Major WWE faction quietly split for good despite former World Champion's upcoming return

A popular WWE faction has officially been disbanded, following subtle confirmation that this was the case a month ago. This comes ahead of the long-awaited return of one of its members.

Fans have been wondering whether Asuka's WWE comeback would lead to the revival of Damage CTRL, but that isn't the case. A new report has confirmed that the group was internally split following Dakota Kai's release from the company in early May.

This means, as reported on Fightful Select, that Damage CTRL ended even before Kairi Sane's return from injury, with her and IYO SKY being the only active members of the faction. Their status hasn't changed, even with Asuka coming back from her own long-term injury.

The Empress of Tomorrow is set to make her first appearance since Backlash 2024 on Monday's episode of RAW. She will compete against Stephanie Vaquer, Ivy Nile, and Raquel Rodriguez in a first-round match of the Queen of the Ring tournament.

Asuka, however, will not officially have IYO SKY or Kairi Sane in her corner. The latter will also be in action on RAW, facing Liv Morgan in a rematch from a few weeks ago. Meanwhile, the report mentioned above also stated that WWE currently has no plans to revive Damage CTRL. That doesn't necessarily mean it will never happen, though.

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Asuka could challenge IYO SKY for the WWE Women’s World Championship

It seems likely that Asuka will return as a babyface. She has been away for over a year and is directly coming back in a match. However, it remains to be seen if she will stay as one.

With Damage CTRL officially disbanded for good, The Empress of Tomorrow could easily turn on IYO SKY. The two could engage in a bitter feud over the WWE Women’s World Championship. The Genius of the Sky doesn't have any ongoing storylines, though a match against Rhea Ripley might be coming up.

Should SKY retain her title against Mami, a SummerSlam match against Asuka is not out of the question.