Backstage reason why Asuka was pulled from the Queen Of The Ring Tournament - Reports
The WWE Universe expected Asuka to compete in the Queen Of The Ring Tournament that kickstarted this week on WWE RAW. However, her Damage CTRL member, Dakota Kai, announced that she was injured and was replaced at the last moment. A report from Fightful Select followed up on the same.
Asuka has had a forgettable few weeks. The former WWE Women's Tag Team Champion, along with Dakota Kai and Kairi Sane, lost a six-woman tag team match last month at WrestleMania to the team of Jade Cargill, Bianca Belair, and Naomi. Over the weekend, Damage CTRL's losing streak continued when The Kabuki Warriors lost the Women's Tag Team Title to Cargill and Belair at Backlash in France.
The 42-year-old was scheduled to face Lyra Valkyria in the first round but was eventually replaced by Dakota Kai. According to Fightful Select, the former champion's injury was indeed legitimate.
''Asuka's injury is indeed legitimate! Corey Brennan of Fightful Select heard she was at the show,'' the report stated.
Meanwhile, the latest edition of RAW proved to be a mixed bag for Damage CTRL. While former WWE Women's Champion IYO SKY advanced to the next round of the 2024 Queen of the Ring tournament, Dakota Kai failed to seal her spot as she lost to Lyra Valkyria. IYO SKY will face either Shayna Baszler or Zelina Vega in the second round.
What is Asuka's poor WrestleMania record?
The former WWE SmackDown Women's Champion has been one of the most dominant wrestlers in the company. At one point, Asuka was undefeated for over 500 days. The Japanese star has held numerous titles during her stint in the Stamford-based promotion. However, her record on The Grandest Stage of Them All leaves plenty to be desired.
Her first loss in WWE came against Charlotte Flair at WrestleMania 34. Since then, The Empress Of Tomorrow has been unable to claim a win at The Show of Shows. The Damage CTRL member has competed at six editions of WrestleMania and has lost at every one of them. Her most recent loss came this year when she, Dakota Kai, and Kairi Sane lost to the team of Naomi, Bianca Belair, and Jade Cargill.
It will be interesting to see how The Kabuki Warrior recovers from the recent setback. Sportskeeda wishes the veteran superstar a speedy recovery!