Asuka is not committing to retirement.

The former Women's Champion's status has been a matter of much speculation following her Backlash loss to IYO SKY and apparent farewell segment on the following episode of Raw.

The WWE star finally broke the silence on her status with a brand new video on her YouTube channel late Thursday night. Speaking in Japanese, Asuka claimed that she had been super busy the past few days but she has returned to social media now that things have finally settled down a bit:

"It’s already been about two weeks since my last match at Backlash. I know there are a ton of rumors flying around out there. People asking, ‘Are we ever going to see Asuka wrestle again?’ ‘Is she going back to Japan?’ ‘Is she leaving WWE?’ The truth is, it was a personal matter. I reached out to WWE and we talked it through."


While she did not directly confirm or deny the rumors of her in-ring retirement, the wrestling veteran noted that she is still at the top of her in-ring game. She explained that people had started taking her presence for granted because she was around regularly for so long. Asuka suggested that part of the reason for her move was to change this perception:

"But remember… nothing lasts forever. Everything is finite. You see, I’m not just a wrestler by trade. I’m a designer, too. Even the way I live my life has to be art. I’m sure you’re all wondering what’s next for me and how I’ll be involved with TV and the tours moving forward. But don’t forget—I am still officially with WWE. So there’s a chance I might just pop up in front of you when you least expect it!"

Asuka then talked about the impact she made upon first arriving in WWE and told people to cherish any glimpse of her in the future because it's going to be rare. She ended the short video promising to be more active on social media to stay connected with the fans.