Asian Icons in the WWE Ring
By Kelli Luu | 04 Oct, 2025

With stunning debuts and championship reigns, these Asian wrestlers have carved their place in WWE history.

WWE has showcased talent from all parts of the world and these Asian wrestlers have broken stereotypes, won championships, and inspired millions of fans. 

Number 5: Gail Kim

She’s a retired Canadian-American wrestler of Korean descent who made waves in WWE immediately after joining in 2002. Kim became the first WWE Diva to ever win a championship in her debut match which was a seven-woman battle royal. She won by eliminating Victoria and making history with the start of her WWE run. Unfortunately the lack of opportunities with the company made Kim move on to be the face of Impact Wrestling’s Knockouts Division where she was later inducted into the Impact Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2016.

Number 4: The Great Khali

Standing over 7 feet tall, the Great Khali became the first Indian WWE World Champion and is known for his high-profile feuds and storylines. He wrestled for six years before signing with WWE in 2006 where he has participated in many pay-per-view events like Wrestlemania, which is like WWE’s Super Bowl, and Summerslam, the biggest night of the summer. His presence in the company has left a legendary mark and opened up the door for Indian fans. 

Number 3: Shinsuke Nakamura

He has been wrestling since 2002 bringing electrifying moves and “Strong Style” to the ring. Nakamura signed with WWE in 2016 and started his career off at NXT, WWE’s developmental brand. After being added to the SmackDown main roster, the Kyoto-born wrestler made his debut in the ring at pay-per-view event, Backlash, in May 2017. The following year Nakamura’s talent shined bright when he won the 2018 Royal Rumble earning himself a headlining match at Wrestlemania 34 where he was unfortunately defeated by AJ Styles. 

Number 2: Batista

Some may only know him as a Hollywood movie star but wrestling fans know Dave Bautista as “The Animal”. He is a six time World Heavyweight Champion, two time WWE Champion and was one of the faces of WWE’s Ruthless Aggression Era. His wrestling career with WWE began in 1999 and he has stacked up multiple iconic wins including two Royal Rumble wins in 2005 and 2014. The Superstar of Filipino descent has headlined events with legends like John Cena and Triple H, then later conquered the big screens with famous roles, such as Drax in the Marvel Series. 

Number 1: Asuka

She’s the “Empress of Tomorrow” making an impressive impact in WWE. Asuka signed with WWE in 2015, starting off at NXT. In just one year, she won the NXT Women’s Championship, setting the record for the longest title reign holding it for 510 days. Asuka was moved to the main roster in 2017 and in 2018 she won the very first Women’s Royal Rumble match. This truly kicked off Asuka’s WWE run as she later went on to become Raw Women’s Champion, Smackdown Women’s Champion, and four time Women’s Tag Team Champion. She also added Grand Slam Champion and Triple Crown Champion to her resume as well as Elimination Chamber and Money in the Bank wins.