Former WWE Women's Champion Asuka returned to action in grand style this week by defeating Stephanie Vaquer, Raquel Rodriguez, and Ivy Nile in a first-round Queen of the Ring tournament match on "WWE Raw." Immediately afterward, she invoked her catchphrase, asserting that no one was ready for her. Asuka has since issued a follow-up statement to her competitors and fans, courtesy of X.
"I wasn't gone. I was holding power inside," she wrote alongside a photo of herself in full-face makeup. "The fire never died it's still alive. Now...It's time to burn again."
Prior to Monday, Asuka last wrestled at WWE's Backlash premium live event in May 2024, when she and Kairi Sane lost the WWE Women's Tag Team Championships to Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill. "The Empress of Tomorrow" stayed on the sidelines for over a year due to a knee injury, which she later underwent surgery for. While WWE expected her to miss the remainder of 2024 as well as WrestleMania 41, creative plans regarding her return were reportedly still discussed in the early months of 2025.
With her opening round win, Asuka will now move on to face Alexa Bliss, a former tag team partner, in the semi-finals of the Queen of the Ring tournament. On the other side of the bracket stands Jade Cargill and fellow "Raw" star Roxanne Perez. The victors of the semi-finals will then take on each other in the tournament finals at WWE Night of Champions on June 28, with the "Queen" claiming the crown and a world title shot at SummerSlam.
