5 facts you didn't know about WWE's 'Empress of Tomorrow' Asuka

#4. Asuka briefly retired from wrestling back in 2006

Asuka is now a household name in the wrestling world, but her career direction could have been very different since the former Champion was forced to retire back in 2006.

Asuka's career began back in 2004, but when it became clear that she was struggling with Nephritis the following year, the Japanese star was forced to briefly walk away from the wrestling industry.

For fans who are not aware, Nephritis is a condition that causes inflammation of the kidneys and is often caused by an infection. Asuka's version of the condition is chronic, which is why she was forced to announce her retirement from the business just 18 months after making her debut.

Luckily, Asuka was able to overcome the condition, and the following year in September 2007, The Empress of Tomorrow made her return to the ring and seemingly put her health struggles behind her. The fact that her strand of the illness is called "chronic" means that it's not curable but she's obviously found a way to manage the condition so that she can still wrestle at the same time.