WWE Royal Rumble 2020: Cherish the build to Becky Lynch vs. Asuka

Last year at the Royal Rumble, Becky Lynch and Asuka tore the house down in a SmackDown Women’s Championship match, but their battle for the Raw Women’s Title at WWE Royal Rumble 2020 has a chance to reach another level of greatness.

Becky Lynch was right there with Kofi Kingston in the discussion for Superstar of the Year in 2019, and she heads into the new year with a huge WWE Royal Rumble 2020 title defense against Asuka.

After being left off Raw in back-to-back weeks, Becky cut a sharp promo against management, noting how much she wants to be defending the title she’s helped return to its former glory in late 2016 when fellow Horsewomen Sasha Banks and Charlotte Flair were having great matches on a frequent basis. Becky then finished the promo with a warning, stating she had “one last debt to collect”.

That debt was, of course, in reference to The Empress of Tomorrow. Becky has defeated Ronda Rousey, Charlotte Flair, and even Sasha Banks in a Match of the Year contender inside Hell in a Cell during her rise to prominence.

But the one victory that’s always escaped her is Asuka. Even with Charlotte by her side, Becky failed to beat Asuka – and Kairi Sane – in a violent Tables, Ladders, and Chairs main event. So history repeated itself, because Becky also failed to beat Asuka in a TLC main event in 2019.

In addition to being one of WWE’s best big-match wrestlers, Becky is one of the best big-match talkers. Although it didn’t have to take much to “sell” anyone on a match against Asuka, listen to this promo she cut calling out The Empress for a match at the Rumble. Drink every word in. Because this is what greatness sounds like.

Get ready for more bone-chilling promos like this one from Becky Lynch. She’s always had the ability to make everything feel real and bring fans into the moment. When Lynch lowers her voice and looks at the camera, staring down her future opponents’ soul, you KNOW it’s going down.

Because you KNOW Becky is going to put everything on the line, not just for that title, but for her own personal ambition. She wants to be the unequivocal best in the business, and her character will either walk away as the winner or not be able to walk at all.

After tapping out last year to Asuka, Becky is determined to find that something extra that led her to beat Rousey in the first women’s WrestleMania main event and become the best Raw Women’s Champion ever. And you can hear that determination in her every word.

Asuka was once the most dominant champion in WWE history in NXT, setting up the NXT Women’s Championship to become one of the most prestigious titles in wrestling. She also had a great 2019, so The Empress will turn her character work up a notch, too. When she does, the battles between Becky and Asuka will be amazing. Asuka will bring the mindgames, while Becky will bring the straightforward, no-filler and all-killer attitude that has made her one of WWE’s marquee stars.

So enjoy the next few weeks. Because, yes, the match itself at WWE Royal Rumble 2020 will be a barnburner that serves as an early Match of the Year candidate. But also, the build to this match will be special. As any seasoned wrestling fan will tell you, it’s the build that truly separates a great match from an all-time classic. Becky vs. Asuka has the potential to be another all-timer from the WWE Women’s Division.