Asuka, born Kanako Urai on September 26, 1981, in Osaka, Japan, is a Japanese professional wrestler signed to WWE since 2015. As of 2026, she is 44 years old, was WWE’s Raw brand member of Damage CTRL, and is currently on an indefinite personal hiatus from WWE television following an emotional farewell segment at WWE Backlash 2026 — though WWE has not announced her retirement or release.
That’s the short answer. Below is a complete, fact-checked breakdown of everything people search for around “Auska” — a common misspelling of Asuka — including her wrestling career, personal life, her connection (or lack of one) to the Evangelion anime character, and even the unrelated Lithuanian hotel that shares her name.
Table of Contents
| Section | What It Covers |
| Quick Facts Table | Snapshot bio data |
| Who Is Asuka? | Identity and background |
| Real Name & Age | Kanako Urai, birth date, current age |
| WWE Career Timeline | Debut to present |
| Is Asuka Retiring? | 2026 status update |
| Husband & Personal Life | Marriage rumors, family |
| Asuka’s Look Without Makeup | Face paint explained |
| Notable Rivalries | Sasha Banks, Rhea Ripley, IYO SKY |
| Asuka Figures & Merchandise | Collectibles |
| Evangelion’s Asuka Langley | The anime character (different Asuka) |
| Vila Auska, Palanga | The Lithuanian hotel (different “Auska”) |
| Comparison Table | Real Asuka vs. Anime Asuka vs. Hotel |
| Key Takeaways | Fast summary |
| FAQs | 12 direct answers |
| Conclusion | Wrap-up |
Quick Facts Table: Asuka (WWE)
| Detail | Information |
| Real Name | Kanako Urai (浦井 佳奈子) |
| Ring Name | Asuka (formerly “Kana”) |
| Date of Birth | September 26, 1981 |
| Age (2026) | 44 years old |
| Birthplace | Osaka, Japan |
| Height | 5 ft 3 in (160 cm) |
| WWE Debut | September 2015 (NXT) |
| Main Roster Debut | 2017 |
| Current Brand (last confirmed) | WWE Raw, Damage CTRL |
| Titles Won | Multiple-time WWE Women’s Champion, SmackDown Women’s Champion, NXT Women’s Champion, WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion |
| Notable Records | 2018 inaugural Women’s Royal Rumble winner; 510-day NXT Women’s Championship reign |
| 2026 Status | On indefinite personal hiatus; not officially retired |
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Who Is Asuka? A Quick Introduction
Asuka is the WWE ring name of Kanako Urai, one of the most decorated women’s wrestlers in WWE history. She is known for her striking face-painted look, aggressive kick-based offense, and the nickname “The Empress of Tomorrow.”
Many people search for her under the misspelling “Auska” — this article covers that person, along with a few unrelated things that share the same or a similar name, so you get a complete answer regardless of what you actually meant.
Before joining WWE, she built a respected career in Japanese independent wrestling under the name Kana, becoming known as one of the best all-around competitors in the sport, regardless of gender.
What Is Asuka’s Real Name?
Asuka’s real, legal name is Kanako Urai. This is confirmed by WWE’s own profile pages and independent wrestling databases.
- Full birth name: Kanako Urai (浦井 佳奈子)
- Nickname used before WWE: Kana, Kana-hime, Princess Kana, Skull Reaper Kana, Ramen Woman
- WWE ring name since 2015: Asuka
She adopted the name “Asuka” when she signed with WWE’s developmental brand, NXT, in September 2015, dropping her longtime independent-circuit name “Kana.”
How Old Is Asuka? (Age Explained)
This is one of the most frequently searched questions about her.
- Date of birth: September 26, 1981
- Place of birth: Osaka, Japan
- Current age (as of 2026): 44 years old
She turns a year older every September 26, so if you’re reading this after that date in a given year, add one year to any older source you find online — many outlets quote outdated ages because they were published before her birthday.
