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For a while yesterday, we wondered whether WWE was actually gutting its automatic rematch clause because Becky Lynch vs. Asuka for next month's Royal Rumble was announced on Main Event. That turned out to be something of a production error and the match isn't on...for now.
It was for the best. Hopefully, it remains off.
While it would seem strange to not want such a huge affair at one of the biggest events on WWE's calendar, the Royal Rumble just isn't the right time for these two to have a match. Here's why.
#1 There should be no doubt that Becky Lynch will enter the Royal Rumble
Most people understood that Becky Lynch dropping the SmackDown Women's Championship was to clear the way for her to enter and win the women's Royal Rumble match next month and go on to be a part of the main event of WrestleMania 35 with Ronda Rousey. After the year she's had, she deserves no less.
If there's any hint that Becky Lynch may not enter the Royal Rumble, the pay per view will have a sour atmosphere that could ruin the whole thing. The match itself would certainly be ruined. Shades of 2014 and 2015 with Daniel Bryan would be apparent.
Becky Lynch needs to enter the Royal Rumble. We need to know this going in. And she needs to win it.
Additionally, a Becky vs. Asuka match deserves to not have such a burden hanging over it. It should be built as part of its own, standalone program, with serious doubts as to who the winner would be. At this point, it would just feel like it's going through the motions, since Asuka would be the clear favourite to retain, and the program deserves better than that.
#2 The Rumble needs all the talent on hand
While the full-time roster on Raw and SmackDown won't be as short as it was last year, there will still be some gaps that need to be filled to make up the full 30 competitors needed for a Royal Rumble match.
Adding Nikki Cross and Lacey Evans, who will soon arrive on the main roster, and subtracting the current champions in Asuka and Ronda Rousey, there would theoretically be 25 women available to compete in the Royal Rumble. However, it's unclear whether Alexa Bliss will be cleared to compete in time, leaving the available total currently at 24.
That leaves about a sixth of the numbers still to make up, so the company will need to rely on some NXT talent and returning legends. The last thing the Rumble needs is to subtract two more from the current total by putting them in title matches. Indeed, that's why there were no women's title matches at last year's Rumble.
It's obviously possible for some people to do double duty, most infamously seen in the case of Roman Reigns, but that's not usually how it goes.
#3 Asuka needs to be protected
While Asuka's long overdue title win salvaged her year, we shouldn't be mistaken in thinking that she's bulletproof yet. Her position is still tenuous. She still hasn't entirely recovered from her disastrous spell from April to October. Much rebuilding remains to be done.
If Asuka gets put in a title match with Becky Lynch at the Royal Rumble, anything less than a clean win would throw shade over her reign as champion. Winning the title with the help of interference in a TLC match is one thing, winning or retaining it through interference or some other kind of shenanigans or screwy finishes in a straight wrestling match is something else. Even a no contest where she and Becky murder each other to the point of both being unable to continue is sub-optimal.
Asuka failing to retain her championship against Becky without some kind of shenanigans or screwy finish doesn't send the best signals about her as a titleholder. This was precisely why AJ Styles' recent reign suffered so grievously. There were too many screwy finishes and Asuka is in a much more delicate position than he was.
If she were to lose, that says something even worse.
#4 Becky needs to be protected
Becky Lynch is also in a position where she needs to be protected. Winning the title back is actually the worst case scenario for her as well as for Asuka.
On the other hand, if Becky Loses cleanly, she risks being cooled from her torrid temperature. Even were she to win the Royal Rumble despite the loss earlier in the night, it would be hard for her to credibly challenge Ronda Rousey. It would look like she's ducking Asuka, for starters, but she would also look like far less of a threat to Rousey.
A no contest or disqualification scenario produces the same result for Becky.
For her own sake, it's better for her to avoid this match and simply enter the Royal Rumble. There's truly nothing that she can gain from it at this moment in time.
This potential feud will hopefully be revisited at a later date, but now just isn't the right time for either woman.
