Tag: Asuka

First three matches announced for WWE Backlash

Posted on by Bryan Rose

Three matches are now set for Backlash.

The main event segment of Monday’s Raw saw Roman Reigns come out and ask Jacob Fatu for his decision, hoping for Fatu to unite the family instead of trying to divide it. Fatu said he didn’t need a week, a day, an hour: he needed the title. Fatu said that he grinded for everything he did and never heard from Reigns or The Usos and it was Solo who contacted him and brought him to WWE. 

As Reigns started with his reply, Fatu grew irate and attacked the tribal chief, applying the Tongan death grip. Once he was done Fatu started to leave, but Reigns recovered enough to tell his relative that he’ll see him at Backlash on May 9 in Tampa.

In addition, IYO SKY will face Asuka. SKY challenged Becky Lynch for the Women’s Intercontinental title, but Asuka’s interference cost her the match. Later in a promo, Asuka said she wasn’t done with SKY, saying all she did was try and teach her former student but now nothing would stop her from destroying SKY. But she would teach her pupil one final lesson at Backlash: she is not and never will be ready for Asuka.

The opening segment of the show saw Seth Rollins come out and blame Bron Breakker for his loss at WrestleMania against Gunther. Breakker came out and the two exchanged words, with Rollins telling Breakker he “wasn’t ready.” Breakker said he was on his way to becoming a main eventer without Rollins and told the former World Champion that he was the very best at being number two.

Rollins issued the challenge for Backlash and left, but not before hurling one final insult, telling “Steiner” that he wasn’t even number two in his family.

WWE Backlash (May 9):

  • World Champion Roman Reigns defends against Jacob Fatu
  • Seth Rollins vs. Bron Breakker
  • IYO SKY vs. Asuka

AJ Lee ‘unhealthily invested’ in WWE women’s division feud

Posted on by Rosanne Raphael

AJ Lee has her sights set on multiple talents from the women’s division who have cemented their spot during her time away. The latest rivalry that has caught her attention is between The Kabuki Warriors and IYO SKY. 

Lee took to social media that she had been fangirling over their feud for months. 

“been fangirling for @WWEAsuka @KAIRI_official @Iyo_SkyWWE for months and I am unhealthily invested in this now,” posted Lee. 

The rift between The Kabuki Warriors and IYO SKY grew wider in the second half of 2025. Asuka snapped on a September edition of Raw when Sky assisted Rhea Ripley, who was her original target. Asuka and Kairi Sane attacked Sky too. In the months that followed, the two tag teams clashed repeatedly in the ring. Asuka frequently reminded SKY of her sacrifices and efforts in their friendship. 

With their rivalry brewing for a long while now and WrestleMania 42 around the corner, their match has reached a conundrum. Earlier this week we reported the reason for the delay in WWE announcing Asuka vs. SKY for the Premium Live Event. It is directly linked to the Women’s Tag Team Championship match. 

Nia Jax & Lash Legend are set to defend the titles against Alexa Bliss & Charlotte Flair, Bayley & Lyra Valkyria, and The Bella Twins. However, Nikki Bella suffered a foot injury on SmackDown last month. If she is not cleared to compete at WrestleMania 42, WWE intends to add The Kabuki Warriors as replacement. 

Meanwhile, Lee will compete in her first WrestleMania match in a decade as she defends the Intercontinental Title in a rematch against Becky Lynch. 

Why IYO Sky vs. Asuka at WWE WrestleMania 42 hasn’t been announced yet

Posted on by Josh Nason

If you’re among those wondering why it’s taking so long to make the IYO SKY vs. Asuka match at next weekend’s WWE WrestleMania 42 official, there’s now an answer: the health status of The Bella Twins.

Our Bryan Alvarez is reporting that the reason is because if Nikki Bella isn’t medically cleared to team with sister Brie in the four-way Women’s Tag Team match at WrestleMania, Asuka & Kairi Sane will take their place. If Nikki gets cleared, the Sky vs. Asuka match will be booked.

It’s unclear what happens with SKY at that point if Asuka must be in the tag match instead.

The 42-year-old Bella was seen in a walking boot following a late-March SmackDown match, later saying she would be back in a week’s time. However, she hasn’t been given the clean bill of health on TV, leaving the door open.

