Short Version: Because nobody is ready for Asuka!
Long Version: WWE really has something special here.
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When it was first announced that Asuka (then known as Kana) would be joining the WWE, it generated the same type of buzz in online wrestling circles as when indy darlings like Shinsuke Nakamura, Finn Balor and Kevin Owens were brought into the fold. Here was a woman known for her in-ring skill, off-the-wall personality and manic energy being brought into the same company that was still trying to push milquetoast models like Carmella and Summer Rae onto the main roster.
And when she first showed up in NXT, she lived up to the hype. Her matches were fun, her moveset was brutal, her English was better than many of her male Japanese counterparts (hi Hideo Itami!), her look was unique and those kabuki masks had plenty of merchandise potential. And right as the Women’s Revolution was in full swing, she was primed and ready to take over as the top woman in NXT with Charlotte Flair, Becky Lynch, Sasha Banks and Bayley all headed for the main roster. She won the NXT Women’s Championship from Bayley on April 1, 2016, and looked like it would be smooth sailing until she’d be named in the next round of main roster call-ups.
But then a funny thing happened. As Asuka continued to defend her championship, people quickly started to notice just how long Asuka had stayed undefeated. Bayley, Nia Jax, Mickie James, Nikki Cross, the Iconic Duo, Ruby Riott, Ember Moon – you name a female wrestler, Asuka would beat her.
Then fans started to crunch the numbers. Remember Goldberg’s famous 173-match winning streak? Asuka had that beat by last April. Think New Day’s second tag team championship run or CM Punk’s 434-day WWE Championship reign was impressive? Asuka’s reign put both of them to shame at 510 days (the seventh longest reign of any champion in WWE history), and she was never even beaten for the thing.
Now here she is on the main roster, with a streak longer than Goldberg’s, a look all her own and a dominant in-ring presence that makes her instantly watchable. If Charlotte is the Roman Reigns of the Women’s division, Asuka is the Braun Strowman.
So yes, she’s a perfect candidate to win the first Women’s Royal Rumble.
Now for the follow-up question. Once she wins, who does she take on at WrestleMania 34?
It’s been a few months now since Asuka made her move to the main roster, and thankfully WWE’s creative team has bungled her like so many other NXT call-ups. Her unbeaten streak remains in-tact and based on recent episodes of Monday Night Raw, she could take the Raw Women’s Championship off Alexa Bliss without too much trouble. So hopefully they avoid this squash match on the company’s biggest stage.
There is the option to finally pull a trigger on the break-up angle with Bliss and Nia Jax (even though she’s left Bliss beaten down in the ring twice), giving the title to the latter. We’ve seen Asuka take on Jax before to less-than-stellar results, but it’s still a matchup with some intrigue.
There’s also the option to have her lock horns with a certain former UFC champion, but that matchup actually makes more sense if the roles are reversed and Asuka walks into Mania with the title.
But, as has been the case with a few of these predictions, the best option is over on the Blue Brand. A match between Asuka and Charlotte Flair pits the two best female wrestlers on the roster against one another. This would make for one of the easiest matches to promote for this year’s Mania, and has the potential to be one of the best main roster women’s matches we’ve seen in years.
Want more Royal Rumble manifestos? Here you go:
Why Batista Will Win the Royal Rumble
Why Ronda Rousey Will Win the Women’s Royal Rumble
Why Paige Will Win the Women’s Royal Rumble*
Why Sasha Banks Will Win the Women’s Royal Rumble
Why Finn Balor Will Win the Royal Rumble
Why Brock Lesnar Will Win the Royal Rumble
Why Roman Reigns Will Win the Royal Rumble
