Asuka Suffered Legit Injury At NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn III

It’s pretty remarkable how NXT’s TakeOver specials usually outshine the WWE pay-per-views that follow. NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn III was no exception because it more than delivered.

But as it turns out one brutal encounter on the card might have been a little too much for The Empress Of Tomorrow. WWE is reporting Asuka suffered a legit injury during her heart-wrenching contest against Ember Moon.

Ember took Asuka to the limit and hit her with everything she had including her devastating Eclipse finisher. Asuka kicked out of Moon’s excellent top rope corkscrew stunner but in the end, the NXT Women’s Champion might have taken a little too much damage during the show.

WWE says Asuka suffered a broken collarbone during the TakeOver event.

“During the match, she landed awkwardly from a throw from Ember Moon and was able to complete the match, but had notable pain and discomfort,” Dr. Westerfield told WWE.com. “We performed an initial ultrasound backstage that was highly suspicious of a break that was later confirmed by an X-ray.”

The typical recovery time for an injury like this is six to eight weeks so it should allow Asuka plenty of time to get back to action before the next TakeOver special. But it’s still not good news for fans of Asuka who would like to see her jump up to the main roster soon. Although it does show how incredibly tough she is for being able to finish the match.

In all reality, if WWE wanted to spin this injury in order to strip Asuka of her title they might as well go and do it. After all, as Dave Meltzer noted on Wrestling Observer Radio there might not be anyone else primed to challenge her next because she seems to have knocked everyone else down at this point during her record-breaking championship reign.

It only goes to show no matter how strong you are in the ring the human body can only take so much punishment. Even if the body in question happens to belong to someone as tenacious as Asuka.