4 possible opponents for Asuka at WrestleMania 35

After months of languishing on the Smackdown women's roster, Asuka has finally risen to her rightful place on the card. She is now the Smackdown Women's Champion after winning a triple threat TLC match against Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair.

The Empress defended her title in the Royal Rumble opener against Becky in what was an excellent match. Now that the Man has shifted over to Raw to take care of some unfinished business, Smackdown's female roster is one main eventer short.

There might be further changes to the Raw Women's Championship match between Ronda Rousey and Becky Lynch at WrestleMania, which might be contingent on the possible Smackdown women's title match.

We do not know who Asuka will defend her title against at the Show of Shows, but there is one obvious choice. It now depends on whether that obvious choice features in other plans heading into Mania. This is one match that is up in the air, but it could be so important in the Evolution of the Empress.

Here are four possible opponents for Asuka at WrestleMania 35.

#4 Nikki Cross

Nikki Cross is one of the few NXT call-ups that has been lingering around backstage on Raw and Smackdown in the past month. She is set to team with Alicia Fox against Sasha Banks and Bayley in an Elimination Chamber qualifying match, a match which she is certainly not going to win.

Hopefully, she isn't a permanent resident on Raw because her presence fits Smackdown much better. Also, the Blue brand could really do with some extra upper card female talent. Not to mention, her buddies from SAnitY are also there.

The main reason why Cross would immediately be a good fit to face Asuka at WrestleMania is their history together. The pair had an interesting feud, to say the least, over the NXT Women's Championship which culminated in the (actual) first-ever Last Woman Standing match under the WWE umbrella.

It was an incredible match, probably one of the greatest ones to ever take place on NXT TV. This match would certainly be an interesting one. Let Nikki play with the Empress; it will be great.

#3 Kairi Sane

An all-Japanese women's title match would be cool

This might be really unlikely but imagine how cool it would be. Asuka, short of challengers, hosts an open challenge for WrestleMania, which is answered by her fellow countrywoman, Kairi Sane.

The Pirate Princess might be done in NXT after winning and losing the NXT Women's Championship to Shayna Baszler. It was one hell of a feud and now that it is wrapped up, expect Sane to pop up on the WWE main roster in the near future.

She might not have an incredibly high ceiling, but her stock would rise immensely with a WrestleMania title match in her bag.

The Raw or Smackdown after Mania might be a better time to call her up, but she could step up before the big event. The 2017 Mae Young Classic winner could have an incredible WWE career in front of her after a successful spell in NXT, with now being as good a time as any to show the world just how good she can be.

Imagine the match she will have with Asuka, just how unreal that would be. A Smackdown Women's title match between two Japanese women at WrestleMania, who'd have thought of that three years ago?

#2 Mandy Rose

Okay, so this would not be the most ideal scenario for Asuka or the Smackdown Women's Championship at WrestleMania, but it is looking more and more like a possibility.

Mandy Rose is a heavily sexualised character, as epitomised by her entrance music and her actions during her feud with Naomi. She has been receiving a lot of screen time in the past couple of months and might yet get more of it.

With the amount of spotlight Rose is getting, some of it should ideally transfer to Sonya Deville, who looks like a potential player in the future.

But the focus is now on "God's Greatest Creation", as she continues to heel it up on the blue brand. Rose is basically what WWE wanted Eva Marie to be, but a better worker. She even lasted close to half an hour in the Royal Rumble match and ruined Naomi's big Kofi Kingston style save, garnering a fair amount of heat.

WWE could really be grooming her for this huge opportunity at WrestleMania. Mandy Rose does have the looks and the character work to pull it off, but the match would not be that memorable. If this is the match planned, it should end in a definitive Asuka squash.

#1 Charlotte Flair

Every other option is either unlikely or unwanted. That leaves us with the obvious choice of the Queen. Charlotte Flair is one of the greatest female wrestlers in history and has been the champion a countless amount of times.

She is getting on the WrestleMania card in a major match, but it remains to be seen just which one it would be. Becky Lynch will face Ronda Rousey for the Raw Women's Championship at Mania but Charlotte seems to have stuck her nose in that business, attacking Becky on Smackdown.

There is a good chance that she is added to that match to make it a triple threat, but that would leave a gap in the star power of the Smackdown title match. Asuka could defend her title against any of the previous names mentioned, but it would not feel nearly as big.

If Charlotte is not added to the Raw title match, she is absolutely the one who will face Asuka at WrestleMania. It would be a rematch of possibly the best match at last year's WrestleMania, with the added element of Asuka wanting revenge for the end of her streak.

This is the only possible WrestleMania match for the Smackdown Women's Championship that would feel like a big deal on a presumably stacked card.