Asuka’s Wrestling Career Timeline
Pre-WWE Career (2004–2015)
- Debut: June 16, 2004, for the Japanese promotion AtoZ, under the name Kana
- Retired briefly in 2006 due to chronic nephritis (a kidney condition), then returned in 2007–2008 as a freelancer
- Wrestled for JWP Joshi Puroresu, NEO Japan Ladies Pro Wrestling, Pro Wrestling Wave, Reina Joshi Puroresu, Smash, and Wrestling New Classic
- Won championships including the JWP Openweight Championship, NEO Tag Team Championship, Reina World Women’s Championship, Smash Diva Championship, and Wave Tag Team Championship
- Widely praised by respected wrestling critics; Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter once called her one of the best workers in WWE, regardless of gender, shortly after her signing
WWE NXT Era (2015–2017)
- Signed with WWE in August 2015, becoming the first Japanese female wrestler to join the company in over 20 years
- Debuted under the new ring name “Asuka” in September 2015
- Won the NXT Women’s Championship and held it for 510 days — the longest reign of any title in WWE’s modern expansion era at that point
- Built the “longest undefeated streak in WWE history,” reported at 914 days
Main Roster Career (2017–2026)
- Promoted to the main roster in 2017
- Won the first-ever Women’s Royal Rumble match in January 2018
- Became the only woman in WWE history to win the Royal Rumble, Money in the Bank, and Elimination Chamber matches
- Multiple-time WWE Women’s Champion and SmackDown Women’s Champion
- Five-time WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion (three reigns with Kairi Sane, one with Charlotte Flair, one with Alexa Bliss)
- Became a WWE Women’s Grand Slam Champion and Triple Crown Champion
- Aligned with the Damage CTRL faction alongside Kairi Sane and IYO SKY on the Raw brand
Is Asuka Retiring From WWE? (2026 Update)
This is the single most searched question right now, so here’s the clearest, most current picture based on verified wrestling-industry reporting.
What actually happened
- At WWE Backlash 2026 (Tampa, Florida, May 2026), Asuka lost a singles match to her former protégé IYO SKY.
- After the match, the two shared an emotional embrace, and Asuka waved goodbye to the crowd.
- The following night on Raw, Asuka told IYO SKY she was glad SKY could “fill her spot,” then left the arena carrying a suitcase.
- Commentator Michael Cole called her status “up in the air” on air.
What insiders reported
| Source | Reported Status |
| Dave Meltzer (Wrestling Observer) | Described her as “semi-retired” |
| Fightful Select (Sean Ross Sapp) | Said she asked WWE for time off for a personal family matter in Japan; not released, not asked to take a pay cut |
| PWInsider | Reported she remains aligned with WWE |
| ViperReports (BodySlam) | Said she is “out indefinitely” for undisclosed personal reasons, and that full retirement was not confirmed |
What Asuka herself said
About two weeks after Backlash 2026, Asuka posted a video on her personal YouTube channel confirming she is in Japan handling a personal matter and stated she is still officially signed with WWE, adding that fans could see her “pop up” again unexpectedly.
Bottom line: As of the most recent reporting, Asuka has not retired and has not been released. She is on an open-ended personal hiatus, with WWE reportedly hoping for her eventual return. There is no confirmed return date.
Does Asuka Have a Husband? (Personal Life)
This is a heavily searched topic, but the honest, verified answer is: there is no confirmed, official information about Asuka’s husband or marital status.
Here’s what’s actually out there:
- Some fan sites and social posts have floated names like “Jadarius McKenzie” or “Daisuke Ura” as a possible husband, but neither claim is verified by a primary or reliable source.
- WWE storylines (including comments from other wrestlers like Becky Lynch) have referred to Asuka as a mother, which is a commonly repeated detail — but WWE segments are scripted entertainment, so this should be treated with caution as confirmation of real life.
- Asuka is known to keep her personal and family life almost entirely private, which is common among Japanese entertainers and athletes.
What we know for certain
- Before wrestling, she worked as a graphic designer and video game journalist and reportedly owns a hair salon in Yokohama called “Another Heaven.”
- She has no verified public spouse, and no wedding, marriage certificate, or official WWE/personal announcement has confirmed a husband’s identity.
If you see an article confidently naming her husband, treat it as speculation rather than fact unless it cites Asuka directly or an official source.
Asuka Without Makeup: What Does She Actually Look Like?
Asuka is instantly recognizable for her elaborate face paint, which she has used as part of her wrestling persona since her early Japanese independent career. Fans frequently search “Asuka no makeup” out of curiosity about her natural appearance.
- The face paint is a performance and character choice, not a permanent feature.
- She has appeared without her signature face paint in press events, red-carpet appearances, backstage content, and social media posts, where she looks like any other performer out of character.
- The paint design has changed slightly over the years but generally includes bold black-and-white patterns around the eyes and cheeks.
