4-time WWE champion to turn heel after Asuka returns on RAW before Elimination Chamber? Possibility explored
Asuka is recovering from a serious knee injury she has been dealing with. She last competed in WWE back in May 2024. Nevertheless, the former Women's Champion is in the final stage of her rehabilitation and should return during the Road to WrestleMania.
In fact, she could return as early as the final RAW before Elimination Chamber this Monday night, when her Damage CTRL ally Dakota Kai challenges Lyra Valkyria for the Women's Intercontinental Championship.
This is a rematch from mid-January, when Lyra defeated Dakota in the finals and became the inaugural Women's Intercontinental Champion. Fast forward to today, the former NXT star aims to take revenge and dethrone Valkyria to claim her first singles title on the main roster.
However, if Lyra manages to win and retain the title, Kai might snap and attack her after the match, resulting in a heel turn and getting a new direction in her career on RAW.
This would also be the perfect opportunity for Asuka to come back and target Lyra Valkyria, challenging her to a match at WrestleMania 41. It would make sense for WWE Creative to take this direction since the reigning Women's Intercontinental Champion has named the Japanese superstar as a dream opponent.
Lyra Valkyria expresses a desire to face Asuka in a one-on-one match
According to the current Women's Intercontinental Champion, she was supposed to face the former Women's Champion in the spring of 2024, but the latter's serious injury forced WWE to cancel those plans.
Now, Lyra spoke with Pubity and expressed her desire to face the former Women's Champion once she is healthy again.
"A match that got away from me would be to face her. That would be pretty massive. When I was first debuting on Monday Night Raw, I’ll never forget watching Backlash in France and that’s when I discovered what my debut match would be, which was supposed to be Asuka. Unfortunately she got hurt and I ended up wrestling Dakota Kai...But yeah, that would definitely be a nice match to circle back to, to get to wrestle Asuka," Lyra Valkyria said.
That said, on Monday night on RAW, we will find out what is next for the Japanese superstar and if she will return to WWE more than nine months after her last appearance.