5 alterations WWE has made due to Charlotte Flair defeating Asuka

Multiple storylines have had shocking twists in the build-up to WrestleMania 35, notably involving Becky Lynch and Kofi Kingston, and we can now add another name to the list of Superstars who have been robbed in WWE storylines ahead of this year’s event: Asuka.

On the March 26 episode of SmackDown Live, “The Empress of Tomorrow” was supposed to find out who she would face in a one-on-one match on April 7 after WWE announced that there would be a Fatal 4-Way between Carmella, Naomi, Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville to determine her opponent.

However, the 4-Way match was scrapped from the show entirely and Asuka was instead forced to defend the SmackDown Women’s Championship against Charlotte Flair, who was already scheduled to have a title match at WrestleMania 35 against Ronda Rousey and Becky Lynch in the main event for the Raw Women’s Championship.

Flair went on to win the match against the woman she previously defeated at WrestleMania 34, and the surprising outcome presumably means that both the Raw and SmackDown Women’s Championships will now be defended in the Triple Threat main event at MetLife Stadium.

In this article, let’s take a look at five alterations that WWE has made in order for Flair to go into WrestleMania 35 with the SmackDown Women's Championship.

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#5 Fatal 4-Way #1 contender match cancelled

As we already alluded to, the advertised match between Carmella, Naomi, Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville did not take place on this week’s episode of SmackDown Live.

WWE regularly announces matches in advance and cancels them at the last minute (Johnny Gargano vs. Cesaro and Dana Brooke vs Natalya being two recent examples), but few pre-advertised cancellations have had such extreme consequences as somebody missing out on having a one-on-one match at WrestleMania.

In all likelihood, Deville probably would have won the Fatal 4-Way match and gone on to challenge for the SmackDown Women’s Championship in her home state of New Jersey. Instead, her best chance of featuring at WrestleMania now is if she competes in the as-yet-unconfirmed Women’s Battle Royal.

#4 Two titles in the WrestleMania 35 main event

It was made official on Monday that Ronda Rousey vs. Charlotte Flair vs. Becky Lynch will be the final match of the night at WrestleMania 35, marking the first time in WWE history that a match involving women will be the main event of the company’s biggest show of the year.

The following morning, the three WrestleMania opponents sat in an ESPN Sportscenter studio with the Raw Women’s Championship taking pride of place on a table in front of them, and there was no storyline hint that there could be yet another twist with another title being added to the equation.

Fast forward to Tuesday evening and Flair unexpectedly defeated Asuka to win the SmackDown Women’s Championship, becoming an eight-time main-roster women’s champion in the process, and it now looks as though both titles will be on the line in the main event of WrestleMania 35.

What does that mean for Asuka? Let’s find out…

#3 No WrestleMania 35 match for Asuka

Asuka has established herself as one of WWE’s most impressive in-ring competitors, male or female, during her three-and-a-half years with the company, so it was no surprise when she won the women’s Royal Rumble in 2018 and went on to feature in one of the featured matches of WrestleMania 34 against Charlotte Flair.

The Japanese Superstar’s momentum disappeared after the end of her 914-day undefeated streak, especially during her summer-long feud with Carmella (and James Ellsworth), but she worked her way back to the top of the women’s division by becoming SmackDown Women’s champion at TLC 2018.

Since then, it seemed obvious that she would remain champion until at least WrestleMania 35, with names including Lacey Evans, Sonya Deville and Mandy Rose being touted as possible challengers for her title at MetLife Stadium.

However, the shocking storyline development on Tuesday’s episode of SmackDown Live almost certainly means that “The Empress of Tomorrow” will no longer be involved in a one-on-one match on April 7.

#2 More established stars in the WrestleMania Battle Royal?

The WrestleMania Women’s Battle Royal, the female counterpart to the all-male Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal, was introduced at WrestleMania 34 as an annual over-the-top match to increase the number of Superstars who can compete on the prestigious ‘Mania card.

This year, Braun Strowman has been announced for the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal, along with SNL’s Colin Jost and Michael Che, but there has been no mention of the WrestleMania Women’s Battle Royal.

Presumably, with one more episode of Raw and SmackDown Live still to go before this year’s “Show of Shows”, WWE will announce that the Battle Royal, which was won last year by Naomi, will take place for the second ‘Mania in a row.

If that is indeed the case, then expect Asuka and the four women whose #1 contender match was taken away (Carmella, Naomi, Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville) to be involved in the Battle Royal instead.

#1 Women’s WrestleMania record will no longer be broken

WWE has given more opportunities, match time and match stipulations to its female Superstars since the Divas Evolution/Women’s Revolution really kicked into gear in 2015, but there has still been a lack of importance when it comes to women’s matches at WrestleMania.

That will change this year, of course, when Ronda Rousey vs. Charlotte Flair vs. Becky Lynch will headline WrestleMania 35, but it is still alarming that last year’s Flair vs. Asuka match was the first one-on-one encounter between two women at a WrestleMania event since Melina faced Ashley Massaro 11 years earlier at WrestleMania 23.

If, as previously advertised, Asuka defended the SmackDown Women’s Championship at WrestleMania 35, a ‘Mania record total of four women’s matches would likely have taken place at this year’s event (Raw Women’s Championship, SmackDown Women’s Championship, Women’s Tag Team Championship, Women’s Battle Royal).

However, provided that the Battle Royal is added to the card, a maximum of three will now take place, tying the WrestleMania 34 tally.