Rise to Success: Career Highlights of Asuka (wrestler)

From career breakthroughs to professional milestones, explore how Asuka (wrestler) made an impact.

Kanako Urai, known as Asuka in WWE, is a highly regarded Japanese professional wrestler. Signed with WWE since 2015, she performs on the Raw brand. She is often considered one of the greatest women's professional wrestlers of all time due to her skills and accomplishments.

Sections (2)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements

June 16, 2004: Professional Wrestling Debut

On June 16, 2004, Kana, also known as Asuka, made her professional wrestling debut for AtoZ against Leo-na.

2004: Professional Wrestling Career Start

In 2004, Kana, also known as Asuka, began her professional wrestling career in the AtoZ promotion.

2006: Retirement from AtoZ

In 2006, Kana, later known as Asuka, retired from the AtoZ promotion due to injuries.

September 22, 2007: Wrestling Comeback

On September 22, 2007, Kana, also known as Asuka, made her comeback to professional wrestling as a freelancer.

2007: Return to Wrestling

In 2007, Kana, also known as Asuka, returned to professional wrestling as a freelancer, working with several promotions.

October 10, 2009: NEO Tag Team Championship Win

On October 10, 2009, Kana and Takahashi won the NEO Tag Team Championship, marking Kana's first wrestling title.

December 31, 2009: Lost NEO Tag Team Championship

On December 31, 2009, Kana and Takahashi lost the NEO Tag Team Championship to Ayumi Kurihara and Yoshiko Tamura.

January 24, 2010: Quit Passion Red

On January 24, 2010, Kana quit Passion Red.

April 29, 2010: Kana Pro First Event

On April 29, 2010, Kana held her first self-produced event, Kana Pro, where she lost to Meiko Satomura.

June 25, 2010: Smash Debut

On June 25, 2010, Kana debuted for Yoshihiro Tajiri's new Smash promotion, losing to Syuri in the main event of Smash.4.

2010: Regular Work for Pro Wrestling Wave

Towards the end of 2010, Kana started working regularly for Pro Wrestling Wave after NEO Japan Ladies Pro Wrestling folded.

January 10, 2011: Kana Pro Second Event

On January 10, 2011, Kana Pro's second event saw Kana and Yuki Ishikawa lose to Carlos Amano and Yoshiaki Fujiwara.

May 8, 2011: Triple Tails Show

On May 8, 2011, Triple Tails put together their own show.

July 24, 2011: Catch the Wave Tournament Win

On July 24, 2011, Kana defeated Ayumi Kurihara to win the 2011 Catch the Wave tournament.

August 3, 2011: Debut in the United States Reported

On August 3, 2011, it was reported that Kana would be making her debut in the United States in early October, working for Shimmer Women Athletes and Chikara.

January 19, 2012: Regaining the Smash Diva Championship

On January 19, 2012, at We Are Smash, Kana defeated Tomoka Nakagawa in a rematch to regain the Smash Diva Championship.

March 11, 2012: DDT Pro-Wrestling Debut

On March 11, 2012, Kana made her debut for DDT Pro-Wrestling and won the Ironman Heavymetalweight Championship, losing and regaining it multiple times in a battle royal, ending as a five-time champion.

April 5, 2012: Signing with Wrestling New Classic

On April 5, 2012, Tajiri named Kana as part of the roster of Wrestling New Classic (WNC). Kana signed a contract with WNC, making it her new home promotion, ending her freelancing days.

December 2012: Departure from WNC

Following her departure from WNC in December 2012, Kana began making more regular appearances for both Ice Ribbon and JWP.

February 24, 2013: Triple Tails.S Self-Produced Event

On February 24, 2013, Triple Tails.S held its first self-produced event in nine months, which saw Kana and Mio Shirai wrestle Arisa Nakajima and Ayako Hamada in a main event tag team match.

December 27, 2013: Disbanded Triple Tails.S

On December 27, 2013, Kana and Mio Shirai disbanded Triple Tails.S with their final self-produced independent event taking place in early 2014.

2013: Dual Shock Wave Tournament

From September 1 to October 6, 2013, Kana took part in the 2013 Dual Shock Wave tournament, where she teamed with Yumi Ohka, making it to the finals before losing to Las Aventureras.

February 25, 2014: KanaProMania in Korakuen Hall

On February 25, 2014, Kana produced an independent event titled KanaProMania in Korakuen Hall, which saw her defeat Meiko Satomura in the main event.

August 30, 2014: Consultant for Reina Joshi Puroresu

On August 30, 2014, Kana began working for Reina Joshi Puroresu as a storyline consultant.

January 12, 2015: Defense of Reina World Tag Team Championship

On January 12, 2015, Kana and Arisa Nakajima successfully defended the Reina World Tag Team Championship against Goya Kong and Muñeca de Plata.

July 2015: Catch the Wave Tournament Semi-Finals

In July 2015, Kana made it to the semi-finals of the 2015 Catch the Wave tournament, but lost to Yumi Ohka.

August 2015: Signed with WWE

In August 2015, Kanako Urai, now known as Asuka, signed with WWE and performs on the Raw brand.

