WWE described Asuka as "semi-retiring" to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter when contacted for an update, with the report noting she is returning to Japan for family business. Per the Wrestling Observer Newsletter: "When we contacted those in WWE, they described Asuka as semi-retiring. She is going back to Japan for now to take care of family related business. Nothing else is clear as far as if she should come back or if she does, will her role be different." Asuka remains under WWE contract. She signed a long-term contract extension in the summer of 2024, with most deals signed during that period running five years. A WWE higher-up described her as "always reliable, no matter what was thrown her way." No one inside WWE is believed to think the Backlash match was her final appearance. The situation is tied to an undisclosed family matter in Japan and is unrelated to the post-WrestleMania 42 release wave or the separate reports of WWE talent being asked to take pay cuts. The speculat...