Former WWE Women's Champion Asuka Is Reportedly "Semi-Retired"

One of the most accomplished and beloved WWE superstars of the 21st century is reportedly "semi-retired" now.

17-time world champion John Cena retired after losing his final match to Gunther in December. A.J. Styles retired after his loss to Gunther at this year's Royal Rumble pay-per-view. Although not confirmed, the assumption is that Brock Lesnar's loss to Oba Femi at WrestleMania 42 was the final chapter of his illustrious career.

Now, it sounds like a former WWE Women's Champion and future Hall of Famer is also getting ready to ride off into the sunset.

Speaking on Wrestling Observer Radio after Saturday's Backlash 2026 pay-per-view, Dave Meltzer reports that Asuka is now "semi-retired." The 44-year-old lost her singles match to Iyo Sky last night.

"So, the story I heard is that she is semi-retired," Meltzer said. "I haven't really gotten an exact meaning of what semi-retired means, but I guess people were wishing her goodbye and things like that backstage. So I don't know if that means she's going to Japan and still wrestle. I don't know if that means she's going to still do stuff here and there, but I was told semi-retired."

As Meltzer notes, it's unclear what "semi-retired" means in Asuka's case. Many former WWE talents will stick around in backstage roles and/or make occasional appearances at major events, as John Cena did yesterday.

Asuka Is a Lock for the WWE Hall of Fame

We'll have to wait for clarity on Asuka's status, and what exactly "semi-retired" means. But if Saturday was her final match, there wasn't a much better way to write the final chapter of her career.

Asuka signed with the WWE in 2015 and became one of the company's top superstars. She won the inaugural women's Royal Rumble match in 2018 and the women's Money in the Bank ladder match in 2020.

She won the WWE Women's Championship three times (tied for the third-most reigns) and the SmackDown Women's Championship once. A five-time Women's Tag Team Champion, Asuka is also part of the women's triple crown champion club.

Without question, she'll soon be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.

This story was originally published by Men's Journal on May 10, 2026, where it first appeared in the Entertainment section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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This story was originally published May 10, 2026 at 12:44 PM.