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The pro wrestling fandom has erupted about the Empress of Tomorrow losing her Smackdown Live title just before Wrestlemania 35. Did the WWE botch this one? Here are three reasons why, and three reasons why not.
Say what you will about the sudden title change on Smackdown Live and how it pertains to Asuka and the women's division in general, it will still go down as one of the most talked about and shocking moments in WWE history.
With Wrestlemania 35 just around the corner, Asuka seemed to have her challengers lined up. Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville had both challenged the Empress of Tomorrow and lost despite a valiant effort. But the battles lost did not mean the war was over. Things seemed to be building toward a three-way match at Wrestlemania 35 between Rose, Deville, and Asuka.
Then Charlotte Flair showed up - which makes sense kayfabe wise since she is a Smackdown star - and demanded a title shot, which Asuka gave her.
After a brutal, but short match full of submissions and reversals, Charlotte managed to trap Asuka in the Figure Eight and win the blue brand's women's division belt.
This created great dissension among the fan base. Many are decrying the sudden, jarring title change, but was it really a bad decision by WWE?
Here are three reasons why it was a mistake to have Charlotte win the Smackdown Women's title, and three why it was not a mistake.
It was a mistake #1: Asuka deserves to defend her title at Wrestlemania and the fans know it
When it comes to finding pro wrestlers who are not just liked by the fans, but respected by them as well, you need to look no further than Asuka.
The Emerald tressed Empress of Tomorrow is that rare mix of talent, charisma, and toughness that was once unheard of in women wrestling in US promotions. The history of Japanese women's wrestling is far more storied than you will find in North America. Women have been taking just as hard of hits in the Land of the Rising Sun as the men for decades.
But for a long time in the US, women's wrestling was dominated by women whose appearance mattered more than their talent. Asuka helped change that, and came in on the wave of the Women's Evolution and forced everyone to up their game.
Asuka has revolutionized not only women's wrestling but the WWE itself. She deserved to defend her title at Wrestlemania 35, and the fans are displeased that she may not get the chance.
It was not a mistake #1: Wrestlemania 35 is already an extremely long card, and eliminating a match will cut the show's run time
One problem that Wrestlemania sometimes encounters is wresting fan fatigue. Most movies, plays, and other forms of entertainment usually don't run more than two hours because that is how long most people can sit comfortably.
This is why Avengers: Endgame may have an intermission during its three-hour run time available. With a stacked card chock full of emotion, fans might be fatigued after the projected four-hour run time, and not be able to appreciate the main event.
Cutting out the Smackdown women's title match will shorten the overall event by, on the average, fifteen to twenty minutes. This gets the event closer to the threshold of comfort for both the fans in attendance and those watching at home on the WWE Network.
It was a mistake #2: The fans are angry about it
Many members of the WWE Universe have voiced a great deal of displeasure at the way Asuka has been treated by the company.
On Twitter, fans like @SamSueLu made certain that their feelings were expressed in no uncertain terms. She wrote
"Is this real life? This is really happening? WWE does not deserve Asuka. The way they have wasted her is absolutely criminal."
Asuka's male fans were quick to weigh in as well. @Kevin_C87 tweeted:
"Damn the way WWE treated #Asuka reign is disgusting. She has been nothing but a pro, and that's how you treat her. SMH!!"
WWE would do well to take its fan base into consideration when deciding how to proceed. With so many people angry, it could lead to low ratings and buy-rates for Wrestlemania 35, and at a time when the publicly traded WWE is facing a sharp contender in All Elite Wrestling.
It was not a mistake #2: Both titles could end up on the line at Wrestlemania 35, increasing the emotional stakes
The fact that a women's match will be the main event of Wrestlemania 35 is a big deal. It marks a crossroads in the women's evolution of the sports entertainment business. The women are being made the crown jewel of the biggest night in WWE, and to be honest, sports entertainment itself.
With that much pressure on the shoulders of Ronda Rousey, Becky Lynch, and Charlotte Flair, you can't blame the WWE for wanting to sweeten the pot. With the women's tag titles already be defended on multiple shows, the women's championship merger could be seen as a way to better utilize the stacked roster they employ - and a possible sign WWE might be planning to end its self imposed brand split between Smackdown and Raw.
It was a mistake #3: Snubbing Asuka could result in her signing with a different company
Asuka is not a pro wrestler exclusively in it for the money. She truly loves the business and has sacrificed a great deal of her time, and even her body, to performing at her absolute best.
If WWE wants Asuka to stick around after her contract - rumored to expire this year - is over, they must make certain she feels she is being used to her full potential. It's not losing that would bother a performer like Asuka, it's the fact that her angle which had been building up for so long was suddenly cut short, seemingly on a whim.
Losing her Wrestlemania spot is something of a snub, and a spot on the women's battle royal is a poor consolation prize. Asuka could seek employment elsewhere if the WWE is not careful.
It was not a mistake #3: Asuka isn't as big a star as Ronda Rousey or Becky Lynch
While Asuka has her many loyal followers, and vocal supporters on social media sites, the fact remains that both Becky Lynch and Ronda Rousey are bigger stars and better money makers than the Empress of Tomorrow.
Lynch has become a modern-day Stone Cold, the antihero of her generation who transcends gender lines and wants to be seen as a wrestler first and foremost rather than just a pretty face. Her merchandise sales are some of the highest in the company.
Ronda Rousey gets the WWE the mainstream media attention it so desperately craves because more press is good press. WWE already knows the hardcore fans who tend to support Asuka are going to watch Wrestlemania; Ronda Rousey helps them lure in the casual fans and even first-timers, who don't watch wrestling but are curious to see how Rousey fares in the main event.
The women's title stage belongs to the biggest stars, and sadly that doesn't include Asuka at this time.
There you have it; three reasons why Charlotte Flair winning the Smackdown women's title was a mistake, and three why it was not. What's your opinion? Please comment and let us know, and as always thanks for reading!
