Asuka may be preparing to take time away from WWE programming, but a new report suggests the company still has immediate plans for her following the emotional scene at WWE Backlash.

According to Fightful Select, Asuka is currently expected to appear on tonight’s episode of WWE RAW despite widespread speculation surrounding her future after Backlash.

The report noted that Asuka’s upcoming absence has reportedly been planned internally for quite some time and is not connected to WWE’s recent wave of roster cuts following WrestleMania season.

“Asuka will be taking some time off, but is planned for tonight’s WWE Raw,” Fightful reported.

The outlet also directly addressed rumors linking her situation to the recent releases.

“Fightful Select is told that this has been planned for a while and is not related to the recent cuts.”

Asuka WWE Status Continues To Spark Questions

Speculation surrounding Asuka intensified after her emotional post-match moment with IYO SKY at Backlash. Following their student-versus-teacher match, the two shared a heartfelt embrace that many fans interpreted as a possible retirement farewell.

Reports later indicated that even some people backstage within WWE were unsure whether the scene was intended to represent a goodbye or simply the end of a chapter in her current storyline.

Further confusion emerged after Dave Meltzer reportedly referred to Asuka as “semi-retired” while also admitting uncertainty regarding exactly what that meant in her specific situation.

Meanwhile, PWInsider previously reported that Asuka remained aligned with WWE and had been physically present in Knoxville, Tennessee ahead of RAW.

Fightful’s latest update appears to support earlier reports suggesting that WWE views the situation as a temporary break rather than a full retirement from wrestling.

That outlook would also align with previous reports stating that Asuka signed a long-term WWE contract during the summer of 2024.

For now, WWE has not officially clarified the timeline for Asuka’s expected absence, but with her reportedly still scheduled for RAW, fans could receive additional answers very soon regarding what comes next for one of WWE’s most accomplished stars.

Asuka Expected For Tonight’s WWE RAW

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