One of the biggest storylines in WWE right now focuses on a woman who was only called up to the main roster in October: Asuka. The Empress of Tomorrow won the first ever Women’s Royal Rumble, set the record for fastest submission victory in WWE history, and is currently presiding over the longest undefeated streak in the company’s history.
Let’s take 2:37 to let one of WWE’s fantastic video packages really drive all that home:
Fans have been speculating how Asuka’s streak will end for a very, very long time now, and some of the best female wrestlers in WWE have taken it upon themselves to make that happen. The likes of Bayley, Sasha Banks, Nia Jax, and Alexa Bliss have so far proven that still no one is ready for Asuka. When the Empress challenged Charlotte Flair to a match for the Smackdown Women’s Championship at WrestleMania, it started to look like the streak could feasibly end in April.
However, according to a rumor picked up by WrestlingNews.co, WWE has other plans. They report that the Asuka is scripted to win the Smackdown Women’s Championship at WrestleMania 34 and maintain her streak until WM 35. At that point, she will defend her title against Ronda Rousey, who will hand her her first L (besides that one Carmella presumably made backstage with the help of the New Day.)
Is this is true, it could mean …
- Rousey will win the women’s Royal Rumble match next year
- Rousey will win the women’s Elimination Chamber match next year, setting her up for a title shot against Asuka because the Rumble winner already challenged the Raw champion
- Asuka will win the Rumble or EC (because co-branded PPVs) and challenge Ronda, who by that time has become Raw champion, in an attempt to go for a double championship? And then Ronda wins and becomes double champion and everyone is mad, probably?
WWE clearly has big plans for Rousey, so this rumor seems plausible. We haven’t seen much of Rousey in the ring yet, but if Asuka vs. Rousey is going to be a thing, you might want to prepare yourself for armbars on armbars on armbars next spring. And maybe some Samoan — er, standing reverse kata gurumas!
