Another one of Vince McMahon’s rules has seemingly been scrapped, judging by what happened on last night’s Monday Night Raw.

McMahon retired from all roles with WWE in July, following allegations of misconduct with female employees.

The 77-year-old billionaire is alleged to have paid millions in non-disclosure agreements to multiple women who have worked for WWE.

Scrapping the Rule

During last night’s Raw, the main event saw Alexa Bliss and Asuka win the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship from Damage CTRL.

Before the match begun, referee Shawn Bennett was mentioned by name, something that was banned under the previous regime.

McMahon infamously banned the use of referee names years before his retirement, after hearing a name he did not recognise during a WWE Live event.

Speaking on Talk is Jericho in 2020, former WWE official Mike Chioda explained how McMahon made his decision.

“He was like, ‘Who is this? Whose name is this?’ And they said, ‘Oh it’s the referee.’ He goes, ‘Goddammit, I am done hearing the referee’s name. I don’t want to hear the referee’s name no more.”

The win this week marks the third Women’s Tag Titles for Bliss and Asuka, albeit with different partners.

Asuka now holds the record for the most tag partners, having won the titles with Kairi Sane, Charlotte Flair, and now Bliss.

More Changes

WWE has undergone several changes since McMahon’s retirement, including ending some of his long-standing rules.

Not long after his departure, WWE began using the term Hospital again, while McMahon had preferred the vague ‘Local Medical Facility.’

In September, it was reported that WWE had reversed a rule banning tag-team partners from attacking when not the legal participant.

RAW Women’s Champion Bianca Belair battled Nikki Cross tonight in a non-title match. Nikki returned last week with her old gimmick and interfered in the main event between Belair and Bayley.

Nikki attacked Belair and Bayley capitalized with a pinfall victory. Cross attacked Bayley after the match as well. Belair defeated Nikki Cross tonight on RAW but Damage CTRL attacked the champion after the match.

Asuka and Alexa Bliss returned and helped Belair fend off Damage CTRL. They then challenged Dakota Kai and IYO SKY to a match for the Women’s Tag Team Championships in this week’s main event. Bayley and Bianca Belair were ringside for the match and wound up brawling into the timekeeper’s area.

Bayley sent Bianca through a table with a Bayley to Belly as Alexa hit Twisted Bliss for the pinfall victory. Bliss and Asuka are the new Women’s Tag Team Champions.

Alexa Bliss & Asuka React to Winning the Women’s Tag Titles

Cathy Kelly caught up to the new champions backstage in a WWE Digital Exclusive interview. Bliss revealed that they are exhausted after winning the titles as Asuka celebrated and yelled “we are champions!”. Alexa added that they knew they could overcome Damage CTRL.

Bayley will look to bring gold back to Damage CTRL this Saturday at WWE Crown Jewel. The Role Model will once again battle Bianca Belair for the RAW Women’s Championship.

It will be a Last Woman Standing match this time at the premium live event this Saturday. The EST successfully defended her title against Bayley in a Ladder match at WWE Extreme Rules last month. Bianca will have to keep Bayley down for a ten count this Saturday to leave Crown Jewel as the champion.

• WWE Crown Jewel 2022 Preview

The June 10 episode of WWE SmackDown has gone off the air but there was some action after the fact.

This week’s edition of the blue brand’s show featured an Intercontinental Title match between Ricochet and Gunther. Fans also got to see Riddle go one-on-one with “honorary Uce” Sami Zayn.

Riddle won the match and he will move on to challenge Roman Reigns for the WWE Undisputed Universal Championship on June 17.

The action has held inside the Raising Cane’s River Center in Baton Rouge, LA.

Once Cameras Stopped Rolling

Once SmackDown went off the air, fans got to see a championship match.

Raw Women’s Champion Bianca Belair put her gold on the line against Asuka. The match was said to have been very good.

Natalya Speaks After Attacking Ronda Rousey

In a WWE social media exclusive, Natalya answered the question of why she attacked Ronda Rousey from behind during the show.

Here’s what she had to say:

“Ronda Rousey comes here and she’s got an entourage of people that kiss her ass. She makes everybody around her jump through hoops but she can’t make me jump through hoops.

“Because I’m the one person in this company that has seen Ronda at her very most vulnerable. I’ve seen her when she is at her weakest.

“When Ronda Rousey came into this business, I told her when to show up at my gym. I told her when she could leave my gym. And now, I’m gonna let her know when I kick her ass.”

