Ember Moon and Asuka’s Feud is Ready for WWE Raw

Credit: WWE.com

NXT War Games

TakeOver Brooklyn III was the last time Asuka competed in NXT. A neck injury sustained at the pay-per-view (and an impending call-up to Raw) ended her time on the program. She vacated the women’s title, much to the disappointment of her fans and Ember’s fans alike.

After Asuka’s departure, NXT’s women’s division went through a series of contests to determine who would compete for the vacated title. Four women earned the honor: Sanity’s resident madwoman Nikki Cross; the iconic Peyton Royce, the pirate princess Kairi Sane, and of course Ember Moon.

All of the women in the match seemed like a possibility for the new champion. Kairi was new and exciting, and her killer elbow drop was undefeated. Peyton Royce was a fan favorite who had fought Asuka for the title before, and was ready to be in the title picture again. Nikki was brutal and unpredictable, and had gotten a major push from winning a battle royale to compete in the four-way. However, most fans agreed: this time, it was Ember’s night.

The crowd is solidly behind Ember for most of the match (though to be fair, they also really love Kairi). Ember is as brutal in this fight as we have ever seen her, kicking and punching distracted opponents and whipping Kairi across the ring multiple times. Peyton manages to suplex both from the top rope and it looks like the fight is over, but Ember manages to kick out. Nikki wreaks a path of destruction through the ring until Ember lays her out with a kick.

Finally, the match ends with a stunning moment as Ember climbs to the top ropes and lands an incredible two-woman Eclipse on Nikki AND Ember, pinning for the win.

And then, surprise! It’s Asuka, here to present her rival with the championship belt!

This was a genuinely sweet moment between the two friends and competitors, although I was mostly relieved that Asuka didn’t attempt to pin Ember after she handed the belt over. It seemed like a shame that they’d never gotten the chance to end their rivalry with an actual match, but Asuka had moved on to the main roster, and Ember now had the NXT Women’s Division to worry about. How long would it be until they met in the ring again?