Regardless, the match will take place on night one as the cards per night were announced earlier Tuesday:

WWE WrestleMania 42 night one lineup | Next Saturday

  • Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes defends against Randy Orton (w/ Pat McAfee)
  • Women’s World Champion Stephanie Vaquer defends against Liv Morgan
  • Seth Rollins vs. Gunther
  • Women’s Intercontinental Champion AJ Lee defends against Becky Lynch
  • Women’s Tag Team Champions Nia Jax & Lash Legend defend against Charlotte Flair & Alexa Bliss, The Bella Twins, and Bayley & Lyra Valkyria
  • Unsanctioned match: Drew McIntyre vs. Jacob Fatu (ESPN2)
  • Logan Paul, Austin Theory & IShowSpeed vs. The Usos & LA Knight (ESPN2)

WWE WrestleMania 42 night two lineup | Next Sunday

  • World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk defends against Roman Reigns
  • WWE Women’s Champion Jade Cargill defends against Rhea Ripley
  • Finn Balor vs. Dominik Mysterio
  • United States Champion Sami Zayn defends against Trick Williams
  • Brock Lesnar vs. Oba Femi (ESPN)
  • Ladder match: Intercontinental Champion Penta defends against Je’Von Evans, Dragon Lee, Rusev, JD McDonagh, and Rey Mysterio (ESPN)

WWE Raw notes: Demon Finn Balor heading to WrestleMania 42, Asuka calls out IYO SKY

Posted on by Bryan Rose

Update:

WWE on social media confirmed Demon Finn Balor will face Dominik Mysterio at WrestleMania:

Original story:

Notes from Monday’s Raw in Houston.

Finn Balor was originally set to face former Judgment Day associate and protege JD McDonagh. However he was jumped backstage by McDonagh and his WrestleMania opponent Dominik Mysterio, leaving him reeling. Later backstage, Balor congratulated JD and Dominik on the beating. He hoped they could play nice, but Balor declared that playtime was now over. He hinted showing Mysterio a side of him that he’s never seen before.

“A side that I buried a long time ago,” he added. “A side that I felt was gone forever. You’ve awoken it. It’s back. And at WrestleMania, it’s coming for you.” 

Balor is likely suggesting he will bring back his Demon persona at WrestleMania. The last time he did was at WrestleMania 39, when he lost to Edge in a Hell in a Cell match.

Meanwhile, Asuka cut a promo calling out her former friend IYO SKY. She accused SKY of being selfish and tearing everyone apart, including trying to wedge herself between Asuka and Kairi Sane. Asuka said she came to WWE to pave the way for SKY and Kairi and sacrificed everything to give them opportunities. She now realizes she loved her too much and she took advantage of her kindness. SKY must pay, Asuka declared, and will teach her one final lesson in the ring.

Two more qualify for WWE Elimination Chamber

Posted on by Bryan Rose

Je’Von Evans and Asuka are heading to the Elimination Chamber.

Evans scored a surprise win in the main event of Monday’s Raw, defeating Gunther and Dominic Mysterio. The finish had Dragon Lee attacking Gunther with the ring bell, payback for a previous attack by Gunther earlier this month. Mysterio entered the ring and looked to finish off Evans with the 619 and frog splash, but Evans dodged the latter and connected with the OG Cutter for the win, sending him to Chicago on February 28.

Earlier in the show, Asuka defeated Nattie and Bayley to advance. The finish had Asuka sending Bayley into the ropes, taking out Nattie who was sent back to the outside of the ring. Asuka took advantage and trapped Bayley with the Asuka lock, giving her the submission victory.

Qualifying matches continue on this coming Friday’s SmackDown and on next week’s Raw to determine the final two entrants in both matches. SmackDown will see Carmelo Hayes battle Trick Williams and Damian Priest while Nia Jax will face Charlotte Flair and Kiana James. Next week’s Raw will have Raquel Rodriguez face IYO SKY and Kairi while Bronson Reed faces Jey Uso and Original El Grande Americano.

WWE Elimination Chamber (February 28)

  • World Heavyweight title: CM Punk defends against Finn Balor
  • Women’s Intercontinental title: Becky Lynch defends against AJ Lee
  • Men’s Elimination Chamber: Randy Orton vs. LA Knight vs. Cody Rhodes vs. Je’Von Evans vs. TBA vs. TBA
  • Women’s Elimination Chamber: Tiffany Stratton vs. Rhea Ripley vs. Alexa Bliss vs. Asuka vs. TBA vs. TBA

Shayna Baszler responds to criticism over comments about Asuka’s 2021 injury

Posted on by Ian Carey

Shayna Baszler and Asuka have each published statements regarding the dental injury Asuka suffered in 2021.

