AJ Styles 'In Awe' of Two WWE Stars; One Once Tipped to be Female 'Roman Reigns'

Iyo Sky has climbed to the top of the division and become a top star in the business, heralded by many as the best wrestler in the company. Asuka is well aware of this, having experienced a similar meteoric rise on NXT before becoming a world champion on the main roster, although she has taken a backseat to the younger generation in recent times.

The two Japanese stars are on a collision course on RAW after Asuka betrayed Iyo and has Kairi Sane by her side in their rivalry. There is plenty of excitement regarding potential matches between the duo, and AJ Styles will surely be an avid viewer.

The Phenomenal One, who announced he'll retire in 2026, told ABEMA ahead of WWE's tour in Japan:

"Iyo Sky is one of the best athletes I have ever seen. She is unbelievable. There’s other girls that have gotten the opportunity — Asuka’s amazing as well. They just have something that a lot of other — not just women, but men — that some of them just don’t have."

Iyo, formerly known as Io Shiari, and Asuka, formerly known as Kana, have mastered the WWE style to a tee, but were accomplished wrestlers in their homeland before arriving in the world's biggest pro wrestling company. The Genius of the Sky was a two-time Wonder of Stardom champion while the Empeross of Tomorrow is a former JWP Openweight Champion and Smash Diva Champion.

Styles added:

"I think that it’s because they were in Japan that they have this tenacity, maybe that’s what it is. So, I just enjoy watching them work, and just in awe of how good they are."

The pair were members of the faction, Triple Tails, an alliance which saw them compete in Japan and Mexico during the 2010s. It would be compelling if WWE were to recall this in their ongoing rivalry and allow Asuka to truly embrace her 'Evil Clown' Kana roots.

Road Dogg Once Called Asuka The Female 'Roman Reigns'

The heights of Asuka's time in WWE came during the late 2010s when she won the women's Royal Rumble in 2018 after dominating NXT. She remains the longest reigning NXT Women's Champion in history, having held the belt for 510 days.

The 44-year-old has undoubtedly been a success in WWE, but one could argue that she should have been propelled into the main event scene on a permanent basis. That was Road Dogg's stance back in September 2023 as the current SmackDown writer gave his thoughts on the former three-time Women's Champion on his Oh You Didn't Know podcast:

"I think as far as presentation, in ring skills, dare I say promo skills, just because I love what she does and how she represents herself via her verbal skills, I just love it, and I think everybody else does too. I think she should probably be the Roman Reigns of women’s wrestling right now. It’s just my opinion."

Reigns has been the biggest star of the modern era of WWE, the poster boy of the company when it changed hands and Vince McMahon handed it over to TKO. The Tribal Chief was amid a history-making run with the Undisputed WWE Championship at the time.

Road Dogg touched on Asuka's work on the mic and the possible limitations due to the language barrier:

"I know the big argument is, well, she can’t cut a promo domestically. I think we’re past that as a culture, as a society. I think it’s totally okay if she spoke in her native tongue and we subtitled it. I think it would be totally fine how we do it now where she just goes off and you don’t know what she’s saying but you know she’s saying something that ain’t nice to you. You know what I mean?"

Asuka has been with WWE since September 2015 and is a future Hall of Famer who is now helping out WWE's youth. But her feud with Iyo Sky will be must-watch television as their tension in segments on RAW has already had fans glued to their screens.