Asuka delivered an emotional exit at WWE Backlash 2026 on May 9, when she embraced Iyo Sky in the ring and waved to the crowd before departing amid reports she has now become "semi-retired." It was Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio who first relayed that people were wishing her goodbye backstage and that she is "semi-retired," though he noted it is currently not known what that means.
Backstage, thoughts remain divided over whether Backlash marked Asuka's final appearance. Fightful Select reports that people inside WWE largely do not believe she is done wrestling, noting a unanimous belief among staff and talent that she remains highly valued internally, and pointing to her long-term contract extension signed in 2024. WWE has not formally commented on her status.
AJ Styles led the social media tributes, writing: "I don't know the facts, but I know Asuka will be a Hall of Famer." Bayley called Asuka and Iyo Sky "two of the rarest wrestlers in the entire world," and Rhea Ripley called their Backlash match "phenomenal."
Maxxedout's Take: The ambiguity around "semi-retirement" honors Asuka more than a clean goodbye would. She could return, she could go to Japan, or she may only appear sporadically. That open-ended farewell still respects one of WWE's most enduring performers. Whatever comes next, the Hall of Fame case is already written.
