Asuka will be making her long-awaited return to the ring following a lengthy absence due to injury in the Queen of the Ring tournament. "The Empress of Tomorrow" will compete in a fatal four-way match that is reportedly set for next week, according to Cory Hays of BodySlam. WWE quietly announced her return in the reveal of the Queen of the Ring bracket.
She is set to take on "WWE Raw's" newest member, former NXT Women's ChampionStephanie Vaquer, one-half of the Women's Tag Team Champions Raquel Rodriguez, and Ivy Nile in the first round. The winner of the match will go on to face the winner of "WWE SmackDown's" Charlotte Flair, Alexa Bliss, Chelsea Green, and Candice LeRae. The tournament finals will take place at Night of Champions in SaudiArabia later this month, and the winner of Queen of the Ring tournament will get a title shot at SummerSlam.
Asuka has been on the sideline since suffering a knee injury that required surgery back in May 2024. Her last match was a defeat alongside Kairi Sane, where the team lost the Women's Tag Team Championships to Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill.