There’s nothing unusual or newsworthy about this — it’s standard practice for many wrestling characters (similar to Sting, Finn Bálor’s “Demon” persona, or Doink the Clown) to use face paint as part of their in-ring identity.
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Is Asuka a Man? Addressing a Common Search
This question appears frequently in search data, almost always driven by her muscular, athletic build and aggressive wrestling style — not by any factual basis.
- Asuka is a woman, born and living as Kanako Urai.
- She has competed exclusively in WWE’s women’s division since joining the company in 2015.
- The confusion largely stems from her powerful, stiff striking style, which is unusually hard-hitting compared to some other performers, plus her face paint obscuring typical “soft” visual cues some fans associate with femininity.
This is a common, though ultimately baseless, question that circulates around athletic female wrestlers, MMA fighters, and bodybuilders due to size and strength — not due to any verified fact about the individual.
Notable Rivalries: Sasha Banks, Rhea Ripley, and IYO SKY
Asuka has had a long list of high-profile opponents across her decade in WWE. A few of the most searched match-ups:
- Asuka vs. Sasha Banks: The two faced off in a widely praised NXT match during Asuka’s rise on the black-and-gold brand, part of what built Asuka’s reputation as one of NXT’s most dominant competitors.
- Asuka vs. Rhea Ripley: As two of the most physically dominant women on the main roster, Asuka and Ripley have crossed paths in singles and multi-woman matches over the years as top stars of the women’s division.
- Asuka vs. IYO SKY: This rivalry, rooted in their shared Damage CTRL history, became the most significant story of Asuka’s later WWE run, culminating in their emotionally charged match at WWE Backlash 2026.
If you’re looking for exact match dates, finishes, or specific pay-per-view results for any single bout, WWE’s official match archive (WWE.com) and Cagematch.net are the most reliable places to verify specifics, since match cards can vary and exact details shift with each event.
Asuka Action Figures and Merchandise
WWE has released multiple licensed Asuka figures over the years through its partnership with Mattel, as part of standard WWE Superstars and Elite figure lines. These typically include:
- Standard WWE Basic Superstars figures
- WWE Elite Collection figures (higher detail, accessories, alternate hands/face-paint designs)
- Occasional WrestleMania-exclusive or Damage CTRL multi-packs
Buying tip: If you’re shopping for an Asuka figure, check for the official WWE/Mattel hologram or authentication sticker on the packaging — unlicensed knockoff figures are common on third-party marketplaces.
Important: This Is a Different Asuka — Evangelion’s Asuka Langley Soryu
If your search actually led you here because of the anime character, here’s a quick, clear distinction so you don’t confuse the two.
Asuka Langley Soryu is a fictional character from the anime series Neon Genesis Evangelion, created by Hideaki Anno and produced by studio Gainax (later Khara for the film series). She is one of the three main Evangelion pilots, known for her fiery, competitive personality and her red Evangelion Unit-02.
- She is not related in any way to WWE wrestler Asuka (Kanako Urai).
- The names are simply a coincidental overlap — “Asuka” is a common Japanese given name.
- Fans of the anime sometimes search “Asuka” expecting anime content and land on wrestling results, or vice versa, because search engines can’t always tell the two apart from a bare name search.
If you were looking for anime content, merchandise, or analysis of Asuka Langley, that’s a separate topic from WWE’s Asuka and deserves its own dedicated research.
Another Unrelated “Auska”: Vila Auska in Palanga, Lithuania
Because “Auska” is also searched as a travel term, it’s worth clarifying: Vila Auska (also called Apartamentai Auska or “Breznevo Vila Auska”) is a real hotel/apartment complex in Palanga, Lithuania — a Baltic Sea resort town.
- Address: Vytauto g. 11, LT-00101, Palanga, Lithuania
- Type: Villa-style hotel/apartment complex built in 1973, known for late-Soviet modernist resort architecture
- Features: Indoor pools with natural seawater, sauna, tennis and basketball courts, free Wi-Fi, and proximity to the beach (roughly 80–260 feet depending on the specific building/unit)
- Reviews: Generally rated “good” (around 7.9–8/10 across booking platforms), with guests praising the beachfront location and criticizing dated interiors in some units
This has nothing to do with the WWE wrestler — it’s simply a coincidental name match, but it appears in the same keyword cluster due to shared spelling, so it’s included here for completeness.
