Asuka may be the undefeated NXT Women’s Champion but it hasn’t necessarily made her more interesting. Her run has to end at some point, and here’s how they should do it.
It’s good that NXT fans are happy that the unstoppable Asuka finally has some competition. Recently it was revealed that she would face WWE legend Mickie James for the NXT Women’s Championship at NXT Takeover: Toronto. On paper, it’s an amazing matchup between two of the best superstars this sport has ever seen.
In reality, it’s totally predictable and likely to be pointless. James, who spent three years in TNA where she was a staple of their Knockouts division, isn’t likely to become a full-time member of the roster. One of the reasons she left TNA was due to her recent marriage to Nick “Magnus” Aldis, and the two welcomed their first child last year. But she also has a ton of outside pursuits that draw her away from wrestling, like her country music career and love of horse training.
Basically, she isn’t sticking around, and Asuka isn’t losing to some part-timer. That means when the match is over NXT will be right back where it started. A capable challenger still needs to be built up to dethrone the Empress of Tomorrow, and right now there’s nobody even close. Ember Moon? Not yet, and frankly, her flying stunner finisher is the only impressive thing about her. NXT has backed themselves into a corner by making Asuka look unbeatable in one-on-one competition.
Well, if the other ladies can’t beat her solo, maybe it’s time for ALL of them to take a stand. If NXT ever plans to call Asuka up to the main roster she’ll need to drop the title to someone, and here’s a great way they can do it without losing that air of invincibility.
Source: WWE.com
Step 1: You Only Liv Once
A few week ago Asuka was issued a challenge by Jersey’s own Liv Morgan, making her one of the few women to show no fear. While her heart was in the right place, The Empress of Tomorrow destroyed Morgan in under a minute, forcing her to tap out. Since then Liv has been in a feud with mean girls Peyton Royce and Billie Kay while Asuka floundered until Mickie James showed up.
But no, that’s not how things should go. Liv’s challenge should be seen as just the first spark. After taking beatdowns from Royce and Kay over a few weeks, Liv approaches them in the locker room. While they mock her mercilessly, Liv stands there and takes it. When they’re finished, she tells them, “Look, you may not like me, but stop and look around. There aren’t that many of us girls here. And there is only one who we should truly be standing up against.”
Kay laughs in Morgan’s face, but just as she’s about to beat her down, Royce stops her from doing it. Liv backs out of the room, but she and Royce exchange knowing looks.
Meanwhile, out in the ring, the NXT Women’s Champion has just finished wiping the mat with another jobber. She’s prancing around the ring, overconfident as always. She picks up the mic and tells the crowd that no woman on the roster will ever defeat her. “I will be NXT champion forever!”, she shouts as the crowd goes wild. They still love her; that kind of dominance is easy to appreciate.
Regal comes out and tells Asuka that next week she will face Billie Kay in a non-title match. Asuka eats it up. It’s the best competition she’s had since Bayley got called up months ago.
WWE.com
Step 2: A Blow is Struck
Is Asuka right? Will she be NXT Champion forever? Rumors have been swirling that Regal wants to bring back some legends of the squared circle to try and take her down, but for now, he has to rely on the women currently on the roster. For what it’s worth, Asuka doesn’t seem concerned about any of it.
The latest episode of NXT finds Billie Kay looking nervous backstage. She’s making the same mistake others before her have done, which is watching tapes of how easily Asuka destroys her opponents. It didn’t work for Dana Brooke and Emma, and it probably won’t work for her. Enter her best friend Peyton Royce, who tries to console her, while at the same time hiding the relieved smile on her face. She’s just glad she doesn’t have to face Asuka tonight. The camera pans over to the left and we see Liv Morgan watching from afar, and the smile on her face isn’t relief; it’s downright devilish.
Billie Kay sheepishly makes her way down to the ring for her match, not looking like the confident heel she tends to be. Royce is by tagging along trying to keep her spirits up. Asuka is seen backstage getting ready to go through the curtain, when suddenly is struck in the knee from behind with a lead pipe. Asuka drops to the ground in agony. We don’t see the assailant. Asuka crawls to the entrance ramp and slowly stands up. William Regal and security come out to try and stop her from competing, but Asuka refuses.
After limping her way to the ring, Asuka and Billie Kay’s match commences. It’s not as easy this time, and Kay gets in a nasty leg lock at one point. But within a few minutes, Asuka does eventually get the win. There’s no prancing around after the victory. There’s no showboating. Somebody has exposed a weakness in her seemingly impenetrable armor.
wwe.com
Step 3: A Thousand Cuts
“Cowards!!!”
Asuka isn’t happy. She’s threatening to hold the show hostage until the attacker from last week shows her face.
