5 potential allies for Asuka after the departure of Kairi Sane from WWE

#1 Io Shirai

You love to see it.#NXTGAB #WWENXT @shirai_io @WWEAsuka pic.twitter.com/lrzNs8e1Q8

— WWE (@WWE) July 3, 2020

Io Shirai is possibly one of the biggest female stars in NXT at the moment and is the current NXT Women's Champion. Before the pair both being WWE Superstars, they have worked together on the independent circuit in Japan when Asuka - then known as Kana - joined Io Shirai and her older sister Mio in a team dubbed the Triple Tails.

More recently, Shirai has become somewhat involved in the Asuka versus Bayley and Sasha Banks feud. At NXT: The Great American Bash earlier this year, Shirai and Banks went head-to-head in a non-title match. As the bout was coming to a head, Asuka made a surprise appearance to blast The Boss with a helping of green mist, allowing Shirai to pin Banks.

Bring. It. ON!#WWENXT #NXTGAB @shirai_io @SashaBanksWWE pic.twitter.com/9HokFvhFFC

— WWE (@WWE) July 2, 2020

The best friends were left furious with both Shirai and Asuka, teasing a chance for The Genius of the Sky to become entangled in the chaos further down the line. Although Shirai is currently working on the Black and Gold Brand in WWE, Superstars do often work across the different brands.