage. So I don’t know if that means she’s going to Japan and still wrestle. I don’t know if that means she’s going to still do stuff here and there, but I was told semi-retired.”
According to an updated Fightful report, Asuka signed a long-term WWE deal in the summer of 2024, with the exact length not confirmed, though most deals offered at that point ran around five years. TKO has been working to restructure WWE talent contracts of late, citing fewer house shows, reduced travel, and fewer required appearances. It is unclear if Asuka was among those asked to change her terms, but the timing aligns with her shift from full-time competitor to semi-retired status.