During a recent interview with Chris Van Vliet, Baszler discussed the incident, which happened on the February 22, 2021 episode of WWE Raw. Baszler kicked Asuka in the face during a tag match, knocking a tooth loose. Asuka needed dental surgery and missed three weeks of action.

Baszler said in the interview:

“It was terrible. And she’s so badass, she came to the back afterwards and was kind of covering her mouth cause you know whatever, but she was like, ‘No pain. I don’t know why.'”

“Just soccer kicked her in the face and she was like, ‘Yeah, it’s fine. Doesn’t even hurt.'”

Early Wednesday morning, Asuka released the following statement in response to a clip of the interview:

“My tooth was fractured due to a mistake by Shayna Baszler. At the time I told her I was okay because I did not want her to carry the guilt. But I ended up needing surgery and of course I was not okay. I just did not want her to feel responsible knowing that these things happen in our line of work. I thought that if I just endured it then everything would be fine. Seeing people mocking me in the comments makes me realize once again how cruel the world is.”

“But I blame no one. I do not even wish misfortune upon those who lack kindness. In fact I am more cruel than these cruel people because I will be far happier than they are. While people spend their time mocking me I am savoring and embracing every bit of my happiness. My ideal life is already nearing its completion.”

“Thank you 🫰🤡”

An earlier version of Asuka’s post was published on Reddit. In that version she seems to express a belief that Baszler was making fun of her reaction to the incident. It contains the below two paragraphs not in the currently published version:

“I simply didn’t want her to feel responsible, knowing that these things happen in our line of work. Yet, she now mocks me by imitating my reaction from that moment, turning it into a joke. Is that what passes for common sense? Those who laugh along with her are just as cruel.”

“I still like her, but I’ve realized that’s just the kind of person she is.”

Baszler has since responded to Asuka’s post as well, writing:

“I told the story to illustrate how effing badass Asuka is. If anyone in the comments is making fun of her, they are stupid and should have their social media time monitored.”

Asuka’s injury occurred during the build up to WrestleMania 37. While she underwent surgery, she was back in time to drop the Raw Women’s Championship to Rhea Ripley on April 11.

Baszler and Asuka’s social media posts are below:

WWE Raw live results: CM Punk & Rey Mysterio vs. The Vision

Posted on by Steve Khan

Air Date: December 22, 2025 (taped Dec 19, 2025)
Location: Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, MI 

The Big Takeaway —

Austin Theory teamed with Bronson Reed to beat the team of CM Punk and Rey Mysterio, with Theory pinning Rey after a curb stomp. It was an audition for Theory, who is not yet a member of The Vision. 

It was a taped show and easy to get through, with a runtime of about 90 minutes. 

**********

Show Recap — 

This show was taped on Friday, so the announcers were Michael Cole and Corey Graves (instead of Joe Tessitore and Wade Barrett). 

I realized during the opening match that the feed isn’t being treated as ‘live’ on Netflix, so you can just skip ahead if you want. 

CM Punk & Rey Mysterio, Judgment Day, Je’Von Evans, Gunther, and The Vision were shown arriving.  Cole said Evans was a soon-to-be free agent. 

Paul Heyman approached Austin Theory and asked him what the hell he was doing. Theory said he wore the mask because he wanted everyone to feel his actions before they saw his face. He made some mistakes in the past. He got comfortable before getting injured. He appreciated that the Vision didn’t wait around. They take. Theory said that was him now. He wanted to take that opportunity and help out. Heyman was skeptical but intrigued. 

********

Rhea Ripley asked Iyo Sky to stay in the back for her match tonight. She wanted Sky to take care of herself after getting laid out last week. 

Rhea Ripley vs. Women’s Tag Team Champion Asuka (w/ Kairi Sane)

Because this show is taped, we’re not getting the usual commercial breaks, but they are still cutting to break as if it were live. Asuka took control thanks to a Kairi Sane distraction, and they acted as if they were heading to break as usual (90 seconds into the match, as usual), but the action picked right back up. 

Ripley tried mounting a comeback but was tripped from the outside by Sane. Ripley mounted a comeback anyway and fended off a flurry of offence by Asuka ahead of another “break.” Ripley applied the standing cloverleaf, but Asuka countered with a German suplex and sliding kick for two. 

Asuka blocked a Razor’s Edge attempt and later hit a German suplex on the apron. Asuka came off the top, but Ripley hit her with a mid-air thrust kick, followed by a cannonball off the apron. (Ripley used more kicks in this match than usual.) 