Name changes aren’t new in WWE but this venue botch takes the cake.

WWE superstars will be making their way to the Hard Rock Live at Etess Arena in Atlantic City, NJ on Aug. 14. This is being billed as a “Sunday Stunner” event. In other words, it’s a house show.

This live event is set to feature the likes of Seth “Freakin” Rollins, Asuka, Bianca Belair, Becky Lynch, and others.

Introducing “Franklin” & “Ashule”

Reddit user “chairduck” noticed something rather odd on the official venue page advertising this particular “Sunday Stunner” show.

The page listed Seth’s nickname as “Franklin.” Asuka’s name is completely butchered, as she is referred to as “Ashule.”

Someone call Maffew of Botchamania.

Asuka has been feuding with Becky Lynch. The two challenged Bianca Belair for the Raw Women’s Championship at Hell in a Cell on June 5 in a triple threat match. Belair picked up the win to successfully retain her gold.

As for Franklin Rollins, he recently attacked an injured Cody Rhodes despite suffering three losses in a row to “The American Nightmare.” While not official, one has to figure Seth will be in the Money in the Bank match on July 2nd.

Asuka made her return from being on the sidelines on Monday’s episode of WWE Raw. It happened when Becky Lynch was cutting a promo about losing the Raw Women’s Title to Bianca Belair at WrestleMania 38. This marked her first appearance on WWE TV since that match. 

Lynch talked about vacating the title 3 years ago and she doesn’t know who she is without the title. Lynch said that she’s hit rock bottom but views this is the start of a legendary comeback and she reminded everyone that she’s still a heel when she insulted the fans.

Asuka came out to the ring and said that she would stop Lynch because “nobody is ready for Asuka.” Ironically, Asuka was the star who was awarded the Raw Women’s Title in 2020 after it was vacated by Lynch due to her pregnancy

Asuka was last seen in action when she worked last year’s Women’s Money in the Bank Ladder match that was won by Nikki ASH, who later cashed on to win the Raw Women’s Title.

In January, there were rumors about her returning during the Royal Rumble but that didn’t happen. Asuka was medically cleared last month after recovering from shoulder surgery.

Asuka’s long absence from WWE TV is reportedly coming to an end.

The former multiple-time women’s champion hasn’t been seen in action since July 2021. Many wondered when the “Empress of Tomorrow” would show up again. That wait is about to be over if a report from Fightful Select holds true.

The report notes that there are plans in place to have Asuka return to Raw. It’s been said that she will be starting a program, at least short-term, with Becky Lynch as soon as April 25.

For months, Asuka has been slamming rumors regarding her status. She took aim at reports claiming she was medically cleared back in March.

Stick with SEScoops tomorrow night for live coverage of WWE Raw.

Asuka is once again calling out rumors about her status with WWE.

The Empress of Tomorrow has been the subject of a great deal of speculation. Her most recent match for WWE took place at Money in the Bank 2021. When she wasn’t seen on television for weeks, then months, fans began to wonder about her condition.

Back in August 2021, Dave Meltzer reported in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Asuka was healthy to compete, but left a Raw taping early because she wasn’t being used. Asuka denied the report, calling it “totally wrong” and a fake story.

“Nothing has been revealed,” wrote Asuka last summer. “That information is totally wrong. Really different. Completely different. Everything is different. I would like to ask the information provider. Don’t make a fake story.”

It later came out that Asuka had shoulder surgery and also got some new teeth implanted.

Asuka Update

The latest report from Asuka comes from PWInsider, which stated that the hope was for her to return in February but “obviously there’s been nothing for her creatively.”

The 3x WWE Women’s Champion has emerged to once again debunk incorrect rumors about her

She also called into question a report that she’s medically cleared.

Whenever she does return, Asuka is sure to make a big impact on WWE’s women’s division. A lot has transpired since we last saw Asuka on television. WWE has released many female competitors, including Nia Jax, Ember Moon, Eva Marie, Toni Storm, Tegan Nox and more. We’ve also seen the returns of Becky Lynch and Ronda Rousey.

We are just days away from the 2022 Royal Rumble and the rumor mill is in overdrive regarding potential surprise appearances.

According to Fightful Select, WWE has discussed Asuka returning to compete in the Women’s Royal Rumble match. This is not a confirmation that she will appear, but the report states that several wrestlers in WWE believe Asuka will be there this Saturday.