Comparison Table: The Three Different “Asuka/Auska” Results
| WWE Wrestler Asuka | Evangelion’s Asuka Langley | Vila Auska (Palanga) | |
| What it is | Real person, professional wrestler | Fictional anime character | Hotel/apartment complex |
| Real name | Kanako Urai | N/A (fictional) | N/A |
| Origin | Osaka, Japan | Neon Genesis Evangelion anime | Palanga, Lithuania |
| Known for | WWE championships, face paint, kicks | Piloting Evangelion Unit-02 | Baltic seaside resort stays |
| Current relevance (2026) | On personal hiatus from WWE | Ongoing anime franchise legacy | Active hotel booking listings |
Key Takeaways
- Asuka’s real name is Kanako Urai, born September 26, 1981, in Osaka, Japan — she is 44 years old as of 2026.
- She debuted professionally in 2004 as “Kana” and joined WWE in 2015, becoming the first Japanese woman to sign with the company in over 20 years.
- She holds numerous WWE records, including a 510-day NXT Women’s Championship reign and being the only woman to win the Royal Rumble, Money in the Bank, and Elimination Chamber matches.
- As of the most recent reports (2026), Asuka has not retired. She is on an indefinite personal hiatus following an emotional farewell segment at WWE Backlash 2026, and she has personally confirmed she remains signed to WWE.
- There is no verified information confirming a husband’s name — treat any specific name you find online with skepticism.
- Her face paint is a performance choice, not a permanent trait; she looks like a typical person without it.
- “Asuka is a man” is a baseless, frequently searched myth with no factual basis.
- The name “Asuka/Auska” also refers to two completely unrelated things: the Evangelion anime character Asuka Langley, and Vila Auska, a hotel in Palanga, Lithuania.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is Asuka’s real name in WWE?
Her real, legal name is Kanako Urai. “Asuka” is her WWE ring name, adopted in 2015.
How old is Asuka (WWE)?
She was born September 26, 1981, making her 44 years old as of 2026.
Did Asuka retire from WWE?
Not officially. She is reportedly on an indefinite personal hiatus after WWE Backlash 2026, but she has confirmed she remains signed with WWE and expects to return.
Is Asuka leaving WWE for good?
There is no confirmation of a permanent departure. Multiple wrestling insiders describe her situation as a personal, open-ended break rather than a release or formal retirement.
Who is Asuka’s husband?
This is not publicly confirmed. Names occasionally mentioned online are unverified rumors, not confirmed facts.
Does Asuka have kids?
This has been referenced in WWE storyline dialogue (calling her a mother), but there’s no independently verified, non-storyline confirmation of her having children.
When did Asuka debut in WWE?
She debuted in WWE’s developmental brand, NXT, in September 2015, and moved to the main roster in 2017.
What does Asuka look like without makeup?
Her face paint is part of her wrestling character. Without it, she looks like any performer out of character — the paint isn’t a permanent or physical feature.
Is Asuka a man?
No. Asuka is a woman. This search query is a common myth tied to her muscular build and face paint, not any verified fact.
Is Asuka related to the Evangelion character Asuka Langley?
No. They share a common Japanese first name by coincidence only; one is a real WWE wrestler, and the other is a fictional anime character from a completely separate franchise.
What is Vila Auska in Palanga?
It’s a hotel and apartment complex on the Baltic coast in Palanga, Lithuania, unrelated to the wrestler Asuka.
What titles has Asuka won in WWE?
She has held the WWE Women’s Championship, SmackDown Women’s Championship, NXT Women’s Championship, and WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship (five times), among other accolades, including being a Grand Slam and Triple Crown Champion.
Who has Asuka feuded with in WWE?
Some of her most notable rivals include Sasha Banks, Rhea Ripley, Charlotte Flair, Becky Lynch, and — most recently — her Damage CTRL stablemate IYO SKY.
Conclusion
“Asuka,” often misspelled as “Auska,” most commonly refers to Kanako Urai, the 44-year-old Japanese WWE wrestler known for her face paint, record-setting title reigns, and years of dominance in the women’s division. As of 2026, her WWE future is genuinely uncertain but not over — she’s on a personal hiatus, not a confirmed retirement, and she has said so herself.
If you landed here searching for something else entirely — the Evangelion character Asuka Langley Soryu, or the Vila Auska hotel in Palanga, Lithuania — those are unrelated topics that simply share a similar name, and each deserves its own separate deep dive if that’s what you’re actually after.