Ripley went to the top but was tripped by Sane, so Sky ran out (while selling her back) to attack her. Sky jumped on the apron to yell at the referee for allowing Sane to interfere yet again, but Sane used the opportunity to drop her on the apron. 

Asuka used that distraction to catch Ripley in a cradle for the pinfall win. 

As Cole mentioned, Asuka was winless in 8 singles matches against Ripley before this. 

Match result: Asuka defeated Rhea Ripley (approx. 11:30 of TV time) 

********

Backstage, Bronson Reed and Bron Breakker seemed skeptical about Theory. Heyman said they were both much better off today than they were months ago, and that was thanks to him. That all happened thanks to his vision.

He did not pimp that out easily. He was selective, and he had a vision for Theory. Tonight, it would be Theory and Reed against Punk and Mysterio. Either Theory carried out their vision, or the two of them could carry Theory’s ass out of WWE. (This immediately made me think of Steve Austin and Kurt Angle kicking Buff Bagwell out of the arena that one time.) 

********

Becky Lynch and Maxxine Dupri segment 

Lynch stormed out wearing a fur coat. She said we would not be getting a celebration for Maxxine Durpi. There was a corrupt referee in their match, and Lynch was still the rightful Women’s Intercontinental Champion. 

If petty Pearce wouldn’t do anything about it, Lynch knew some powerful people who would. She had the most powerful lawyers in the country, but the bigwigs at Netflix advised her to go to miserable Michigan and take matters into her own hands because she was the greatest of all time. 

Dupri interrupted. She agreed with Sports Illustrated that Lynch was the greatest of all time. Dupri herself was just a rookie—but this rookie just beat the greatest of all time. (Dupri’s first match was in 2023.) Dupri bragged that she beat Lynch three times (the other two were by DQ and count-out), and said she would give Lynch a rematch anytime, anyplace. 

Dupri fired up and said she would stop at nothing to beat her again. She would train until her blood, sweat and tears on the mat. She added, “Not only am I their Intercontinental Champion, I am your Intercontinental Champion.” 

Dupri wanted Lynch to admit that, but she knew Lynch wouldn’t take it on the chin like the Man she said she was. In this moment, Lynch didn’t look like the greatest of all time. Lynch looked like someone who was afraid her best years were behind her. 

Lynch decked Dupri with a suckerpunch and held up the IC title belt. Lynch was about to leave, but went for another attack, so Dupri picked the leg and applied an ankle lock until Lynch tapped out. Dupri let go, and Lynch bailed. 

Dupri was good here. 

******** 

Pearce spoke to Je’Von Evans backstage. Pearce wished him luck in his match tonight and wanted to talk about his future afterward. Evans was in a good mood, and he left for his match. 

Stephanie Vaquer approached Pearce next. She wanted to face both Nikki Bella and Raquel Rodriguez. Pearce was happy with that and made a triple threat match for the world title next week.  

******** 

There was a video package for The Usos, who face AJ Styles and Dragon Lee for the world tag team titles next week. Well, that was a quick road back to title contention.

Je’Von Evans vs. Rayo Americano (w/ El Grande Americano & Bravo Americano) 

Cole said he tried a Wikipedia search on Rayo Americano but couldn’t find anything, even though a Google search for him takes you right to Pete Dunne’s results. 

Evans hit a flip dive ahead of a “break,” but Rayo brought him off the top rope with an arm drag after the break to take control. Evans fought back with a forearm, a vertical suplex (where he pops right back up to his feet), and a springboard clothesline for two. 

El Grande Americano distracted the referee while Bravo and Rayo double-teamed Evans. Rayo followed with a Michinoku Driver for a nearfall. Evans avoided a Rayo moonsault attempt and hit an OG Cutter for the pinfall win. 

El Grande and Bravo tried to attack Evans, but he escaped the ring and smiled back at them. 

Match result: Je’Von Evans defeated Rayo Americano (approx. 7:00 of TV time) 

This was fine. A mostly easy win for Evans, and they really pushed hard that he’s a pending free agent. 

********

Cathy Kelley interviewed Styles and Dragon Lee about facing Jimmy and Jey Uso, who have been a tag team a lot longer than they have. Styles and Lee weren’t worried because they’ve beaten established teams like Judgment Day and New Day. Styles said having the titles meant they were better than the best. 

Bron Breakker promo 

There was a pre-taped Breakker promo package. Breakker said Punk thought they had a personal vendetta because of the barbs he mentioned about his family, but the reality was that Punk didn’t care about his wife. He never cared about anyone other than himself. 

