On the June 16th edition of Monday Night RAW, Asuka returned to in-ring action. She came back for her first match after 13 months on the sidelines due to a knee injury. As she made her entrance for her scheduled bout, Asuka came out wearing a demonic-looking mask. Interestingly, the mask was designed by Jason Baker, a close companion and collaborator with Wyatt.
Baker famously made Wyatt’s iconic “Fiend mask” and was an instrumental force in his entire character development. Baker took to his X this week to reveal his role in making Asuka’s latest mask, tweeting, “New mask for @WWEAsuka. Created by me & Brian McGuire.”
Asuka received a loud pop upon her arrival at RAW after more than a year. She was set to compete in the Fatal 4-Way opening round of the Queen of the Ring tournament. The Empress of Tomorrow was scheduled to face Stephanie Vaquer, Ivy Nile, and Raquel Rodriguez. She delivered a captivating performance inside the squared circle, fighting tooth and nail against her opponents.
Towards the end of the bout, Raquel Rodriguez had the upper hand. However, Rhea Ripley appeared and took her out with a Riptide in the outside area. She then rolled Rodriguez into the ring. Asuka saw the moment and executed the Empress attack on her, pinning her for the three-count.
With her victory, the former WWE Women’s Champion advanced to the semi-finals of the Queen of the Ring tournament. She will battle Alexa Bliss, who won her opening round match on SmackDown. Furthermore, with Asuka making a huge impact while also having a connection with a legend like Bray Wyatt on her return night, the latest return of “The Empress” has gotten off to a remarkable start.
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