2015: Signed Developmental Deal with WWE

In 2015, Urai signed a developmental deal with WWE and was assigned to NXT as Asuka, becoming the first Japanese female wrestler signed with the company in over 20 years.

January 13, 2016: NXT Battle Royal Participation

On January 13, 2016, Asuka participated in a battle royal to determine the number #1 contender for Bayley's NXT Women's Championship; she was eliminated second-to-last by Eva Marie.

2016: NXT Women's Championship Win

In 2016, Asuka won the NXT Women's Championship, holding the title for a record-breaking 510 days.

January 11, 2017: Nikki Cross Attacks Asuka

On January 11, 2017, episode of NXT, when Asuka was overpowered by The Iconic Duo (Billie Kay and Peyton Royce), Nikki Cross came to her rescue but then herself attacked Asuka.

September 11, 2017: Assignment to Raw Brand

On September 11, 2017, Asuka was assigned to the Raw brand.

2017: Move to WWE Main Roster

In 2017, Asuka moved from NXT to WWE's main roster.

January 28, 2018: Won the First Women's Royal Rumble

On January 28, 2018, at the Royal Rumble, Asuka won the first women's Royal Rumble match, entering at number 25 and lastly eliminating Nikki Bella.

2018: Women's Royal Rumble Winner

In 2018, Asuka became the inaugural winner of the Women's Royal Rumble match.

2018: WWE Superstar Shake-up and Survivor Series

In 2018, Asuka was drafted to SmackDown as part of the WWE Superstar Shake-up, aligning with Charlotte Flair and Becky Lynch. She also participated in the Survivor Series as part of Team Smackdown, where she was the last woman eliminated from Team SmackDown.

April 16, 2019: Formation of The Kabuki Warriors

On April 16, 2019, Paige announced on SmackDown that she would be managing a newly formed women's tag team, consisting of Asuka and Kairi Sane from NXT, later dubbed as "The Kabuki Warriors". They immediately feuded with The IIconics (Billie Kay and Peyton Royce) over the WWE Women's Tag Team Championship.

September 2019: KanaChanTV Launch

In September 2019, Urai launched her own gaming and cooking channel on YouTube, KanaChanTV. It features playthrough videos with her own bilingual English/Japanese commentary as well as lifestyle content.

2019: Drafted to Raw and Heel Turn

In 2019, as part of the WWE Draft in mid-October, Asuka and Sane were both drafted to the Raw brand. The duo further solidified their heel turn after Asuka spit green mist on their manager Paige, ending their association with Paige.

February 3, 2020: Raw Women's Championship Rematch

On the February 3, 2020 episode of Raw, Asuka demanded a rematch for the Raw Women's Championship title, in which Lynch accepted. However a week later on Raw, Asuka again failed to win the title.

2020: Women's Money in the Bank Winner

In 2020, Asuka won the Women's Money in the Bank ladder match.

2020: Most WWE Matches

In 2020, she competed in more WWE matches than all other superstars.

April 25, 2022: Return to Raw

After 9 months of inactivity due to her injury recovery, Asuka made her return on the April 25, 2022, episode of Raw, confronting Becky Lynch.

January 2023: Return and Elimination Chamber Win

In January 2023, after a brief hiatus, Asuka returned and participated in the 2023 Women's Royal Rumble match. She also won an Elimination Chamber match to earn a Raw Women's Championship match against Bianca Belair at WrestleMania 39.

November 10, 2023: Heel Turn and Damage CTRL Alignment

On the November 10, 2023 episode of SmackDown, Asuka turned on her teammates to reunite with Kairi Sane while joining Damage CTRL at the same time.

2023: Drafted to SmackDown and Championship Win

In 2023, Asuka was drafted to the SmackDown brand. She defeated Belair to win the Raw Women's Championship for the third time, ending Belair's record-setting title reign. The title was later renamed to the WWE Women's Championship.

2023: Elimination Chamber Match Win

In 2023, after her Elimination Chamber match win, Asuka became the first woman in WWE history to win the Royal Rumble, Money in the Bank, and Elimination Chamber matches.

January 26, 2024: WWE Women's Tag Team Championship Win

On the January 26, 2024 episode of SmackDown, Asuka and Sane, competing as the Kabuki Warriors, defeated Katana Chance and Kayden Carter to win the WWE Women's Tag Team Championship for the second time.

2024: Drafted to Raw and Injury

In 2024, Asuka was drafted to the Raw brand as a part of Damage CTRL. At Backlash France on May 4, Asuka and Sane lost their titles. Asuka later revealed that she was suffering from a knee injury for months and had successfully undergone surgery.

June 16, 2025: Return to Raw and Queen of the Ring Tournament

On June 16, 2025, Asuka made her return on Raw, entering the 2025 Queen of the Ring tournament and winning a fatal four-way in the first round. She lost in the finals to Cargill at Night of Champions.

January 5, 2026: Loss of WWE Women's Tag Team Championship

On the January 5, 2026 episode of Raw, Asuka and Sane lost the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship titles to Ripley and Sky, ending their reign at 56 days.