History Wrestling / KanakoUrai

Kanako Urai (浦井 佳奈子, ''Urai Kanako'', born September 26, 1981) is a Japanese {{professional wrestl|ing}}er, [[JackOfAllStats gravure idol, video game journalist, entrepreneur, graphic designer and mocap actor]].

* SoapboxSadie: In 2010, she published a "manifesto" about the state of joshi that annoyed a lot of that community. The late Stuart Allan, co-founder of the ringbelles.com website, commented: "The actual suggestions were all sensible, but the issue wasn't as much with the suggestions as the Japanese mentality at this 'rookie' wrestler with a reputation for being overly stiff in the ring telling all the joshi veterans and promoters what they needed to do to fix the entire scene." This was actually intentional, though she was hoping it would get her heat with the fans who respected and admired the joshi veterans and promoters she was calling out rather than said veterans and promoters themselves.

* JackOfAllStats: We got a wrestling video game journalist who makes designs for mobile platforms and wears the UsefulNotes/{{Xbox}} logo on her tights.

* OlderThanTheyLook: Urai is pushing 40 years old as of this writing, but looks, acts, and wrestles like someone closer to 25.

In 2020, she won the Women's Wrestling/MoneyInTheBank briefcase; the next night, it was revealed that inside the case was the Raw Women's Championship, because Becky vacated the title due to pregnancy. This makes Asuka the second female WWE Wrestling/GrandSlamChampion and the first woman on the roster to win both the Royal Rumble and Money in The Bank briefcase.

* EvilisHammy: Asuka's NoIndoorVoice is highlighted following her 2019 Heel turn.

* FinishingMove: Kana lock (crossface chickenwing), Kanagon (grounded dragon sleeper)...[[TheLastOfTheseIsNotLikeTheOthers biliken]] (diving hip attack). In NXT the Asuka lock remains and she also tends to knock opponents out with head kicks.

* YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness: The Kabuki Warriors turned on Paige with a mist to the face a couple of weeks after turning heel.
* ZettaiRyouiki: Her kick and knee pads, thigh bands, and UnderwearOfPower are seemingly designed to evoke a customized version of this.

* TheAce: The first female ''Wrestling/RoyalRumble'' winner, the first female Wrestling/GrandSlamChampion to win every accolade available, and is highly respected by the fans and her colleagues. And that's just in Wrestling/{{WWE}}.

** Syuri Kondo was this in SMASH and other promotions especially after KANA's heel turn.
** Team Disingenuous ([[Wrestling/TenilleDashwood Emma]] and Wrestling/DanaBrooke) have been this on NXT.
** Ember Moon towards the end of her run in NXT.
** Once Asuka won her first Royal Rumble and it became clear which champion she would face, Wrestling/AlexaBliss became this in ''breathtakingly'' short order. Or so it seemed, as Asuka actually had other plans…
** Asuka seems to be destined to always cross paths with Wrestling/CharlotteFlair and Wrestling/BeckyLynch. In one way or another all three have helped each other to reach the very top of their careers. It's no wonder most people consider them the trinity of the women's revolution.

* TheHero: Of WWE's COVID-19 Women's Division, white Wrestling/DrewMcIntyre carrying the torch for the men. With face of the company Wrestling/BeckyLynch away on indeterminate maternity leave, Asuka was given the RAW Women's Championship and the mantle of top babyface, reportedly, in reward for her absurd work ethic, and subsequently became the center of numerous high-profile storylines.

Kanako Urai (born September 26, 1981 in Osaka, UsefulNotes/{{Japan}}) is a {{professional wrestl|ing}}er, [[JackOfAllStats gravure idol, video game journalist, entrepreneur, graphic designer and mocap actor]].

* ThePromise: Asuka made a promise to a broken Kairi (who just lost her chance to enter the MitB match) that she would win the Money in the Bank briefcase for the both of them. Fastforward to the match, Asuka managed to survive the match long enough to reach the rooftop and face Nia Jax, the one who defeated Kairi and took her spot. Through determination and her desire to fulfill her promise, Asuka managed to defeat Nia and win the match. Kairi was beyond happy and organized a party celebration a week later.

* DarkIsNotEvil: After turning face again in 2020, she kept her black costume and green tears face paint.