Asuka has been away from WWE for over six months. Her last televised appearance took place at Money in the Bank on July 18, 2021. The report shares that she had been dealing with injuries since her last WWE appearance but can’t confirm if doctors medically cleared her to wrestle.

WWE surprised fans by adding Impact Wrestling Women’s Champion Mickie James to the Women’s Royal Rumble. The company also announced legends like Lita and Summer Rae as participants.

Some of the talent in WWE also wouldn’t know if they will be on the Royal Rumble card until that day. While WWE discusses Asuka as a surprise, they could also change their minds.

The 2022 Royal Rumble premium live event airs this Saturday on Peacock in the United States and the WWE Network everywhere else.

A number of WWE superstars have become free agents after not being picked by any brands during the WWE Draft including the former women’s champion Bayley.

Brock Lesnar announced during night 1 of WWE Draft at last week’s SmackDown that he had become a free agent thanks to his advocate Paul Heyman.

A number of other stars then became free agents after they weren’t mentioned during the main or additional drafts on night 2 of WWE Draft.

The list of people who have become free agents include Brock Lesnar, Asuka, Bayley, Elias, Eva Marie, Gran Metalik, John Cena, Lacey Evans, Lince Dorado, Shane McMahon, Slapjack and Titus O’Neil.

Out of these names, both Metalik and Lince Dorado are said to be unhappy with their bookings as of late. Reports even suggested that Gran Metalik has asked for his release from the company.

Though WWE has announced that the roster changes made during the Draft will not come into effect until the Crown Jewel PPV which will be taking place on October 21.

So it’s likely that at least some of these free agents will be assigned a brand before that. It would be interesting to see which brand talent like Asuka and Bayley end up on.

Former Raw and SmackDown Women’s Champion Asuka may have revealed why she’s been out of action.

Asuka hasn’t been seen on WWE TV since the July 18 Money in the Bank PPV. “The Empress of Tomorrow” competed in the women’s money in the bank match in a losing effort. Nikki A.S.H. ended up winning the match and she successfully cashed in her briefcase the following night.

In a Twitter post, Asuka let fans know that she has a new set of teeth but she was also in an arm sling.

Dave Meltzer of The Wrestling Observer Newsletter previously reported that health issues weren’t to blame for Asuka’s absence. At the time of the report, Meltzer claimed she left a Raw taping early simply because she wasn’t being used.

Asuka was none too pleased with the report and took to her Twitter account to deny it.

“Nothing has been revealed. That information is totally wrong. Really different. Completely different. Everything is different. I would like to ask the information provider. Don’t make a fake story.”

As far as Asuka being seen in an arm sling is concerned, there is no update at this time. If anything on the matter surfaces, SEScoops will keep you up to speed.

Asuka is well aware of reports regarding her WWE absence and she has disputed them.

Asuka hasn’t been seen on WWE television since the July 18 Money In The Bank PPV. She competed in the women’s MITB match, which was won by Nikki A.S.H. Many were wondering where “The Empress of Tomorrow” had gone.

Dave Meltzer of The Wrestling Observer Newsletter reported that Asuka’s absence has nothing to do with health-related issues. Meltzer also claimed that Asuka was in attendance for a recent Monday Night Raw taping but left early since she wasn’t being used.

Asuka caught wind of the report and took to her Twitter account to deny it.

“Nothing has been revealed. That information is totally wrong. Really different. Completely different. Everything is different. I would like to ask the information provider. Don’t make a fake story.”

Asuka is one of the most decorated women’s wrestlers in the industry. She made a name for herself in Japan as Kana, which is short for her real name. Since transitioning to the world of WWE, Asuka became a two-time Raw Women’s Champion, a former SmackDown Women’s Champion, and a former NXT Women’s Champion.

Time will tell when “The Empress of Tomorrow” will return to the ring. One thing we know for sure is she’s none too pleased with reports on her absence.

Asuka hasn’t been seen on WWE programming in recent weeks. The absence of the former women’s champion has made many fans wonder about her health.

The latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter provides some updates on her situation and confirms that her absence isn’t related to any health reasons.

According to the report, Asuka is fine and the officials are just not using her for anything. She was also present at the recent Raw tapings but left early after learning that she wasn’t going to be used:

“For those asking about Asuka, she is fine. She’s just not being used for anything right now. She was at the Raw tapings early but left early since she wasn’t being used. “

The former champion last wrestled on WWE TV during the Money In The Bank PPV. She competed in the female ladder match which was won by Nikki A.S.H.

