Asuka Returns After 408 Days, Advances in Queen of the Ring Tournament – After 408 days away from the ring, Asuka made her long-awaited return during WWE’s Queen of the Ring tournament and wasted no time reasserting her dominance. on the 6/16 episode of WWE RAW, The Empress of Tomorrow competed in a chaotic four-way elimination match against Ivy Nile, Stephanie Vaquer, and Raquel Rodriguez — and emerged victorious.
The match opened with a flurry of offense as Raquel targeted Asuka, while Vaquer and Ivy went toe-to-toe. Asuka and Vaquer delivered stereo superkicks to Raquel, followed by quick-paced exchanges and reversals. Raquel used her power early, hitting a powerbomb that stacked Asuka on top of her opponents. She followed up with fallaway slams, but her momentum was halted when Ivy chop-blocked her, allowing Asuka to respond with a precise kick.
The bout featured standout sequences from Vaquer, including a series of aggressive strikes, a dragon screw to Asuka, and a suplex barrage on both Ivy and Raquel. Vaquer also hit Ivy with Devil’s Kiss, and later a springboard crossbody to Raquel on the outside. Asuka attempted her signature Asuka Lock on Vaquer, but the CMLL standout fought out of it with corner offense.
Inside the ring, Ivy nearly stole the win with a German suplex and forearm assault, but Asuka turned the tide. A massive Tower of Doom spot unfolded with Raquel lifting Ivy and Vaquer on her shoulders while Asuka launched a missile dropkick from the top. Vaquer followed up with an electric chair drop for good measure.
The closing moments saw chaos erupt as each competitor unloaded their finishers. Vaquer hit a butterfly facebuster, and Ivy countered with a Side Effect. Raquel seemed poised to win with the Tejana Bomb on Vaquer — until Rhea Ripley returned and pulled Raquel to the floor. Ripley, out for revenge from their past encounters, leveled Raquel with a RipTide and threw her back into the ring.
Seizing the moment, Asuka struck Raquel with a running hip attack and secured the three-count to advance in the Queen of the Ring tournament.
After the match, Cathy Kelley asked Asuka what this return means for her. Asuka declared:
“The fire didn’t die. It still burns. I will be Queen of the Ring. No one is ready for Asuka.”
Asuka will now face Alexa Bliss in the tournament’s next round, and with her return performance, she’s once again positioned as a top threat in WWE’s women’s division.
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Asuka Returns After 408 Days, Advances in Queen of the Ring Tournament