Breakker wondered which version of Punk would show up on January 5th: the watered-down 2025 version, or the best in the world. Either way, the result would be the same. Breakker was the mountain Punk couldn’t climb, and the dog he couldn’t outrun. In Punk’s words, he was only here to make money. Breakker hoped Punk saved his money, because after he beats him, Punk won’t be worth a dollar to anyone. 

This was really good. 

********

Nikki Bella segment 

The announcers were talking when Nikki Bella interrupted. She called herself “the most famous person.” She reminded the fans that she was Nikki Bella, a Hall of Famer and a former champion. 

She said they wouldn’t know what a champion looked like because they cheered for the Detroit Lions. The Lions wished they were the Philadelphia Eagles or, better yet, Ohio State. 

Bella was the star of the division. She destroyed Rodriguez’s face, and she would destroy Vaquer’s reign. Vaquer was a big deal in the ring, but Bella was a big deal everywhere. It was about time the title was around the waist of a true global superstar. 

******** 

Bayley (w/ Lyra Valkyria) vs. Roxxane Perez (w/ Liv Morgan)

Perez worked over Bayley’s knee (through a break) until Bayley made a comeback. Raquel Rodriguez appeared at ringside and was about to slide into the ring, but Valkyria took her out with a spinning kick to stop her from interfering. Morgan responded by chucking Valkyria over the announce desk. 

Perez distracted the referee while Morgan tripped Bayley. (This precise spot happened in the opening match.) Perez used the distraction to drop Bayley face-first into an exposed turnbuckle, but the idiot referee was distracted by Rodriguez on the apron. Valkyria wiped out Rodriguez and Morgan with a dive off the table. 

Valkyria psyched up Bayley and slapped her in the face. This fired up Bayley (and healed her knee), and she hammered away at Perez before hitting a flying elbow drop for the pinfall win. 

Another match filled with interference and distractions. It’s especially exhausting when it happens in multiple matches in a row every single week.

Match result: Bayley defeated Roxanne Perez (approx. 7:00 of TV time) 

********

In the locker room, Reed told Theory he was in the big leagues now and to follow his lead, kid. Theory told him he wasn’t his kid. Theory said he would start the match, and Reed would follow his lead. 

Elsewhere, Rodriguez argued with Morgan and Perez. Rodriguez was pissed because she had a world tile match to prepare for, so she bailed. 

Gunther segment

Gunther entered and was booed heavily again. He took his time basking in the heat. He said the fans shouldn’t be mad at him, they should be mad at the guy who tapped out like a little bitch. (He definitely got a ton of heat, but it also sounded like they manipulated the sound to make it pop louder.) 

CM Punk marched out to his music. He very quickly got into the ring and straight into Gunther’s face. The fans loudly chanted for Punk. Gunther laughed in his face before leaving the ring. Gunther gave him the ‘you can’t see me’ gesture before taking off. 

Gunther was confronted next by Rey Mysterio in the aisle. The disappointed Rey put his hands on his hips and shook his head (like he was looking at his own son). Gunther laughed at him and left. 

After a break, Styles confronted Gunther backstage. Styles said Gunther didn’t know when to shut up. Gunther said, “Guess I don’t,” and he laughed. 

********

World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk & Rey Mysterio vs. Austin Theory & Bronson Reed (w/ Paul Heyman) 

Punk and Rey both wore pink and black gear. 

The Vision got the heat on Punk as Theory used his familiar offence and held Punk in a rest hold after a break. Reed took his turn next until Punk rolled out of the way of a senton and made the hot tag to Rey, who knocked Theory off the apron. Reed tried to squish Rey, but Rey avoided it and hit a running seated senton off the ropes. 

Theory tagged in, but Rey got rid of him with a hurricanrana and a seated senton off the barricade. After a “break,” Theory was suddenly in control. Fortunately, they showed a replay of what happened during the break, which was Reed clubbing Rey from behind. Reed’s offence on Rey included a standing frog splash and a delayed vertical suplex. 

Theory worked over Rey next as Cole asked Graves what looked different about Theory tonight. Graves said he looked more focused, but besides his hair and his pants, the answer is nothing. 

Rey hit Theory with a bulldog and made the hot tag to Punk, who hit Theory with punches, a neckbreaker, corner knee strikes, and a bulldog. Theory avoided a GTS and tagged in Reed, but Punk fended him off and hit a flying clothesline for two. 

