Asuka turned heel on Friday’s WWE SmackDown.
The hometown Championship Celebration for Bianca Belair’s record-breaking RAW Women’s Title reign was featured on SmackDown. Asuka came in early to congratulate Belair and shake her hand, but instead she blinded her with her black mist. Asuka then exited the ring, while Belair rolled around the ring screaming and covered in black mist. Belair was later seen screaming for help in the trainer’s room.
On Thursday and Friday, Asuka tweeted a photo of herself eating a pack of Nissin’s Hot & Spicy Firewok ramen noodles. She frequently posts Nissin-related content and has appeared in official Cup Noodles commercials when WWE had sponsorship deals with Nissin. On SmackDown, Asuka later claimed, at least in the storylines, that she put “hot chili” in the mist used on Belair, which explains why Belair sold so much.
“That’s true! The idea came to me while I was eating Nissin Hot and Spicy ramen yesterday,” she wrote to a fan who expressed hope that this is true.
Asuka then tweeted a video of Belair selling the attack with the caption, “Experimental Results. The hot pepper in mist was very effective [lab coat emoji] [test tube emoji] [hot pepper emoji] [sign of the horns emoji] [rotfl emoji]”
Some fans criticized Asuka for the storyline mist attack. “Very few people are angry with me. But a lot of people praise me. Look at Twitter. People are happy. I’ve done a lot of good for a lot of people. In other words, people should thank me,” she wrote in response to the criticism.
Belair, who had friends and family in the front row, tweeted after the show, “In front of my friends?! IMA [clapping hand emoji] GET [clapping hand emoji] MY [clapping hand emoji] LICK [clapping hand emoji] BACK [clapping hand emoji]”
Asuka responded, “How did you like the taste of the chili pepper mist? [red pepper emoji] ٩(^‿^)۶ [red pepper emoji] I hope you like it. [heart emoji]”
Asuka made her first television appearance since losing to Charlotte Flair on Night 2 of WrestleMania 39 in early April. The heel turn of Asuka has long been speculated.
It was previously reported on Friday that Asuka was being considered for a heel turn, and that Asuka vs. Belair was being considered for WWE Night of Champions. As of this writing, WWE has not announced the match.
The following is video from the SmackDown segment, as well as the aforementioned tweets:
Let's all play The Legend of Zelda and eat #NISSIN !?@OrigCupNoodles #日清 pic.twitter.com/qsNrhke6qP
— ASUKA / 明日華 (@WWEAsuka) May 12, 2023
I put hot chili in today's mist ?️?? pic.twitter.com/sVQFLH1Q7A
— ASUKA / 明日華 (@WWEAsuka) May 13, 2023
That's true! The idea came to me while I was eating Nissin Hot and Spicy ramen yesterday.
— ASUKA / 明日華 (@WWEAsuka) May 13, 2023
Very few people are angry with me.
But a lot of people praise me.
Look at Twitter. People are happy.
I've done a lot of good for a lot of people.
In other words, people should thank me. pic.twitter.com/w0JDtzEjsZ— ASUKA / 明日華 (@WWEAsuka) May 13, 2023
Experimental Results.
The hot pepper in mist was very effective ???️?? pic.twitter.com/DccN2seqnK— ASUKA / 明日華 (@WWEAsuka) May 13, 2023
Super yum yum oishii @OrigCupNoodles Hot & Spicy Fire Wok Molten Chili Chicken ??#日清食品 #nissin pic.twitter.com/3UoyrzdT1b
— ASUKA / 明日華 (@WWEAsuka) May 11, 2023
How did you like the taste of the chili pepper mist? ?️ ٩(^‿^)۶?️
I hope you like it. ❤️ https://t.co/bbsONHN3Xq
— ASUKA / 明日華 (@WWEAsuka) May 13, 2023
New Nissin commercial on Asukas Facebook! ? pic.twitter.com/KTho1fpPvN
— Mark / マーク?? (@link1967) May 10, 2023