Is Asuka teasing a return to an old gimmick?

Asuka is one of the most decorated women’s wrestlers in WWE history. She’s a fan favorite who’s charisma transcends the language barrier between her and American audiences.

But she’s also a performer who has been the subject of more than one “buried” debate, and who’s disappeared from our screens for long stretches of time. And since she & Alexa Bliss’ short-lived WWE Women’s Tag title reign ended in Saudi Arabia, Asuka hasn’t been picking up a lot of wins.

It’s something she pointed out herself heading into her Triple Threat match on this week’s Raw (which she lost)...

And since then, Asuka’s always offbeat Twitter has taken on a darker edge...

That kicked off a series of tweets with pictures of Asuka from her days on the joshi scene in Japan. Prior to signing with WWE in 2015, she wrestled as Kana (a shortened version of her real name, Kanako Urai).

She earned the nickname “Murder Clown” during her run in promotions like JWP, Wave & Smash, wearing Joker-esque facepaint and spewing pink mist on opponents. The last few tweets definitely have some watch-the-world-burn energy, and could be signaling a new phase for the Empress of Tomorrow...

Given that WWE is also teasing something between Alexa Bliss & Bray Wyatt, and that they just took Nikki Cross back to her chaotic roots, it’s hard to see them letting Asuka return to this gimmick.

But who knows? Let us if you’d be ready for Murder Clown Asuka.