Rey tagged in and set up Reed for a 619, but Theory made a blind tag and levelled Rey with a running clothesline. Rey fought him off anyway to hit a 619 and a springboard splash. Rey had it won, but Reed yanked him out of the ring to break up the cover. Punk hit Reed with a suicide dive and clotheslined him over the barricade (taking them both out of the mix). 

Rey went to the top rope, but Theory tripped him and hit a curb stomp for the pinfall win. (Rey looked great all match, and the crowd was into this until Theory won.)

— Punk chased Theory out of the ring post-match. Breakker tried a sneak attack as Punk was distracted, but Punk fought him off. Punk fought off Theory next, but that distraction allowed Breakker to nail a spear as the taped show quickly went off the air. 

Match result: Austin Theory & Bronson Reed defeated Rey Mysterio & World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk (approx. 15:00 of TV time)

WWE Raw lineup for December 22 episode

Posted on by Ethan Renner

WWE has announced three matches for the Monday, December 22 Raw show to be taped Friday, December 19.

Before they square off on opposite sides of the Women’s Tag Team title match on the January 5 Raw, Rhea Ripley and Asuka will go one-on-one in singles competition on next week’s episode. Ripley and IYO SKY were announced as Asuka and Kairi Sane’s title challengers on this week’s Raw, then Asuka misted Ripley. SKY tried to save Ripley from an InSane Elbow, taking the brunt of the move on herself in an angle to further the title program.

Also set for next week’s Raw, Bayley will face Roxanne Perez. The match was set up with a backstage interaction on Raw between Bayley and Lyra Valkyria where Valkyria attempted to motivate Bayley to get back to her winning ways.

Je’Von Evans vs. Rayo Americano of Los Americanos was also set up for next week’s Raw with a backstage skit involving Evans and Los Americanos on this week’s show.

The Monday, December 22 Raw will be taped along with the Friday, December 26 SmackDown on this Friday, December 19.

WWE Raw, Monday, December 22 (taped Friday, December 19) —

  • Rhea Ripley vs. Asuka
  • Bayley vs. Roxanne Perez
  • Je’Von Evans vs. Rayo Americano

Women’s Tag Team title match set for first WWE Raw of 2026

Posted on by Bryan Rose

A match for the Women’s Tag Team titles is set for the first Raw of the new year.

On Monday, it was confirmed that the Kabuki Warriors would be defending the titles against Rhea Ripley and IYO SKY. The two teams have been feuding for the last few months after Asuka and Kairi Sane turned their backs on former friend SKY.

An angle took place on Raw further continuing the tensions. As Ripley and SKY made their way to the ring, they were ambushed by Asuka, who misted Ripley through the crowd. Sane then took out SKY as the Kabuki Warriors looked to take out Ripley with Sane’s Insane Elbow. Right as Sane launched off, SKY covered Ripley, taking the hit for her friend.

The two teams previously battled at Crown Jewel back in October, with Sky and Ripley picking up the win in Ripley’s home country of Australia.

WWE Raw (January 6)

  • World Heavyweight Championship: CM Punk defends against Bron Breakker
  • WWE Women’s Tag Team titles: The Kabuki Warriors defend against Rhea Ripley and IYO SKY

Asuka wants WWE star Bayley to stop accepting the disrespect

Posted on by Shounak Chakrabarti

WWE star Asuka comes to Bayley’s aid following her recent comments.

Recently, Bayley had opened up on the Six Feet Under podcast about her omission from WrestleMania 41 before calling it a “rough situation”. Shortly after, one of her storyline rivals and real-life friends, Asuka addressed the incident and spoke on her behalf. The Women’s tag-team champion opened up and asked Bayley to stop accepting the disrespect.

“An interview with Bayley came up on my X feed. I just found out about her sadness, her struggle, and her pain. And it hit me. I remembered,” she noted. “The format of today’s women’s division – the value everyone treats as standard – that was built by the Four Horsewomen and by me.”

“We’ve got pride. Of course we do. And right now, the ones who can understand Bayley’s pain the most are probably Charlotte, Becky and me. Our era didn’t just raise the level. We flipped the entire idea of what a women’s division could be. We started a revolution.”

Further speaking on her YouTube channel KanaChan TV, Asuka said,

“Bayley, when you and I first met, you were the NXT Champion, and I was the challenger. And I took the title from you and I carried NXT on my back. Then you went to the main roster, and you became one of the pillars there too. After that, I arrived. We fought at the top. We survived at the top. We became the standard of the company. We are not just wrestlers. We are an era. We changed the division.”

