Major Heel Turn On WWE SmackDown

During Bianca Belair’s hometown welcome in Knoxville, Tennessee on last night’s Friday Night SmackDown, in which she aimed to celebrate her most recent Raw Women’s Title defence amidst her record-breaking reign, she was confronted by the woman she defeated at WrestleMania 39, Asuka, who made her return to television for the first time since that loss. The ‘Empress Of Tomorrow’ initially offered out a handshake, before spraying mist in Belair’s face. 

Amidst reports from PWInsider Elite in which it was noted that heel turn for Asuka had been pitched, with an expected match at Night of Champions 2023, these reports look to have been confirmed. 

The former Raw, SmackDown, and NXT Women’s Champion debuted a new look at the 2023 Royal Rumble event when she returned earlier this year, donning face-paint and utilising poison mist, though she was still a babyface. Asuka hasn’t been a heel in WWE since her days in the Kabuki Warriors tag team with Kairi Sane, though this character direction was short-lived, and they became babyfaces once again.