Asuka Returns, Confronts Becky Lynch On WWE Raw

After more than nine months out of action, Asuka returned on Monday's episode of Raw in Knoxville, TN.

Asuka appeared during the segment in which Becky Lynch made her first appearance since losing the Raw Women's title to Bianca Belair at WrestleMania 38 earlier this month.

Lynch addressed the crowd, vowing to regain the title from Belair, when Asuka's music suddenly hit.

Asuka affirmed that nobody is ready for her, and lightly hit Lynch in the face. Lynch threw a punch at Asuka, missed, and then slid out of the ring after Asuka attempted to hit her with a spinning backfist.

The last time Asuka and Lynch shared the ring together was in May of 2020, when Lynch (due to pregnancy) surrendered the Raw Women's title to Asuka (fresh off winning the women's Money in the Bank ladder match the night before).

Asuka has not appeared for WWE since last year's Money in the Bank pay-per-view on July 18, where she took part in the six-way women's ladder match that was won by Nikki ASH. A photo tweeted by Asuka last August showed her arm to be in a sling, though the nature of the injury isn't clear.