WWE: Asuka Needs to Be the First ‘Paul Heyman Girl’
An alignment with a certain WWE advocate could work wonders for a pending main roster call-up.
With NXT Takeover: Brooklyn III taking place in roughly a week’s time, a burning question on fans’ minds is whether or not current NXT Women’s Champion, Asuka, will suffer her first loss inside a WWE ring. Since her debut with NXT in late 2015, “The Empress of Tomorrow” has been unstoppable against any and all competition, and is currently the longest reigning champion in the entire WWE. As of Takeover: Brooklyn III, Asuka will have held the NXT Women’s Championship for 505 days after defeating Bayley at NXT Takeover: Dallas in April of 2016. In addition to her incredible championship reign, Asuka recently achieved a remarkable milestone when she broke Bill Goldberg’s infamous 173-0 winning streak this past May.
Realistically, there is not much more Asuka can feasibly accomplish being a member of the NXT roster. Similar to last year’s Cruiserweight tournament, there’s bound to be an influx of superstars who will be debuting in NXT following this summer’s Mae Young Classic – which will help fill the void of Asuka’s absence. Additionally, there is no better time than right now to put the title on a very capable, Ember Moon, and have her be the face of the NXT Women’s Division moving forward.
If Moon does defeat Asuka at Takeover: Brooklyn III, then one would believe that a main roster callup is imminent. Recently, there have been many surprises on the Raw and SmackDown editions following a big 4 pay-per-view, so it’s certainly not out of the question that Asuka could debut the night after SummerSlam.
While the thought of Asuka debuting on WWE programming is exciting for many fans, there is one particular issue that may hinder her success. The promos. Promo work is a huge factor for success in WWE, and is a staple of their weekly programs, Raw and SmackDown. The primary area that Asuka may find to be a great struggle making the transition to the main roster is her ability to work the microphone. It’s clear by her promos in NXT, her English is not strong. In order to connect with the more casual fans in WWE, she will either need to work on it immensely, or perhaps look for some assistance to guide her a long the way. With that being said, if there is one person within WWE who is best suited to help Asuka attain great initial success and would be tremendous in helping her transition to working the main roster crowd, it’s Paul Heyman.
In the past, WWE largely failed in creating additional “Paul Heyman Guys,” for the legendary promoter and manager to be associated with. Stars such as Ryback, Cesaro, and Curtis Axel were all once associated with Heyman, and aside from winning the odd match or having a forgettable mid-card title reign, the angles failed to elevate their respective careers. However, Heyman is recognized for his successful alignment with former WWE Champion, CM Punk, in 2013, and of course, with the current WWE Universal Champion, Brock Lesnar.
There are many elements behind the successes and failures of being associated with Paul Heyman, but really, it comes down to one key factor… Dominance. Sure, CM Punk was a great talker and didn’t need Heyman in that respect, but Punk was also an excellent wrestler who had many great matches throughout his career, as well as the longest WWE Championship reign of the modern era. Heyman’s association with Punk helped him dominate the world of WWE during his illustrious title run, which assisted Punk’s momentum after a shocking heel turn on the 1000th episode of Raw.
However, the same cannot be said for Heyman’s current client, Brock Lesnar. Lesnar is, of course, a great wrestler, but his promo work hinders his ‘it factor’ that WWE is so fond of. That’s where Heyman compliments Lesnar so well. As being labeled, “The Beast” and “The Conqueror” by one of the best talkers in the history of professional wrestling, Lesnar is perceived by the WWE fans as being dominant and virtually unstoppable without him even saying a word. Heyman’s mic work and Lesnar’s freakish athletic ability allow them to be an undoubtedly cohesive unit, and that’s why they remain so successful to this day.
It’s been a few years now since the WWE Universe has witnessed the birth of a new client from Paul Heyman, but if there is one superstar who fits the mold of being successful in this endeavor, it’s Asuka. During an interview this past November with USA Today’s, For The Win, Heyman stated that when it came to selecting a potential new client:
"“I don’t limit it to Paul Heyman guys, I also include Paul Heyman girls.”"
Despite the speculation of “leaving” WWE if Brock Lesnar loses at SummerSlam, Heyman could easily weasel his way around the storyline, and claim that a huge opportunity presented itself and that he is now inclined to stay. If Lesnar does, in fact, lose the match at SummerSlam, this could give Heyman at least a few months to work with Asuka, and try to get her over with a wider audience. With Heyman representing a dominant female competitor within WWE, this could create an exciting new chapter in WWE’s Women’s Revolution, and could provide some fantastic matchups for fans to enjoy.
Whether or not Asuka will join Raw or SmackDown following her main roster debut remains to be seen, but when examining both rosters, it would make more sense for her to compete on Raw. Depending on the severity of Bayley’s recent shoulder injury, Raw may need her even more in the coming months to continue the momentum of their Women’s Division.
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Regardless of the outcome, Asuka initially aligning herself with Heyman after her main roster debut seems like a logical choice that could really benefit her down the line. Even if their alignment is short-lived, Heyman could be a key factor in helping the Japanese superstar gain some much-needed momentum upon her debut by promoting her as a dominant and unstoppable force in the Women’s Division.