Asuka had been involved in the title picture for long before this. She held the Raw women’s championship for 231 days before dropping it to Rhea Ripley at the WrestleMania 37 event earlier this year.

Since her absence is not related to any health issues, the former NXT star shouldn’t stay away for long. Though it’s still hard to say when exactly she will be back on WWE TV.

Asuka is one of the most decorated champions in modern-day WWE. She’ll have a chance to win the RAW Women’s title again as well this Sunday at WrestleMania Backlash. There was a time when Asuka was ready to give up on her pro-wrestling dream, however. She spoke to ET Canada about the experience.

“I want to say to Asian girls, don’t give up on your dreams! When I was 16, I wanted to be a WWE superstar. One day I asked my mom can I be a WWE superstar, and she said, ‘No, you have to go college! I also told my high school teacher, ‘I want to be a WWE superstar.’ She laughed and said, ‘Don’t be silly.’ I was shocked.”

Asuka continued to say that she gave up on her dream and decided to go to college. She began training as soon as she graduated, however. She’d hit another obstacle in 2006, however.

“I had no choice,” she continued. “I gave up on my dream once, I went to college and after graduating from college, I started training, I couldn’t give up on my dream. My friends gave me confidence, ‘You can do it, you can do it!’ I called a wrestling company in Tokyo. I left my hometown of Osaka, Japan. Now I am a WWE superstar. Don’t give up on your dream!”

Asuka’s pro-wrestling dream hit another rough patch in 2006 when she retired due to chronic inflammation of the kidneys, a condition known as Nephritis. She didn’t wrestle a match from December 2005 until September 2007. It would be Asuka’s mother, who had once implored her not to go into wrestling, that encouraged her to not give up on her dream, however.

“I had a problem, but I want to entertain people. It’s my goal. My mother told me I have to fight again,” Asuka said of this time.

Asuka’s sometimes friend sometimes rival Becky Lynch has a similar story. After debuting in 2002, Lynch retired (aside from a couple of appearances) from 2006-2013 before being signed to WWE. It seems notable that two of the greatest women’s wrestlers in the world both toyed with the idea of giving up around the same time.

Asuka was also asked about potential opponents she would like to face one day. She listed some surprising names!

“I want to wrestle with Triple H and Ric Flair,” Asuka teased. “I fought many great WWE superstars. Oh, [I want to wrestle] Ronda Rousey. One day!”

WWE RAW Women’s Champion Rhea Ripley recently appeared on the Out of Character podcast with Ryan Satin. The Australian Superstar discussed a number of topics during the interview, including her struggle to ‘come out of her shell’ on WWE’s ‘main’ roster.

In NXT, Rhea Ripley had a character that was far more about doing the talking in-ring. As the RAW Women’s Champion, Ripley needs to address some of the shortcomings that she has on the microphone and as a ‘presence.’

“My confidence isn’t huge in my everyday life,” Ripley began. “I’m a really shy person and I’m not good at keeping a conversation and being a larger-than-life person.”

Rhea Ripley on Confidence

“When I’m in the ring, that’s where I get all my confidence and where I get to be Rhea Ripley,” she continued. “But still myself, which is weird to say out loud because it doesn’t make sense but then it does when you’re there doing it.”

“I want to be myself, as in Rhea Ripley” she concluded. “But I want to have that confidence that everyone else seems to have all the time. I’m working on it.”

Rhea Ripley seems to indicate here that she is taking classes to help her work on her promo ability. Working alongside the likes of Charlotte Flair, she’ll be ‘competing’ against one of WWE’s most seasoned performers.

On Monday’s Raw, Charlotte Flair was added to the RAW Women’s Championship match at WrestleMania Backlash. That contest will now be a Triple Threat with Rhea Ripley defending her title against Asuka and The ‘Queen.’

WWE has confirmed the latest title match that will take place at the WrestleMania Backlash PPV event and that’s Rhea Ripley vs. Asuka vs. Charlotte Flair.

Ripley will put the Raw Women’s Title on the line against the former champion. Then on Raw, WWE confirmed that Flair had been added to the match and now it’s a triple threat.

Ripley beat Asuka for the strap at the WWE WrestleMania 37 pay-per-view event last month from Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. 

