Asuka shares unfortunate news amid WWE absence

Four-time women's champion Asuka recently shared some unfortunate news amid her near-year-long absence due to injury. The Empress of Tomorrow is still recovering from knee surgery though her problems with online stalkers persisted late last month.

The 43-year-old WWE star has been on hiatus since May when she underwent knee surgery with no timeline for her return. She made headlines toward the end of January when she revealed on X, formerly Twitter, that she feared for her life due to online stalkers.

WWE and TKO stepped in to provide help for the international star, who was very thankful for the support she was getting. The stalkers persisted, and as of last week, the two-time NXT Women's Champion, called for them to stop harassing her.

In a post on Instagram, Asuka revealed that her X account had been hacked and warned her fans to stay vigilant and not become victims of fraud. A community note on her most recent X post explained that the hackers were from Germany, which means her account hasn't been recovered as of this writing.

Asuka has not wrestled for more than nine months, so it will be interesting to see if she returns on the Road to WrestleMania 41. All current and former members of Damage CTRL are on RAW, including Bayley, so a story can certainly be told if she's ready for her comeback.

However, it should also be pointed out that Damage CTRL has turned face since she last appeared. Kairi Sane is dealing with an arm injury as well.

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Asuka was rumored to return before Royal Rumble

Details about Asuka's knee injury have been scarce, but she's been out for nine months and counting. There were rumors about her potential return before the 2025 Royal Rumble, but The Empress of Tomorrow was not one of the surprise entrants during the women's Rumble match.

According to Fightful Select, WWE was reportedly discussing internal plans for Asuka. There was even a suggested tag team match for the Japanese star, but it was ultimately shot down.

Things are about to get busier in WWE as the Road to WrestleMania 41 heats up. The women's matches and feuds for the event are also starting to take shape, with two months before The Grandest Stage of Them All happens in Las Vegas.