At WWE Backlash, Asuka and IYO SKY finally met inside the ring after months of buildup. It was years in the making since they go way back in Japan and being members of Damage CTRL.
The Genius of the Sky outlasted her mentor, hitting her with the Over The Moonsault for the pinfall victory. Asuka was visibly emotional after the match and even broke kayfabe to hug SKY in the middle of the ring.
It appeared as a goodbye from The Empress of Tomorrow, leading to a lot of retirement speculation since she posted a cryptic message on Instagram before Backlash.
Backstage Update on Asuka’s WWE Status
GettyAsuka in action during the WWE Live Singapore at the Singapore Indoor Stadium on June 27, 2019 in Singapore.
According to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer, Asuka was saying her goodbyes backstage, though her status is reportedly “semi-retired.” It’s unclear if she’ll be staying in WWE and have special matches here and there or continue to wrestle in Japan.
“The story I heard is that she is semi-retired,” Meltzer said, via WrestlePurists. “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.”
Meltzer added, “I don’t know if that means she’s going to Japan and still wrestle. I don’t know if that means she’ll do stuff here and there, but I was told semi-retired.”
Asuka has been with WWE since 2015, starting in NXT and becoming the longest reigning NXT Women’s Champion in history. She held the title for 510 days and even had a 914-day winning streak.
The Empress of Tomorrow is considered one of the greatest female WWE Superstars in history. She was a five-time WWE Women’s World champion, a five-time WWE Women’s Tag Team champion, a Money in the Bank winner and a Royal Rumble winner.
WWE even recognized her as the fifth greatest female WWE Superstar ever just behind Trish Stratus, Charlotte Flair, Becky Lynch and Chyna, as per Fightful.
IYO SKY Sends Message to Asuka After WWE Backlash
GettyIyo Sky makes her entrance before a triple threat match against Naomi and Rhea Ripley during the WWE 2025 SummerSlam at MetLife Stadium on August 03, 2025 in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, IYO SKY broke her silence regarding her win over Asuka at WWE Backlash. SKY wrote an emotional message and shared several pictures with her mentor, further increasing the speculation about the legend’s retirement status.
“Our story comes to its final chapter with today’s match. The moment the match ended, my heart was filled with all sorts of emotions. Meeting ASUKA-san, spending the same time together, being able to learn so much up close — These are irreplaceable treasures to me. Thank you so much ASUKA-San. We love you, ASUKA-San,” SKY tweeted.
The Genius of the Sky has arguably turned into one of the most popular WWE Superstars on the roster over the past two years. She also has a claim to being the best in-ring performer in the world today.
SKY wasn’t the only member of the WWE roster to send a message to Asuka after Backlash. Bayley, Natalya and Charlotte Flair also appreciated the contributions of the 44-year-old legend to the business.
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