There had been speculation that WWE would have Charlotte Flair wrestle either Asuka or Ripley at this show since she had been cutting promos about the two stars since returning to television a few weeks ago. 

WWE presents the WrestleMania Backlash pay-per-view event on Sunday, May 16, 2021, from Tampa, Florida at Yuengling Center that will air on Peacock. WWE will be announcing more matches for this show in the coming weeks. 

WWE Champion Bobby Lashley vs. Drew McIntyre vs. Braun Strowman in a triple threat match and WWE SmackDown Women’s Champion Bianca Belair vs. Bayley have already been confirmed for this show. 

Charlotte Flair recently returned to WWE television following WrestleMania 37. The former RAW Women’s Champion returned to face Asuka on this week’s episode of RAW, with Rhea Ripley interrupting the match and causing Flair to be distracted and lose to Asuka.

Following the match, Charlotte Flair attacked WWE referee Eddie Orengo. This caused Flair to be ‘fined’ (in storyline) by Adam Pearce to the sum of $100,000.

Even though Flair has only just returned, she is now back off of WWE programming. The reasoning for this is Flair getting dental work done, this is according to a report from Alex McCarthy on the Wrestling Daily podcast.

Charlotte Flair on Suspension

Flair reacted to the storyline news on Twitter, alluding to a potential feud with Rhea Ripley down the line on Monday nights.

“This whole thing sped past ridiculous, jumped over absurd and landed right on stupid” Flair tweeted. “The top two wrestlers in WWE having a classic match on the flagship show, and for what? To be ruined by a petulant child with Road Warriors cosplay shoulder pads.”

“They found one other thing as well: audacity” Flair added. “The audacity to fine me. The audacity to physically remove me from MY RING and remove me from a building with MY NAME on the marquee. The fine? The suspension? Adam Pearce? All the same, a joke.”

Checking In From Somewhere

Meanwhile, the 13-time Women’s Champion appears to be enjoying her time away from WWE. The daughter of Ric Flair checked in this week from an exotic location. Here she is with her man, former WWE Superstar Andrade.

• Andrade: Charlotte Flair Was Pulled From WrestleMania 37 After WWE Thought She Was Pregnant

Asuka stepped into the ring with Rhea Ripley with the Raw Women’s Title on the line at Sunday’s WWE WrestleMania 37 pay-per-view event from Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida on Peacock.

The match saw both wrestlers get plenty of offense. At one point, Asuka hit a DDT off the apron. Ripley won with the Riptide for the win. 

Originally, Charlotte Flair was slated to challenge Asuka for the title but then a turn of events changed that. Flair was informed by WWE that she wasn’t medically cleared because they thought she was pregnant, which ended up being a mistake on the behalf of the company. Then, Flair tested positive for COVID-19.

With Flair on the sidelines, WWE made the call to have Ripley take her place with the idea that they could always add Flair into the match and make it a three-way bout. 

Ripley dropped the NXT Women’s Title to the daughter of Ric Flair at WrestleMania then went into a feud with her and Io Shirai for the title on NXT TV. Shirai later dethroned Flair for the title. Ripley was also an entrant in the 2019 women’s Royal Rumble.

What are your thoughts on Ripley winning the Raw Women’s Title? Was this the right call by WWE officials? Sound off in the comment section.

Rhea Ripley has ended speculation as to what she would be doing when she was called up to the main roster. 

The former WWE NXT Women’s Champion did so during Monday’s episode of Raw. It happened after Asuka had beaten Peyton Royce. This led to Ripley coming out to the ring and challenging Asuka for the strap at WrestleMania 37. 

It was previously reported by PWinsider.com that she was headed to the main roster soon and then WWE started airing hype videos for her debut. Ripley’s Last Woman Standing match loss to Raquel Gonzalez at NXT New Year’s Evil special was planned to be her final appearance for the brand. Dave Meltzer later reported that her moving to the main roster was imminent. 

Ripley held the NXT Women’s Championship once during her time in the developmental system after winning the title from Shayna Baszler in December 2019. 

Ripley made some main roster appearances in the build-up to WrestleMania 36 last year during her feud with Charlotte Flair. 

WWE presents WrestleMania 37 on Saturday, April 10th, and Sunday, April 11, 2021 from Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida that will air on Peacock. WWE will be announcing more matches for this show in the coming weeks.

After being on the sidelines, Asuka made her return to in-ring action on Monday Night Raw. 

