WWE Return Notes On Asuka And Other Women's Division Stars

Asuka could be returning to the WWE ring before March.

A new report from PWInsider notes that WWE officials are hoping that Asuka will return from shoulder surgery by the end of the month.

While the hope is that Asuka will be back in action before March, that timeframe is not 100% as everything depends on when she will be medically cleared and written back into the storylines.

It was recently reported that Asuka was being targeted for a return in time for WrestleMania 38, but now they're looking at later this month. There were rumors on Asuka being a Royal Rumble entrant last month, but that obviously never happened. Asuka has not appeared on WWE TV since Money In the Bank 2021 back in July. She's dealt with the injury since then, but there hasn't been much said about her status or return, despite numerous inquiries.

In an update on Bayley, she is still expected back by the end of March. She underwent surgery to repair a torn ACL back in mid-July after suffering the injury while training in the ring at the WWE Performance Center. It was noted then that she was expected to be on the shelf for around 9 months, or mid-April, but now she is expected back a few weeks early. It will be interesting to see if Bayley is able to make WrestleMania 38 as she was unable to wrestle at WrestleMania 37 last year. She did appear for segments on both nights, but did not wrestle.

Lacey Evans is also expected back in the near future. She has been away from WWE since announcing her pregnancy on the February 15, 2021 edition of RAW. She gave birth to her second child on October 16, and resumed training in November. Evans has been teasing her return on social media.

There's no word on why Sasha Banks has been out of action since the Women's Royal Rumble Match last month. She suffered a foot injury on January 2 at a WWE live event, and WWE had reported that she would be out of action for 6-8 weeks. However, she was cleared to return shortly before The Rumble, but has not been seen since then. Banks entered The Rumble at #1, and lasted 9:44 before being the third elimination, tossed out by WWE Women's Tag Team Champion Queen Zelina Vega. She eliminated Melina and Kelly Kelly.

Banks' recent social media posts have indicated that she was in Los Angeles for a few weeks, which led to speculation on The Boss filming for the third season of The Mandalorian. Filming on the Star Wars series began back in October and was expected to last until March 23. The third season is expected to hit Disney+ during the second half of this year. Banks debuted as Koska Reeves in the second season of the hit show, and has developed more of a following due to her role in the series, which includes new merchandise and other opportunities.

Stay tuned for more.