Asuka has everything you want in a wrestler, a captivating personality, athleticism, and an arsenal of different moves to keep viewers interested. Strangely, Asuka born, Kanako Urai, was almost forced out of a career in pro-wrestling after developing nephritis, a rare disease that inflames the tissue in the kidneys. While working both as a graphic designer and occasionally making appearances in independent promotions in Japan, she quickly became a highly-popularized act for her in-ring antics. Asuka became known for her striking ability, particular in kickboxing utilizing moves like the Missile Dropkick and Roundhouse kick that would send her opponents flying across the ring.
In 2004, Asuka made her in-ring debut under the all-women promotion, AtoZ. From there she would wrestle for several different Japanese organizations including Ice Ribbon, Pro Wrestling Wave, NEO Japan Ladies Pro-Wrestling, Smash and more before finally signing a contract with the WWE. Asuka became the NXT Women's Champion for a total of 510 days, the longest reign in the belt's history. When she was promoted to the main WWE roster, Asuka was billed as having the longest undefeated streak in WWE history" at 914 days. In January 2018, Asuka became the inaugural winner of the Women's Royal Rumble match. Asuka has held nine different championship titles across all of the other platforms she's wrestled for and claimed the Smackdown Women's Championship once and is the current WWE Women's Tag Team Champion alongside her partner Kairi Sane.
Chefs made their way into celebrity land a while ago. But how many celebrities that weren’t trained as professional cooks are actually whizzes in the kitchen? Here are several that come to mind.
Actress Julia Roberts is confident about her cooking skills. “I’m quite a good cook,” she told E! News. “I’m like a closet home ec teacher…I can really cook anything.” Roberts has said she often cooks fish for herself and her kids. And speaking of her three children, “They think that I’m a good cook,” Roberts told People. “They actually told me that I should open a restaurant.” She also relishes cooking for the holidays, particularly shredded Brussel sprouts. Roberts hasn’t published a cookbook, but we did find recipes attributed to her for peach crisp and banana hemp muffins. Or you can make the same summer salad the actress supposedly eats.
Chrissy Teigen started off as a supermodel. Then her love of cooking filtered into her professional life too. At this point, she’s created recipes for a limited Blue Apron release and also just launched her own home and cooking line at Target named “Cravings,” after the two cookbooks she’s released. Teigen describes cooking as “a time of peace” for herself. So maybe peace out to her tuna melt sandwich or the fried chicken wings that are a favorite of her husband, John Legend.
Lady Gaga, whose real name is Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, comes from a cooking Italian family. Her father started his own restaurant in New York and also published a cookbook. And apparently, Lady Gaga has inherited the family’s cooking genes. Her Instagram account occasionally features photos of her culinary activities. Sure, sometimes it’s topless cooking. But other times it’s more poignant like in the post she shared about her bringing food to the family of her dear friend who passed away. Want to try a Gaga/Germanotta family favorite? Check out her recipe for whole wheat pasta with a sweet fennel sauce.