The Raw Women’s Champion did so by taking on Shayna Baszler in a non-title match on the show. The match saw Asuka score the pinfall victory as the champion reversed the Kirifuda Clutch into a roll-up. Following the match, Asuka shoved Baszler’s face into the turnbuckle with a kick. 

Asuka had been out of action since the February 22nd episode of Raw when she worked a tag team bout alongside Charlotte Flair against Baszler and Nia Jax. This is where she was kicked in the mouth and lost a tooth. 

There was speculation that she suffered a concussion when this happened, but since WWE doesn’t confirm this type of injury it wasn’t known until Dave Meltzer reported it last week. 

Before WWE had announced Asuka was back, the uncertainty about her WrestleMania 37 status was brought up as the problem with a concussion is that someone could be fine in a short amount of time while in other instances it will keep a wrestler out of action for a long period of time. Thus, her match at Mania was in jeopardy of not happening, but that’s no longer the case. 

Asuka is currently penciled in to defend the Raw Women’s Championship against Charlotte Flair at WrestleMania 37.

Asuka, who is the current WWE Raw Women’s Champion, is nowhere to be seen in the newly-released official poster of WrestleMania 37. The poster was released on Sunday, which features the “Back in Business” tagline along with the company’s biggest stars. The poster includes the company’s top stars namely WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns and Drew McIntyre in the center, along with WWE SmackDown Women’s Champion Sasha Banks, Charlotte Flair, Bianca Belair, WWE Champion Bobby Lashley, and 2021 Royal Rumble winner Edge. The poster even features WWE 24/7 Champion Bad Bunny, but not “The Empress of Tomorrow.”

Asuka lost a tooth during a tag team match teaming up with Charlotte Flair against Shayna Baszler and Nia Jax on Raw’s February 22 episode. In the match, Baszler accidentally delivered a swift kick on Asuka’s face. It was later reported that the Japanese star not only suffered physical damage to her teeth, but she also suffered a concussion due to the kick. The Raw Women’s Champion has not been seen taking part in active competition since then and there has been no word on how long she will be on the shelf.

The absence of Asuka from the WrestleMania 37 poster puts her WM status as well as the defence of the title at the show up in the air. Concussions are very tricky, there’s no set time for recovery, depending on the damage.

As for the card for WrestleMania 37 so far, only two matches have been confirmed. Roman Reigns would defend his Universal Championship against Edge and Sasha Banks would defend her SmackDown Women’s Championship against Bianca Belair. Although it’s not confirmed yet, it’s very likely that Drew McIntyre would challenge Bobby Lashley for the WWE Championship — after defeating Sheamus in a reportedly planned Last Man Standing Match at Fastlane.

Raw women’s champion Asuka is reportedly dealing with a concussion.

The February 23 episode of Monday Night Raw saw the Empress Of Tomorrow teaming up with Charlotte Flair for a match against Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler.

Not only did Asuka suffer a loss in the bout but the women’s champion also lost some of her teeth thanks to a brutal kick from Shayna Baszler.

Now the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter is reporting that the Japanese star not only suffered physical damage but the kick also resulted in a concussion.

Asuka hasn’t taken part in active competition since then and there is no word on how long she might have to stay out of action before being allowed back in the ring by WWE doctors.

While the plans have not been confirmed, there are rumors that Flair is currently scheduled to challenge the former NXT women’s champion for the Raw women’s title at WrestleMania 37 this year.

• Asuka Loses Tooth During WWE Raw Match

This new report, however, puts a question mark over these plans and it’s making fans wonder if this could force the management to change the plans for the bout.

If this does happen, it will be the second time Flair’s WrestleMania plans have to be altered as she was originally pencilled to face Lacey Evans before the latter announced her pregnancy.

There are several updates on injured WWE Superstars currently available. According to comments made on Wrestling Observer Radio, Wes Lee really does have a broken hand, Asuka may have more than just a busted tooth, and Kacy Catanzaro is not injured significantly.

“(Asuka) probably got a concussion too,” said Dave Meltzer after it was noted that she suffered a broken tooth on last week’s RAW. “I’m relatively certain she got a concussion because when nobody says it, that’s usually what it means.”

Asuka took a boot to the face from Charlotte Flair, who was actually her teammate against Shayna Baszler and Nia Jax that led to the injury. There is no timetable for her return.