“You think one bad knee can stop Asuka? I dare whoever attacked me to come out and face me tonight! Here? I’m weak. See…”, she feigns limping around the ring clutching her heavily bandaged knee. After a laugh, she says, “Now is your chance whoever you are.”
William Regal arrives, but he doesn’t have the news Asuka wants to hear.
“I don’t know who it was who hit you from behind last week, but we are looking into it. I know you want to get your hands on someone but I can’t in good conscience put my injured champ in that kind of direct harm. So here’s what I will do. I will put you in a tag team match. It will be you and Liv Morgan vs. the team of Billie Kay and Peyton Royce. At least you’ll be able to get your hands on someone tonight, so that you don’t destroy everybody on our roster.”
Asuka doesn’t like it. Her smile is as terrifying as ever. Walking backstage she bumps hard into Mandy Rose. Rose looks her up and down and says, “You better watch yourself, Asuka. The Empress of Tomorrow is looking a lot like the Empress of Yesterday, lately.”
Furious, Asuka kicks Rose in the head and knocks her out. But she’s incredulous; nobody would have dared talk to her that way just two weeks ago.
Kay and Royce hit the ring for the tag match, looking more like their old, devious selves. They’re followed by Liv Morgan, who races to the apron but refuses to get in until her partner arrives. Being more cautious this time, Asuka makes her entrance. She’s cold, serious. She and Morgan barely communicate, but then the Japanese Sensation doesn’t really have friends. The match goes on with Morgan taking a pounding from her opponents while Asuka waits to be tagged in.
Finally, Morgan makes the hot tag to Asuka and she begins cleaning house. Neither Kay or Royce can handle her on their own, but they can’t take her on in together, either. Just as Asuka is about to finish them off, Morgan takes herself in. She just stands there staring at Liv, pissed off. She won’t even let Morgan get into the ring to steal her spotlight. Just then, Royce hits Asuka with a nasty chop block to her other knee. Asuka drops in agony. The bell rings, Regal waves off the match.
As Asuka is carried to the back by doctors, Morgan, Royce, and Kay watch silently.
The next few weeks are a systematic physical breakdown while exposing Asuka’s worst flaw: her inextinguishable pride. Knowing Asuka will refuse to deny any challenge because of that pride, the challengers line up for matches. Asuka defeats Royce, Kay, Mandy Rose, Thea Trinidad, Blue Pants, even a returning Carmella over the span of a few weeks. But the injuries linger. So do the attacks. Before each match her masked assailant strikes with that vicious crowbar, targeting Asuka’s knees and arms. Yet she still manages to find ways to win, albeit in less impressive fashion each time. The resolve she’s shown has won Asuka fans she didn’t know she had.
Step 4: Undefeated Champ No More
NXT TakeOver is right around the corner, and Wiliam Regal is faced with a dilemma. “Asuka”, he says, “with TakeOver capping one of WWE’s biggest weekends I’m compelled to put you in a match. But the doctors say it wouldn’t be wise. They aren’t stopping you from competing, but they do say the multiple injuries you’ve suffered could be career threatening if something were to happen. However if you don’t compete, I will have to strip you of the title.”
Down comes Asuka, battered and bruised but still trying to look like the fearless champion. That image is gone, though, replaced by sheer stubborn defiance. “No! I am Asuka! No matter what I can still beat everyone on the NXT roster. All of them…if they think they can beat me, let them prove it!”
Just then, Liv Morgan, Petyon Royce, Billie Kay, Ember Moon, and the rest of the NXT Women’s Division show up, standing united at the top of the ramp.
“Commissioner Regal”, Morgan says, “All of women up here have given everything we have to NXT. We deserve to be in that match. We deserve to be part of TakeOver. If Asuka thinks she can beat all of us, let HER prove it!”
Asuka smiles that scary grin. Regal, looking surprised, grants a battle royale match at TakeOver for the NXT Women’s Championship.
The battle royale finds all of the women targeting Asuka, each wanting to be known as the one to dethrone her. Ember Moon tries to help her at one point, but gets dumped over the top rope by Kay, Royce, and Mandy Rose. Finally the three scheming women turn on one another and Asuka uses it to mount a comeback. She eliminates two of them to get down to the final three: Asuka, Kay, and Morgan. Morgan takes a stiff superkick and rolls out of the ring. Asuka and Kay slug it out, with Asuka nailing her with a flying hip attack for the elimination. While Asuka drops to one knee in exhaustion she doesn’t see Morgan crawling back into the ring with a crowbar, the same one that has been used to injure her all of these months. She takes out Asuka’s knees again and easily throws her over the top rope. New NXT Women’s champion, Liv Morgan.
Following the match, Asuka isn’t seen on NXT TV for weeks. She never returns, and gets no rematch. Instead, two months later she appears on Monday Night Raw, immediately making her presence known to Raw champion Sasha Banks that she is coming for the gold.
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