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WWE Royal Rumble 2018: Why Asuka Doesn’t Need To Be Involved

By Raphael Garcia

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Askua has been a dominant force in the women’s division, but keeping her out of the Women’s WWE  Royal Rumble 2018 sets the stage for an intriguing feud.

With WWE Royal Rumble 2018 a few weeks away, there’s a number of storylines that have the wrestling community captivated. One of such is the historical women’s rumble; a match that will feature 30 current and surprise entrants for the first time ever. When talking about the potential winner for the bout, one top name is brought up and that is Asuka. After her dominating run in NXT many expect her to be the next force in the women’s division. However, there’s a strong case for her to not only not win the Rumble, but not even be featured in the match.

The WWE is booking Asuka as a destructive force in the women’s division. She hasn’t lost a bout since joining the organization back in 2015. That run started in NXT and has continued since joining the main roster in 2017. On a recent edition of Monday Night Raw she picked up a clean victory over current women’s champion, Alexa Bliss, another wrestler who WWE Creative has well protected since bringing her up to the main brands.

With the women’s rumble being a special moment in history, having Asuka win the event would solidify her in the history books of professional wrestling. Also, seeing Asuka’s hand raised at the end of the women’s rumble continues the storyline that “Nobody is ready for Asuka.”

However, there’s another avenue to take. Rumors are steadily brewing that former UFC champion; Ronda Rousey is poised to make her move to the WWE. Some are even expecting her to be a special participant in the Rumble. If so, she should be a lock to win the Rumble, putting her right into the title conversation. Rousey is a name that immediately garners national attention; perhaps even more than her former UFC colleague, Brock Lesnar. If she is scheduled to be in the Rumble, the WWE should look to move toward a storyline with Asuka and Rousey; setting up what would be an interesting feud to build toward WrestleMania.

More from Royal Rumble

For example, imagine setting the stage with Asuka being attacked backstage before the Rumble, forcing her out of the event. Her attacker(s) are revealed to be Rousey, Shayna Bazler, Marina Shafir and Jessamyn Duke. Bazler and Rousey then join in the Rumble with Rousey being the final woman standing.

The next day on Raw, Asuka goes on a rampage, attacking other women, referees and anyone willing to try to calm her down. General Manager Kurt Angle gives her the one thing that will satiate her; a title shot at Bliss that night.

Asuka accepts and steam rolls Bliss in anger, giving her the title and being the woman to welcome Rousey at WrestleMania. From there, the WWE has a few months to build both Rousey and Asuka into mega stars in the women’s division.

Now, as far as who goes over when the two women met at ‘Mania, that question is tough to answer. If Rousey has a similar deal to that of Lesnar with limited dates and appearances, the best bet would be to keep the title on Asuka. Lesnar’s lack of attendance has hampered the WWE’s ability to create main event storylines around the Universal title. But if Rousey is a full time wrestler and available to build storylines around, then seeing her with the title and having Asuka chase is the way to go.

Next: The Case for Asuka to win the Royal Rumble

The women’s Royal Rumble is a highly anticipated moment to kick off the 2018 year for the WWE. With Asuka in the match, many are watching closely to see how well she performs. This booking plan would keep her out of the Rumble, but set the stage for a major match down the line against Ronda Rousey at WrestleMania 34.

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