It was also noted during the discussion that Kacy Catanzaro’s “broken leg” in NXT is just an angle.

“It’s not like she’s 100% but she’s fine,” Meltzer said about Catanzaro. In storyline, Catanzaro’s leg was broken by Xia Li as part of her and Kayden Carter’s rivalry with her and Boa.

MSK’s Wes Lee really did break his hand, however. The injury angle on NXT was done to explain why Lee will really be missing some time.

“Wes Lee did have a broken hand, he got it in the tag-team match with Grizzled Young Veterans on the Takeover show on one of his dives. That’s why there’s no tag-team title match with Lorcan and Burch against MSK that was originally scheduled for Wednesday’s show because he’s hurt,” Meltzer said.

Lee Tweeted out an x-ray of the injury:

Asuka, who competed in a losing match during this week’s Monday Night Raw, also ended up losing a tooth with a swift kick to the face. The reigning Raw Women’s Champion was teaming up with Charlotte Flair to take on the team of Women’s Tag Team Champions Shayna Baszler and Nia Jax in a non-title match.

During the match, Shayna Baszler landed a hard shot to Asuka’s face while The Empress was performing an armbar on Nia Jax. Asuka had no way to block her face from Baszler’s kick. You can check out the brutal shot in the GIF from the match below:

After the match, Asuka pushed Charlotte Flair away, and Flair seemed to have walked out on her. Asuka still had her mouth covered with her hand, selling the injury:

It was later confirmed by Charly Caruso on Raw Talk that Asuka had indeed suffered a broken tooth during the match. According to PW Insider, Asuka was checked by WWE medical when she returned backstage, however it’s not certain if she’s diagnosed with an injury and if it will affect her appearance next week.

The Empress of Tomorrow was set to defend her Raw Women’s Championship initially against Lacey Evans at the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view event, that match was however nixed due to Evans’ real life pregnancy. The match was not officially called off from the card, however — as Asuka was even advertised to appear in a match for the event — finally being pulled from the event without any notice.

While WWE seems to be building towards a match between Asuka and Zelina Vega for the Raw women’s championship at the upcoming Clash Of Champions PPV, new reports reveal that the original plans for the title were different.

Dave Meltzer reported on the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter that Shayna Baszler was originally slated to challenge The Empress for the Raw women’s championship at the upcoming PPV.

However, the company changed the plans for the title match when the former NXT Women’s Champion was paired with Nia Jax and the two won the women’s tag team championships.

The duo of Baszler and Jax are now scheduled to defend the women’s tag titles against Ruby Riott and Liv Morgan or The Riott Squad at the upcoming PPV.

• Also Read: Undertaker Reveals If He Ever Talked To Sting About A Potential Dream Match

Asuka on the other hand, does not have an announced match for the show yet but WWE is building a feud between her and Zelina Vega.

This week’s episode of Raw saw Vega walking away from Andrade and Angel Garza and she then had a confrontation with the Raw Women’s Champion later in the show.

With only one Raw episode left to go before the next WWE PPV, it’s likely that we will see a brawl between the two female stars at the next episode of the show and the company will announce a match between the two afterwards.

Asuka ended up working not just two matches, but for two titles on two seperate brands – RAW and SmackDown. 

She did so when she challenged Sasha Banks for the RAW Women’s Title and then battled Bayley for the SmackDown Women’s Championship at the WWE SummerSlam pay-per-view event in Orlando, Florida from the WWE ThunderDome. 

First up was the SmackDown Women’s Title Match. This contest saw constant interference by Banks, which played into the finish as Asuka was distracted three straight times and that allowed Bayley to roll her up for the win. 

The second title match was for the RAW Women’s Title, which really kicked off this feud. Asuka won this match and the title once again. The finish saw Asuka knock Bayley off the apron and locked in the Asuka Lock to Banks for the win. 

Asuka had won a Battle Royal on an episode of SmackDown to earn the right to challenge Bayley for the title at this show. Others who competed in this contest were Ruby Riott, Liv Morgan, Teagan Knox, Shotzi Blackheart, Naomi, Shayna Baszler, Lacey Evans, Bianca Belair, Dana Brooke, Nikki Cross, Peyton Royce, and Billie Kay.

The first match between Banks and Asuka took place at Extreme Rules that saw a controversial finish that ultimately didn’t count because Bayley counted the pinfall. Banks then dethroned Asuka as the champion a few weeks ago on RAW. 

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