WWE NXT: Fantasy Booking Asuka’s Championship Defeat
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.
Next: NXT: Women's Division Post-Horsewomen Starting to Take Shape
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.