Asuka to challenge Bianca Belair at WWE WrestleMania 39
Bianca Belair now knows who her WrestleMania opponent will be.
Asuka will challenge Belair for the Raw Women’s Championship at WrestleMania 39. That was confirmed when Asuka defeated Raquel Rodriguez, Liv Morgan, Nikki Cross, Natalya, and Carmella in an Elimination Chamber match on Saturday night.
Asuka was the last woman to enter the Elimination Chamber. She eliminated Carmella to win the match and was also involved in eliminating Rodriguez and Morgan.
The final three wrestlers left at the end were Asuka, Carmella, and Rodriguez. Asuka and Carmella worked together to eliminate Rodriguez, then Asuka submitted Carmella with an armbar.
What a display of teamwork between @WWEAsuka & @CarmellaWWE at #WWEChamber! 👏👏👏 pic.twitter.com/CKvRG4Q7Eg
— WWE (@WWE) February 19, 2023
A more aggressive version of Asuka returned to WWE in last month’s women’s Royal Rumble match. Asuka made it to the final three of the Rumble before being eliminated by Rhea Ripley.
WrestleMania 39 is taking place at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California on Saturday, April 1 and Sunday, April 2. Three matches have already been confirmed for the event:
- Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns defends against Cody Rhodes
- SmackDown Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair defends against Rhea Ripley
- Raw Women’s Champion Bianca Belair defends against Asuka
Joseph Currier is the lead editor of F4WOnline.com, directing daily news coverage and writing articles on professional wrestling. He is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts, obtaining a journalism degree in 2016. Joseph joined F4W during his time at UMass and has now been writing about the industry for nearly a decade.
In addition to his work with F4W, Joseph has previously contributed to Sports Illustrated's wrestling coverage. He lives in Massachusetts and is a diehard fan of the Boston sports teams and Liverpool Football Club.