WWE makes IYO SKY vs. Asuka official. Anna Jay returns to AEW television. Lei Ying Lee gets another shot at the TNA Knockouts Championship, and more.
IYO SKY vs. Asuka Made Official For WWE Backlash
After months of feuding, IYO SKY and Asuka will finally meet in a grudge match, with WWE Backlash as the stage.
Tensions between the last summer sparked last summer when, much to Asuka’s dismay, SKY formed a bond with Rhea Ripley. Seeing as SKY’s friendship with Ripley as a sign of betrayal, Asuka later blindsided Ripley and SKY on WWE Raw with the help of Kairi Sane. Asuka struck SKY with a spinning back elbow; Sane then followed with an Insane Elbow.
Fast forward to January 2026, SKY and Ripley evened the score when they dethroned Asuka and Sane as WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions. SKY and Ripley eventually dropped the titles at the end of February, after which Ripley pivoted her focus to WWE Women’s Champion Jade Cargill at WrestleMania. SKY, meanwhile, continued to feel Asuka’s wrath.
With Kairi Sane also growing weary of Asuka’s anger, a triple threat between the former Damage CTRL members then seemed possible for WrestleMania 42. Instead, WWE released Sane, leaving SKY vs. Asuka one-on-one on the table for Backlash.
The match became official on the April 27 edition of Raw, which featured a WWE Women’s Intercontinental Championship match between SKY and Becky Lynch. In the title bout’s final moments, Asuka tripped SKY up on the apron, thus allowing Lynch to capitalize with a Manhandle Slam for the win. Afterward, Asuka furthered the damage by cinching in an Asuka Lock.
WWE Backlash will emanate from Tampa, Florida on May 9.
RELATED: WATCH: Fan Helps IYO SKY During High-Risk Move on WWE RAW
Anna Jay Returns To AEW TV
All Elite Wrestling fans last saw Anna Jay in November as she and Tayo Melo fell short in the quarter finals of the AEW Women’s Tag Team Championship tournament. That, of course, changed when Jay returned to action last Saturday for another title opportunity.
For this occasion, centered on AEW Collision, Jay challenged Willow Nightingale for the TBS Championship. “The Queen Slayer” appeared on the verge of victory when sent Nightingale stumbling with a reverse chin kick, then dropped her with a facebuster. Ever the resilient talent, though, Nightingale kicked out. Moments later, Nightingale then bounced back with a Babe With the Powerbomb to secure the pinfall victory on Jay to retain her title.
For Nightingale, it marked the ninth successful title defense of her current TBS Championship reign, which began in December. Meanwhile, Jay’s future in AEW is unclear as her existing contract is set to expire in the near future. Furthermore, whether she will or won’t re-sign with the company is unknown.
Jay initially signed with AEW in 2020.
RELATED: Anna Jay Shuts Down Claim About AEW Status
Lei Ying Lee Gets KO Title Shot
At TNA Rebellion, Xia Brookside shocked fans when she turned on her best friend Lei Ying Lee, and in turn, cost Lee a TNA Knockouts Championship match. Since then, a devastated Lee has considered going home to stay with her family instead of capitalizing on another title shot.
With encouragement from TNA authority figure Tommy Dreamer, though, Lee eventually accepted it. Now, she will challenge WWE NXT’s Arianna Grace for the Knockouts Championship once more, this time on Thursday Night iMPACT.
For this rematch, TNA has barred Brookside from ringside in order to prevent her from interfering. Whether that same stipulation will also be extended to Grace’s fiancé Channing “Stacks” Lorenzo has yet to be seen. Grace captured the KO Title by defeating Lee at TNA No Surrender in February.
Elsewhere on tonight’s iMPACT broadcast, fans will hear from Elayna Black, who has made her own championship aspirations very clear.
RELATED: Lei Ying Lee Emotionally Reflects On TNA Knockouts Title Win
INTERVIEWS
Former WWE star Dakota Kai sat down with Chris Van Vliet to discuss being released from WWE, her first match in over a year against Kris Statlander at Pro-Wrestling EVE in London, being a part of the Damage CTRL faction with IYO SKY and Bayley, wrestling Trish Stratus,, training with Stehanie McMahon for her match with Ronda Rousey, what’s next for her in wrestling, dream opponents, and more.
AAA star La Catalina spoke with Denise Salcedo about leaving CMLL and making the jump to Lucha Libre AAA wrestling, what drove her decision, what her future looks like in Lucha Libre AAA, how she started wrestling at such a young age, her first tryout with WWE, her time in CMLL, what fans can expect from her going forward, attending WrestleMania 42, WWE World and more.
WWE NXT Women’s North American Champion Tatum Paxley joined TMZ’s Inside The Ring to talk about AJ Lee’s viral praise about her, reveals she wants to work with Paige, and opens up about her WWE call-up goals, her brutal casket match against Blake Monroe, her extreme in-ring style, what’s next for her in NXT, and more.
Women’s United States Champion Tiffany Stratton chatted with Joey Karni about missing WWE WrestleMania 42, motivation of not knowing if she’ll be on the show, her current WWE accolades, attending Coachella to watch Justin Bieber, WWE Women’s US Title, and more.
WWE star Raquel Rodriguez joined Unlikely with Adrian Hernandez to speak on the Judgement Day’s love of WWE 2K, the disrespect 2K showed them, Rhea Ripley’s impact on pop culture, Liv Morgan’s new music video, her making a cameo in the video, Finn Balor being kicked out of the Judgment Day, and more.
