Asuka (wrestler)

About Asuka (wrestler)

Kanako Urai (浦井 佳奈子, Urai Kanako) is a Japanese professional wrestler, YouTuber, and forever graveur idol. She is signed to WWE, where she performs on the Raw brand under the ring name Asuka (アスカ or 明日華), as a member of Damage CTRL (along with Dakota Kai, Iyo Sky (Io Shirai), and Kairi Sane).

Previously known as Kana (華名), she started her professional wrestling career in 2004 in the AtoZ promotion, where she remained until retiring in 2006. She returned to the ring in 2007, starting to work as a freelancer for promotions such as JWP Joshi Puroresu, NEO Japan Ladies Pro-Wrestling, Pro Wrestling Wave, Reina Joshi Puroresu, Smash, and Wrestling New Classic. Her achievements include winning the JWP Openweight Championship, Smash Diva Championship, and Wave Tag Team Championship.

In 2015, Urai signed a developmental deal with WWE, making her the first Japanese female wrestler signed with the company in over 20 years. She won the NXT Women's Championship in 2016 (with her reign of 510 days being the longest in that title's history), and was moved to WWE's main roster in 2017. In 2018, she was the inaugural winner of the Women's Royal Rumble match. She is also a former one-time SmackDown Women's Champion, a record four-time WWE Women's Tag Team Champion (with Kairi Sane twice, Charlotte Flair, and Alexa Bliss; the only woman to win this title with three different partners), and the 2020 Women's Money in the Bank ladder match winner. Following her first Raw Women's Championship win, Asuka became the third Women's Triple Crown Champion and the second Women's Grand Slam Champion. She would go on to win the title for another two more times to become a three-time WWE Women's Champion. After her Elimination Chamber match win in 2023, she became the only woman in WWE to win the Royal Rumble, Money in the Bank, and Elimination Chamber matches.

Urai has also worked as a freelance graphic designer and video game journalist and through her work with Microsoft she has been sponsored by the company, wearing an Xbox 360 logo on her gear.

Since 2019, Urai has her own YouTube channel, KanaChanTV, focused on gaming and lifestyle content.

As of January 2025, Asuka has amassed 2.4 million followers on Instagram, 686 thousand followers on X, and 562 thousand subscribers on her YouTube platform.