Why Asuka Should Have Replaced Becky Lynch In Rousey Match Instead of Charlotte Flair

During the RAW invasion last week seeing the women of Smackdown LIVE take out RAW’s female talent stealing the show to conclude the Survivor Series go home show, Becky Lynch, unfortunately, suffered an injury leaving her out of the most must-see match on the PPV card. The following night on Smackdown, Lynch had the decision of choosing who to replace her in a singles bout against Rousey this Sunday and to not much surprise it was former friend turned foe Charlotte Flair hand picked by the champ leaving the WWE universe with mixed opinions. While Rousey vs Flair is a contest so strong it could main event any pay per view there was one woman who arguably was better for the job and today, I’m going to be focusing on that star, the empress of tomorrow, and explaining why I believe Asuka should have been given a huge opportunity.

The Royal Rumble

Back in January fans witnessed Asuka make history by becoming the first ever winner of an all-women’s Royal Rumble receiving an opportunity to compete for gold at Wrestlemania; on the same night the baddest woman on the planet, Ronda Rousey arrived in the WWE and instantly there was a buzz around what is evidently a dream contest. From the get-go Rousey vs Asuka has been a must-see contest and seeing the pair in the same ring together earlier this year was the start of something good, the seeds half planted and allowed the WWE to realise this was a match fans wanted to see. Since this date, the two haven’t come face to face again.

Much Needed Momentum

While Asuka going on to defeat Ronda Rousey is something difficult to believe could happen considering the WWE are pushing Rousey to the stars but this was regardless a chance for Asuka to regain some much-needed momentum. Since her loss to Charlotte Flair at Wrestlemania the empress of tomorrow has truly struggled to bounce back despite title shots and a strong reaction from fans. Her booking has been far weaker, she hasn’t been involved in a solid storyline, and it’s been months since the WWE universe has sat back and truly enjoyed a top quality Asuka one on one match up. Facing Rousey at Survivor Series would have been the opportunity she massively needed to get back into the spotlight, remind fans of what she is capable, of and again cement herself as one of the leading faces in this evolution and true dominant star amongst the women’s division. This was a huge opportunity missed to get Asuka back on top and lead her to better things in the coming months and it’s a shame it was missed.

Saving Charlotte vs Rousey

To say Charlotte Flair vs Rousey is more anticipated and must-see than Rousey vs Asuka is debatable, however, considering this is a contest that has been heavily rumored to main event a Wrestlemania show there isn’t much to argue here. Flair vs Ronda is a matchup that truly has been inevitable from the moment Rousey signed with the WWE. There’s a very strong story to be told, there is a lot to expect from the match itself, and a strong build is something we all saw coming, however, this match taking place at Survivor Series has taken a lot away from what is a must see with great potential. We’ve had no build, no true story, and while SS is a big show there are bigger events/PPVs this match should have taken place on. While there is still so much that can be done on Sunday and there is still a way a future match can work between them a lot has been taken away and for what could have been something truly epic awe have lost a lot and there isn’t as much of an interest and buzz as there should have been.

Establishing More Dominance on Smackdown LIVE

Charlotte Flair and Becky Lynch have both been leading the way for the Smackdown LIVE women’s division. The two have taken over and left every other female talent playing catch up, Asuka, on the other hand, is a woman on the level, a woman just as a dominant, and a superstar with just as much capability to main event and take the spotlight. Placing Charlotte in this match is only reminding fans that she and Lynch are the strongest women on the roster and while It’s half true this would have been the perfect opportunity to showcase another major name on the blue brand and the blue brands' women’s division. We know how much depth the RAW women’s division has and Survivor Series is a true opportunity to show what the women of Smackdown bring to the table also. Whether it be a dominant performance or a shock victory, Asuka taking on Rousey arguably could have done more for the Smackdown women’s division than Flair vs Rousey.

Placing Asuka Back in the Championship Picture

Sounding like a broken record, I have to repeat the fact that Flair and Lynch have been at the very top of the Smackdown LIVE women’s division, however, at some point Lynch will need a new opponent and the story of Asuka going on to do Becky’s job at Survivor Series and take home a victory/compete in one of the standout matches of the night would have made for a solid opening. Gaining much-needed momentum after a strong performance there would have been no excuses for Lynch not to give Asuka a title shot and that singles bout/rivalry itself is something I’m confident we could all easily invest in. Giving Asuka this major opportunity would have indeed opened many opportunities for the empress of tomorrow.

Once in a Lifetime

Considering Asuka and Rousey are a part of separate brands and there is no sign of either woman switching over any time soon this is a contest that feels extremely rare and a chance for the two to compete against one another isn’t something that seems would be able to just pop up. There are several ways the WWE could of and would have created a story to open the doors for Charlotte vs Rousey to take place including a Royal Rumble victory for Flair. With that being said this was a rare opportunity for fans to witness a contest could easily steal the show. There is great potential for this to have been one of the best matches of the year and with the chance of the two colliding so rare it’s a shame we didn’t get what would have felt like a very special one-off match between two fo the most dominant women in the WWE today.

It’s What the Fans Want

And to conclude, when we look back at this weeks episode of Smackdown LIVE and the segment that saw Becky choose who would replace her the crowd reaction spoke volumes with fans in attendance making it pretty clear the Empress of tomorrow was their pick. It’s been a while since we have seen Asuka in the spotlight heavily, however, wherever she goes Asuka picks up a huge reaction from the live crowd. She’s still very much over, fans know she is a dominant performer, and there is a demand to see more of her. Deciding not to push her despite all of the above is in fact rather odd and while I can see why Flair was picked instead this was the chance the empress of tomorrow truly needed.

And there we go! Those are just some of the reasons why I believe Asuka should have faced Ronda Rousey instead of Charlotte this coming weekend. Now, I strongly believe that despite no build there is a story still there between Flair and Rousey and they will indeed have one of the best matches of the night and I am very excited, however, I od believe the Empress of tomorrow should have been in this spot this time around. What do you think? Let me know by leaving a comment below or by tweeting me over at @TezangiVictoria. 

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