Kanako Urai (born September 26, 1981 in Osaka, UsefulNotes/{{Japan}}) is a {{professional wrestl|ing}}er, [[JackOfAllStats gravure idol, video game journalist, graphic designer and YouTuber]].

In July 2015, Kana revealed her plans to retire from professional wrestling and try new things after an upcoming Kana-Pro event in September. However, this would be misdirection, as she signed with Wrestling/{{WWE}} the following month, later taking on the ring name Asuka when she officially debuted on the [[Wrestling/{{WWE NXT}} NXT]] developmental brand. At NXT Takeover: Dallas, the first big show of 2016's Wrestling/WrestleMania weekend, she defeated Wrestling/{{Bayley}} for the [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/wwe/wwe-nxt-wm.html NXT Women's Championship]]. On NXT she became the longest reigning champion withing a single run in history.[[note]]Shayna Baszler surpassed her in total number of days in 2020 but divided between two reigns[[/note]] The next year would see Asuka move up to the ''Raw'' main roster, soon claiming two landmark victories as a Sole sSurvivor in a Wrestling/SurvivorSeries elimination match in 2017 and the first ever winner of the Women's Wrestling/RoyalRumble match in 2018. By the end of 2018, she captured the [=SmackDown=] women's title for the first time ever and defended it successfully for 100 days, a reign where she notably became the only person to cleanly defeat Wrestling/BeckyLynch in her "The Man" era (by making her tap out, no less).

Soon after losing the [=SmackDown=] title, she moved to the TagTeam division with fellow Japanese wrestler Kairi Sane as the Kabuki Warriors. First debuting with Wrestling/{{Paige}} as their manager but later they got rid of her after turning heel. Eventually they managed to defeat Wrestling/AlexaBliss and Wrestling/NikkiCross to become the WWE Women's Tag Team Champions and elevate that title higher than any other wrestler had done before, going as far as securing the main event spot of ''TLC'' 2019 in a TLC match against Becky and Wrestling/CharlotteFlair.

After her defeat at TLC, Becky Lynch admitted Asuka was the only wrestler she needed to fight out of [[WorthyOpponent personal desire]]. And that's not a light statement. Asuka is considered to be pretty much the FinalBoss of the whole WWE women division, with many wrestlers (including Charlotte Flair) acknowledging that working with Asuka was one of the highest points of their careers.

In 2020, she won the Women's Wrestling/MoneyInTheBank briefcase; the next night, it was revealed that inside the case was the Raw Women's Championship, because Becky vacated the title due to pregnancy. This makes Asuka the second female WWE Wrestling/GrandSlamChampion and the first woman on the roster to win both the Royal Rumble and Money in The Bank.

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/asuka_bio.jpg]]

!! "These tropes are the future":

* SoapboxSadie: In 2010, she published a "manifesto" about the state of joshi that annoyed a lot of that community. The late Stuart Allan, co-founder of the ringbelles.com website, commented: "The actual suggestions were all sensible, but the issue wasn't as much with the suggestions as the Japanese mentality at this 'rookie' wrestler with a reputation for being overly stiff in the ring telling all the joshi veterans and promoters what they needed to do to fix the entire scene."

** On the note of the above, Wrestling/BeckyLynch herself - the woman whose title Asuka would come to take at TLC - filled this spot after Charlotte's FaceHeelTurn in late 2018. In the leadup to their match at ''Royal Rumble 2019'', Becky congratulated Asuka on her title victory...and then proceeded to goad her into once more becoming the WrestlingMonster she used to be. All of this culminated in the two of them taking each other to their absolute tooth-and-nail limit at the Rumble, a match during which Asuka would be forced to use every move in her arsenal, her finisher, ''Becky's'' finisher, and finally a brutal modified Asuka Lock to finally put The Man away.

* AntiVillain: Asuka's heel persona in the main roster is presented as the middle ground between full-fledged heroes like Becky Lynch and complete monsters like Shayna Bazsler. Never insults the fans and is appreciative of hers, is full of spirit to never give up, and is very protective of her little sister Kairi; yet she's ruthless, disrespectful in the mic to her opponents, and willing to cheat if necessary.