“You’re accepting treatment that doesn’t match what you are. Don’t swallow it. This isn’t only your problem. It’s an insult to our pride – the pride of everyone who fought beside you and against you. It’s an insult to the status we built with our own hands.”

2025 has been a rough year for Bayley, with the former champion missing out on being a part of both WrestleMania 41 and SummerSlam.

Asuka wants Bayley to demand the respect she deserves

Also in the video, Asuka discussed how Bayley now needs to demand the respect and treatment she deserves from promotion. Asking her to not ‘play nice’, Asuka claimed,

“As someone who has shared that time with you, I can’t accept it. Bayley. Stop playing nice. Look at Kairi. Playing nice is boring. Playing safe is boring. Go off! Shout it. ‘Do you know who I am? I’m Bayley!’ Make them remember what you’ve done – what we’ve done. We changed this division. We made it.”

The Japanese wrestling veteran now wants Bayley to remind everyone of what she is capable of and the hardships they undertook to elevate the division.

“So remind them. Loudly. All of them. Get louder. Get sharper. Let that fire show in the ring. And make them feel it. The weight we built with our lives. The pain we paid to make this division what it is. Right now. Make them remember.”

Bayley is now involved in a tag-team championship feud alongside Lyra Valkyria against The Kabuki Warriors.

AJ Lee forces ex-champion to tap, wins Women’s WarGames at Survivor Series 2025

Posted on by Shounak Chakrabarti

AJ Lee has secured the victory for her team at WWE Survivor Series: WarGames 2025.

In the first match of the night at Petco Park in San Diego, California, fans witnessed one of the best women’s matches in recent memory. In only her second bout in almost a decade, AJ Lee trapped Becky Lynch in the Black Widow, forcing her to tap out and sealing the win in a match lasting nearly 41-minutes.

The match also featured several violent moments, which is common in a steel cage environment. All six women pushed each other to their absolute limits. Nia Jax and Lash Legend brutally powerbombed Alexa Bliss and Charlotte Flair against the cage, while later in the match, Asuka fired friendly shots as she accidentally misted Legend with poison mist, taking her out of the action for the remainder of the bout.

In the final moments, IYO Sky performed her iconic trash can dive from the top of the cage onto four other women, opening the opening Lee needed. AJ Lee then swiftly locked in the Black Widow on Becky Lynch to secure the victory.

WWE Survivor Series: WarGames 2025 results

Here is the updated match card for WWE Survivor Series: WarGames 2025:

  • Rhea Ripley, Iyo Sky, Alexa Bliss, Charlotte Flair, and AJ Lee defeated Nia Jax, Lash Legend, The Kabuki Warriors (Asuka and Kairi Sane), and Becky Lynch – Women’s WarGames match
  • John Cena (c) vs. Dominik Mysterio – WWE Intercontinental Championship
  • Stephanie Vaquer (c) vs. Nikki Bella – WWE Women’s World Championship
  • CM Punk, Cody Rhodes, The Usos (Jey Uso and Jimmy Uso), and Roman Reigns vs. The Vision (Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed), Logan Paul, Drew McIntyre, and Brock Lesnar – Men’s WarGames match

Kabuki Warriors win Women’s Tag Team titles on WWE Raw

Posted on by Bryan Rose

Asuka and Kairi Sane are Women’s Tag Team Champions once again.

The Kabuki Warriors won the titles in the main event of Monday’s Raw, defeating Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss. The finish came when Lash Legend and Nia Jax came in through the crowd and interfered. The distraction allowed Asuka to hit Charlotte from behind, allowing Sane to hit the insane elbow for the win.

This is the Kabuki Warriors’ third reign with the titles. Flair & Bliss had held the titles since SummerSlam, where they defeated Roxanne Perez and Raquel Rodriguez.

After the match Legend, Jax, Asuka, and Kairi continued to attack Bliss & Charlotte until both IYO SKY and Rhea Ripley made their returns, evening the odds for the faces. Raw ended with Rhea Ripley yelling out WarGames, confirming the eight women will meet in San Diego on November 29. 

At Crown Jewel last month, The Kabuki Warriors defeated Ripley & SKY, breaking Ripley’s nose in the process. In the weeks since, they set their sights on the now former champions. On this past Friday’s SmackDown, they disguised themselves as nurses while Bliss was being checked on by medical, giving Asuka the opportunity to mist both women.

Asuka responds to Goldberg’s ‘some girl’ comments

Posted on by Ian Carey

Asuka says there’s no need to make a big deal out of Goldberg’s comments about her.

