Asuka’s absence leaves a massive void in the WWE women’s division

There are a lot of names that would be missed if they weren’t on television week after week. Asuka’s absence from WWE has left a major void in the women’s division that the company has yet to be able to replace. As news and rumors about her status continue to swirl, the one thing everybody will agree upon is that the entire roster and WWE Universe is ready to welcome Asuka back with open arms.

On Wednesday, Asuka’s name was trending across Wrestling Twitter as rumors and news began percolating. The narrative was that WWE has “nothing” for her creatively and that she’s ready to return. Fightful Select reported that afternoon that per their WWE sources, Asuka is still listed on the inactive lists and that the “optimistic return is around Spring.” No creative is prepared for her because she is not available yet.

This is an unfortunate, yet understandable update. While fans want to see Asuka on television as soon as possible, if she’s unable to return at this time everyone will have to be patient. But it is clear that there’s a massive opening that she’s needed to fill and thankfully Asuka has all the talent and the fanbase to do so. During the latest WWE Draft, she was left as a free agent, which lends to a lot of questions about where she can fit when she returns.

First things first, Asuka must be kept away from Charlotte Flair on SmackDown. Whenever possible, WWE Creative has booked Flair as the ultimate foil to Asuka. It would be hard to trust for booking that would see Asuka finally get the victory over Flair, even though this is something fans have pushed to occur. Flair’s booking on SmackDown hasn’t helped elevate that title, which is also another unfortunate situation within the women’s division. Keeping Asuka away, for the time being, is the best step to take.

Then there’s the idea of Asuka being booked in fresh matchups on Monday Night Raw. If Bianca Belair comes out of WrestleMania with the Raw Women’s Champion, she would be an excellent opponent for her heading into SummerSlam. With other possible matches against the likes of Doudrop, Rhea Ripley, and Liv Morgan on the same brand, WWE has the opportunity to slot Asuka right into the perfect spot upon her return.

The WWE Universe misses Asuka. She was one of the individuals that carried the company during the early COVID-19 pandemic. Since July, she hasn’t been in a match, and the wrestling world is ready to welcome her back with open arms. Hopefully, she gets the booking that her talent and star power deserve.