In July 2015, Kana revealed her plans to retire from professional wrestling and try new things after an upcoming Kana-Pro event in September. However, this would be misdirection, as she signed with Wrestling/{{WWE}} the following month, later taking on the ring name Asuka when she officially debuted on the [[Wrestling/{{WWE NXT}} NXT]] developmental brand. At NXT Takeover: Dallas, the first big show of 2016's Wrestling/WrestleMania weekend, she defeated Wrestling/{{Bayley}} for the [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/wwe/wwe-nxt-wm.html NXT Women's Championship]]. On NXT she became the longest reigning champion withing a single run in history.[[note]]Shayna Baszler surpassed her in total number of days in 2020 but divided between two reigns[[/note]] The next year would see Asuka move up to the ''Raw'' main roster, soon claiming two landmark victories as a sole survivor in a Survivor Series elimination match in 2017 and the first ever winner of the Women's Wrestling/RoyalRumble match in 2018. By the end of 2018, she captured the [=SmackDown=] women's title for the first time ever and defended it succesfully for 100 days, a reign where she notably became the only person to cleanly defeat Becky Lynch in her "The Man" era (by making her tap out, no less).

Soon after losing the Smackdown title, she moved to the TagTeam division with fellow Japanese wrestler Kairi Sane as the Kabuki Warriors. First debuting with Wrestling/{{Paige}} as their manager but later they got rid of her after turning heel. Eventually they managed to defeat Wrestling/AlexaBliss and Wrestling/NikkiCross to become the WWE Women's Tag Team Champions and elevate that title higher than any other wrestler had done before, going as far as securing the main event spot of ''TLC'' 2019 in a TLC match against Becky and Charlotte.

After her defeat at TLC, Becky Lynch admitted Asuka was the only wrestler she needed to fight out of personal desire. And that's not a light statement. Asuka is considered to be pretty much the final boss of the whole WWE women division, with many wrestlers (including Charlotte Flair) acknowledging that working with Asuka was one of the highest points of their careers.

In 2020, she won the womens' Wrestling/MoneyInTheBank briefcase; the next night, it was revealed that inside the case was the Raw Women's Championship, because Becky vacated the title due to pregnancy. This makes Asuka the second female WWE Wrestling/GrandSlamChampion and the first woman on the roster to win both the Royal Rumble and Money in The Bank.

** During the build up of Asuka's streak once she made the main roster, she suddenly added the cross-armbar as a finisher. The implication was that they were setting her up as a rival for the soon-to-debut Creator/RondaRousey. This arc got as far as Asuka winning the Women's Rumble and then refusing to show respect to Ronda when she walked out[[note]]to be fair here, some fans felt Ronda walking out at that point was taking Asuka's moment away from her, and Asuka was justified in refusing to respect a woman who'd just been so disrespectful to her[[/note]]. And that was as far as the [=Asuka/Rousey=] angle went. Asuka's streak was broken by Wrestling/{{Charlotte}} and she went to Smackdown, Rousey went to Raw, and the closest the two ever came to crossing paths again was Ronda screwing Becky and Charlotte out of a Smackdown Women's Championship ladder match in which Asuka just happened to be the third competitor and thus able to capitalize.

* BrokenWinLossStreak: Her undefeated streak in WWE was broken (cleanly) by Wrestling/{{Charlotte}} at Wrestling/{{Wrestlemania}} 34.

* UrExample: Won the first women's Wrestling/RoyalRumble. She is also the first to win the Royal rumble, Money in the Bank and become a Grand Slam champion as well.

** In the months between Asuka's ''Royal Rumble'' victory and ''Wrestlemania 34,'' Wrestling/CharlotteFlair became indisputably the greatest foe in Asuka's WWE career, with their feud ending on Charlotte ''beating Asuka's streak''. Despite the weight of such a crushing loss, Asuka - audibly and visibly struggling through tears - still congratulated Charlotte after their show-stealing match and graciously reciprocated when Charlotte locked her in a tight hug.

In 2020, she won the Money In the Bank and then won the Raw Women's championship because Becky Vacated the title due to pregnancy. Making her the second Female Grand Slam Champion and the first to win both the Royal Rumble and Money in The Bank.

Kanako Urai (born September 26, 1981 in Osaka, UsefulNotes/{{Japan}}) is a {{professional wrestl|ing}}er, [[JackOfAllStats gravure idol, video game journalist and graphic designer]].

* UrExample: Won the first women's Wrestling/RoyalRumble.

* MeaningfulRename: She changed her name from KANA to Asuka in NXT, named for Wrestling/LionessAsuka, one of the most popular and important female wrestlers in Japanese wrestling history.