Naomi was not medically cleared, and it affected Asuka in a big way - Reports

Naomi’s absence on RAW due to medical reasons seemingly affected Asuka in a major way. The Women’s World Champion was scheduled for a title defense against IYO SKY on the night, but hours before the show, WWE announced that she wasn’t medically cleared to compete.

Later, Michael Cole confirmed during the show that Naomi was injured. This apparently led to a change in plans for The Empress of Tomorrow. PWInsider Elite has reported that WWE is looking to fast-forward Asuka’s heel turn due to The Glow’s absence.

The report stated that the breakup of The Kabuki Warriors and Asuka turning heel was planned to be a “slow burn” storyline that would have been played out for weeks. However, on RAW, the former Women’s Champion displayed signs of a heel persona.

After The Kabuki Warriors inadvertently cost IYO SKY her match against Roxanne Perez, Asuka and Sane apologized to SKY backstage, but things soon escalated. As the argument intensified, The Empress of Tomorrow ended up shoving SKY before walking off.

Naomi has been doing some of the best work of her career after turning heel earlier this year. She has since won the Money in the Bank briefcase and cashed it successfully at the 2025 Evolution Premium Live Event to win the Women’s World Title.

Naomi might be legitimately injured

Naomi’s absence on RAW and her title match being called off raised concern among fans. With the situation unclear, Sean Ross Sapp provided an update on Fightful Wrestling’s RAW Post-Show.

Sapp said that Naomi’s medical concern might be “legit”, according to what he was told. He also mentioned that there aren’t more details available on how serious the situation is.

Later, it was reported that Naomi could be out for a long time if the injury concerns are real. With The Glow thriving as a heel, fans will hope that she returns to in-ring action soon.

About the author

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Sherjeel Malik is a writer at Sportskeeda and covers pro wrestling. He was hooked on the product from the moment he saw The Hardy Boyz jumping off ladders during the Attitude Era. While he comes from an engineering background, Sherjeel’s love for pro wrestling and content writing led him to pursue a career in sports journalism. Before assuming his current role at Sportskeeda, Sherjeel worked at other reputable organizations for five years.

While writing articles, he ensures that he only relies on credible sources for information and covers relevant subjects that do not project an agenda against a particular person or association. WWE legend Paul Heyman once shared Sherjeel’s work on his social media handle.

Sherjeel’s earliest memory of pro wrestling is watching Stone Cold Steve Austin and The Undertaker square off for the WWE Title in the main event of a pay-per-view in 1998. His favorite wrestlers are Randy Orton and Jeff Hardy. While he admires Orton for his character work as a heel, he looks up to Jeff because of his unique wrestling style and risk-taking ability.

If he could go back to the Attitude Era, Sherjeel would like to manage Ken Shamrock and be his mouthpiece. He feels Shamrock’s promo skills prevented him from becoming a main event-level act in WWE. Hence, he would like to help the UFC Hall of Famer get over with fans.

When not writing about pro wrestling, he likes to read classics and fiction books.

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