Kanako Urai is a Japanese professional wrestler currently signed to WWE, performing on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Asuka. Previously known as Kana (華名), she started her professional wrestling career in the AtoZ promotion in June 2004, where she remained until retiring in March 2006. She returned to the ring a year and a half later, 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.
Birth Name
Kanako Urai
Nickname
Asuka, Kana, Kana-hime, Ramen Woman, Skull Reaper Kana, Tomoe Gozen
Profession
Professional Wrestler
Nationality
Japanese
Personal Life
Birthday / Date of Birth
Asuka was born on the 26th of September 1981, Osaka, Osaka Prefecture, Japan.
Age
She is currently 41 years old.
Sun Sign
Libra
Ethnicity
Asian
Residence
Orlando, Florida, United States
Education
Asuka went to the Osaka University of Arts Junior College. She later graduated from the university as well.
Family
- Father – Unknown
- Mother – Unknown
- Siblings – Unknown
Marital Status
Single
Boyfriend / Spouse
Asuka has dated –
Asuka has largely opted to keep her personal life away from the public spotlight, which makes it difficult for us to say anything about her love life and dating history.
Physical Statistics
Height
- In feet – 5 feet 3 inches
- In centimeters – 160 cm
- In meters -1.60 m
Weight
- In Kilograms – 60 kg
- In Pounds – 132 lbs
Body Measurements
- Measurements – 35-24-35
- Bust – 35 inches
- Waist – 24 inches
- Hip – 35 inches
- Bra Size – 33A
Body Build
Athletic
Hair Color
Black (Natural)
She often tends to dye her hair ‘pink’, ‘blue’ or ‘green’.
Eye Color
Dark Brown
Dress Size
Her dress size is 5 (US).
Shoe Size
She wears a size 7 (US) shoe.
Sexuality
Straight
Professional Statistics
Famous For
Her successful professional wrestling career during which she has wrestled for popular promotions such as Pro Wrestling Wave, Wrestling New Classic and Smash. Her successful stint with WWE during which she has wrestled for the RAW brand. Being one of the most popular Japanese wrestlers on the social media. She has more than 2.5 million followers on Instagram.
WWE Debut
In October 2015, Asuka made her WWE in-ring debut in a match against Dana Brooke in NXT TakeOver: Respect event.
Brand Endorsements
Asuka hasn’t appeared in any TV commercial. However, she has done endorsement work for Microsoft and as a part of the endorsement deal, she has had Xbox 360 logo on her wrestling gear.
Asuka Net worth
Asuka has an estimated net worth of $2 million dollars as of 2023.
Social Media Profiles
- Facebook – Asuka
- Instagram – wwe_asuka
- Twitter – ASUKA / 明日華
Some Lesser Known Facts About Asuka
- Before her wrestling career took off, she used to work as a freelance video game journalist and graphic designer.
- When she started her wrestling career, she was trained by Yuki Ishikawa.
- She started her wrestling career in June 2004 in the all-female promotion, AtoZ.
- In March 2006, she announced that she was retiring from wrestling due to chronic nephritis, which is an inflammation of the kidneys. However, she managed to make her comeback in September 2007.
- During her brief retirement, she opened her own graphic design agency.
- While growing up, she participated in figure skating as well as badminton.
- She has opened her hair salon by the name of Another Heaven in Yokohama.
- She has contributed articles to the popular Xbox magazine.
- Asuka has worked on designing graphics for Nintendo DS and various other mobile applications.
- In January 2018, she managed to win the first-ever women’s Royal Rumble match. She was the 25th entry in the match and in the final stages of the match, she eliminated Nikki Bella and Ember Moon.
- Most of the WWE fans may not know that Kanako Urai made her in-ring debut in 2004, under the moniker Kana, on an all-female not-so-popular Japanese wrestling promotion named AtoZ.
- Just 18 months after making her debut, Kana announced her retirement from the squared ring citing chronic nephritis. The disease, in case you aren’t aware, is an inflammation of the kidneys caused by various infections and toxins.
- She, however, could not stay away from the profession and came out of retirement within a year’s span.
- Before stepping foot inside the world of pro-wrestling, Asuka used to work as a freelance graphic designer. Interestingly, she was one of the team members who designed the graphics for the Nintendo DS, a popular handheld gaming console.
- She also runs a hair salon named ‘Another Heaven’ in the Japanese city of Yokohama.
- Asuka even has 4 Gravure DVDs to her name. Notably, Gravure is a mix of softcore glamour photography and video. In fact, former WWE superstar Tajiri also features in one of the videos, though in a wrestling-oriented role.