In 2017, WWE promoted that Asuka had surpassed Goldberg’s undefeated streak when she recorded her 174th straight victory while NXT Women’s Champion. Although Goldberg congratulated Asuka shortly after the milestone, he has referred to her as “some girl” in multiple interviews about the subject since. He did so again recently during an appearance on Real Talk, saying WWE had her break his streak because he had been a big part of WCW during the Monday Night War.

Asuka responded to a post on X featuring transcriptions of Goldberg’s latest comments. She wrote:

“Goldberg’s comments about me are all over the news right now. But honestly, I’m not bothered by it at all. What he said came from his own perspective, and that’s fine. So there’s really no need to make such a big deal out of it. Listen to my philosophy. It’s not about what I accomplish. It’s about what I try to create. Philosophy and vision, that’s where the real value is. I don’t find meaning in anything without beauty. I’ve achieved every record, every title, but those are just milestones. What really matters is opening a new era. Creating the moment that separates Before Asuka and After Asuka. Having the power to change an era. That’s where true value and beauty exist. I don’t chase records or championships. They’re the ones that come to me. There’s not enough art in this world.“

Goldberg was quoted as saying, “Some girl at WWE. They did it on purpose. I have nothing against the girl, by any means,” in response to a question about his streak being broken (via WrestlePurists transcription).

During a March 2024 interview with Tim Green, Goldberg said, “Well, a girl beat my winning streak… beat my undefeated streak. Yeah, I can’t even remember. Aso͞oka is her name, some Japanese girl.” (Cageside Seats transcription).

Asuka and her Kabuki Warriors teammate Kairi Sane are coming off a loss to Rhea Ripley and IYO SKY at Crown Jewel earlier this month. A vignette of them putting the women’s tag team division on notice aired on last week’s Raw.

AJ Styles offers huge praise for WWE stars IYO SKY, Asuka

Posted on by Joseph Currier

In an interview to promote WWE’s upcoming house shows in Japan, AJ Styles offered huge praise for two of the women’s division’s biggest stars.

Styles spoke with WWE Japanese broadcast partner ABEMA ahead of the company’s house shows in Tokyo on October 17-18. During the conversation, he spoke highly of both IYO SKY and Asuka, saying both performers leave him in awe with their matches.

“IYO SKY is one of the best athletes I have ever seen. Like, she is unbelievable,” Styles said. “Asuka’s amazing as well. They just have something that a lot of other — not just women, but men, just that some of them just don’t have. And I think that it’s because they were in Japan that they have this tenacity, maybe that’s what it is. And so, I just enjoy watching them work and just in awe of how good they are.”

Both the October 17 and October 18 events are being held at Sumo Hall. They could be the last time Styles — who was once a top star for NJPW — ever competes in Japan. He’s said that he plans to retire from in-ring competition within the next year.

It’s been announced that SKY and Rhea Ripley will challenge Giulia for the Women’s United States Championship in a triple threat match at the October 17 live event. The next night, SKY will team with Ripley against Raquel Rodriguez & Roxanne Perez.

Asuka, who is feuding with SKY on WWE television right now, will accompany Kairi Sane for a singles match against Giulia on the October 18 show.

The Japan house shows are happening the weekend after WWE’s trip to Australia for Crown Jewel: Perth. Styles will face off against John Cena at the October 11 PLE.

Asuka reflects on 10th anniversary of WWE debut

Posted on by Bryan Rose

Asuka is reflecting on ten years in WWE.

On social media Tuesday, the former Women’s Champion wrote in detail about her goals in WWE as she enters her tenth year with the company.

“I believe that ideals and convictions, what one sets out to achieve, hold more value than what one has actually accomplished. I have obtained every record, everything there is to obtain, but these are all merely waypoints. What has universal value and beauty is pioneering a new era, possessing the power to change the times,” she wrote.

“That’s why I pursue how I can bring change and ideals to the ring, creating ‘before and after Kana’ and ‘before and after Asuka.’ Creating a path is far more difficult than walking down a path that others have made. And therein lies the most beautiful aesthetic of all. For me, living as a pioneer and living with conviction, philosophy, and aesthetics is a very important way of life,” she added.

Asuka signed with WWE in 2015 and made her first NXT appearance back on the September 23 edition of the program. Two years later, she made her main roster debut. Throughout the years, she has won the WWE Women’s Championship three times, the Women’s World Championship once, and is a four-time WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion, holding the title twice with Kairi Sane as The Kabuki Warriors.