Below are some top news stories of the day, involving Asuka and MJF.
• WWE will be missing one of its top talents for a while due to injury. Asuka has been sidelined following knee surgery. The injury became apparent in March when fans noticed her limping during the closing moments of a SmackDown episode. She had been teaming with Damage CTRL’s IYO SKY and Kairi Sane in losses to Bianca Belair, Naomi, and Zelina Vega at WWE house shows, before being written off TV.
Concerns about Asuka’s condition grew after she seemed to suffer a leg injury during a segment where Damage CTRL attacked Bayley. Despite the injury, Asuka continued to wrestle, including at Backlash France in April, where she and Kairi the WWE Women’s Tag Team Titles to Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill.
After announcing a break to address her knee injury, Asuka underwent surgery and began rehabilitation, documenting her recovery journey through various vlogs on her YouTube channel.
Fightful Select is reporting that Asuka is not expected to return to the ring by the end of the year according to people in WWE.
WATCH: Revealing Video Of WWE Star Asuka:
• At last night’s AEW x NJPW: Forbidden Door 2024 PPV, MJF defeated Hechicero in the opening match of the main show. In the main event, Swerve Strickland defeated International Champion Will Ospreay to retain the AEW World Championship.
On Busted Open Radio, MJF revealed that he has no plans to go after the AEW World Title right now and explained why:
“I know how to pick my spots. Right now is not the time. I know when the time is. Right now it’s not. Swerve is on a god damn roll. I don’t like him. I’d as far to say that I hate him. We don’t agree on anything. We look at professional wrestling in entirely different ways.
I’d say that I have more disdain for (Will) Ospreay than I do for him. I’ve never seen a guy more locked in than Shane Strickland is right now. Sorry, ‘Swerve’. The guy is absolutely locked in. He’s next level right now.
Do I want to deal with him at the moment, when he’s 100% and I am still healing from a shoulder injury? Do you think that’s bright? I’m a man that picks my spots.
Everyone else in this company is dumb. Everyone in this company works hard. Working hard is for suckers. It’s stupid. I work smart. That title will be around my waist again because I’m the best professional wrestler in the world.
The reason I’m the best in the world is because I’m the smartest professional wrestler in the world. Right now is not the time or the place.”
