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The dynamic of the RAW women's division was shaken up after Money in the Bank. Asuka had claimed the briefcase and was set to confront Becky Lynch the next night on RAW. But before the two ladies could renew their heated rivalry, Lynch dropped the bombshell that the Money in the Bank ladder match was for the title and not just a future shot at it. She was pregnant and had to relinquish the belt.
To everyone's delight, Asuka finally became RAW Women's Champion after several hard years of work. She has long been one of the best overall performers in WWE (and the best female performer in my opinion) and could now add the RAW Women's Championship to her resume.
Now that she's the new titleholder, the landscape of the division shifts greatly. Does Asuka maintain her heel persona? Is she still allied with her tag team partner in the Kabuki Warriors, Kairi Sane? Does she shift her persona a bit due to the circumstances that made her champion? Whatever the case may be, it won't be long before someone comes gunning for the Empress of Tomorrow. Here are five feuds for the new RAW Women's Champion, Asuka.
#5 Ruby Riott
Three of Ruby Riott's last offerings have been unfortunate as we have seen her get easily dispatched at Elimination Chamber while also losing twice to Liv Morgan. This is a woman who was the leader of the Riott Squad before she suffered an injury. Circumstances have obviously changed things greatly but Ruby is an underrated talent that could do more if given the chance.
She would need to be built back up because she's towards the bottom of the division currently due to how she's been booked. Asuka is going to need some challengers and since Riott has been off TV for a few weeks, she could undergo a slight transformation of some sort.
Maybe she gets darker or maybe she gets more vicious. But if Asuka is going to be a face champion now, she's going to need a line of heel challengers. Riott could easily be one of those future challengers.
#4 Bianca Belair
It's too soon to put the title on Bianca Belair but she could certainly provide a great challenge to the Empress of Tomorrow. Belair would be a better option later in the year as Asuka should have a lengthy reign. The EST needs to better establish herself on Monday nights, more so than Lacey Evans did last year following WrestleMania 35. Evans jumped right into the title picture and had three successive title shots last summer.
Belair is certainly a future champion but Asuka is on another level. She's faced the majority of the women on the main roster so she knows what to expect. Belair is a unique blend of power, speed, and athleticism, that can get you near the end of the line but it doesn't always get you across the finish line.
It's still a little unclear if the former EST of NXT is a face or a heel, but if her partnership with the Street Profits is an indication, she's a face. We'll know more about which direction Asuka takes with her character next week. The Empress of Tomorrow's demeanor may change or she may revert to cackling and yelling. Whatever the case may be, Belair could see herself getting a title match some time down the line while Asuka is champion.
#3 Nia Jax
Nia Jax is always a threat due to being larger than the rest of the competitors. The commentators always say just that in battle royales, Royal Rumbles, and elimination matches. She is an imposing figure and one of the top women in the division who also laid out Asuka prior to Money in the Bank on RAW.
A showdown with The Irresistible Force would seem more like a match for a PPV like SummerSlam or the Royal Rumble due to the standing of both Jax and Asuka in the division. Since she was unable to capture the MITB briefcase, Jax will certainly be looking to cause some havoc on Monday nights.
The former RAW Women's Champion last reigned in 2018 after winning the title and later on losing it to her former friend, Alexa Bliss. Ronda Rousey won the championship at SummerSlam that year and Jax has been unable to sniff the title scene ever since. I'd expect that The Rock's cousin will be looking to regain the title at some point this year now that she's fully healthy.
Although she was unable to capture the briefcase, it won't be a shock if Asuka is defending the title against the former champion. When it happens is another question but Jax is certainly one of the women that will be looking to oppose the Empress of Tomorrow this year.
#2 Kairi Sane
Kairi Sane's entire main-roster run thus far has been tied to a tag team with Asuka. The duo won the Women's Tag Team titles and had a fruitful reign as champions. They lost the titles to Alexa Bliss & Nikki Cross and the two former champs seem to have gone in opposite directions.
The Pirate Princess was beaten twice by Jax en route to MITB while Asuka qualified for and won this year's MITB match. It led to the RAW Women's Championship for the Empress of Tomorrow and her tag partner joined her in celebration backstage during the most recent RAW.
What was interesting to note was that Sane was dressed in the attire she wore as NXT Women's Champion and as a face. Was that to signal a change in direction for one or both of the Kabuki Warriors? The options for the top face are lacking with the void left by Lynch but Asuka could easily slot into that spot. The heel side is set with Jax, Riott, Shayna Baszler, and Charlotte Flair (when she's on the Red brand).
The storyline of two teammates fighting over a title would be an easy angle to pursue since one is now a top singles champion. Does WWE continue with the Kabuki Warriors as friends or will one turn on the other? Sane should be in the running for a title shot at some point during her friend's current run.
#1 Shayna Baszler
This seems like the easiest direction to take for the new RAW Women's Champion's first feud. Asuka was the last person eliminated by Shayna Baszler at Elimination Chamber but she was the one who put up the most fight against the Queen of Spades.
Baszler had been positioned to be a new top star and potential titleholder on RAW but she came up short both during the Royal Rumble and against The Man at WrestleMania 36. She's continually been painted as a dangerous heel even if she hasn't won the title. With The Man now out of the picture for the time being, it's looking like Baszler will continue her pursuits of becoming RAW Women's Champion.
It's too soon for Asuka to drop her title, so the Queen of Spades may come out on the short end once again. That won't stop her from terrorizing her way back to a title shot later this year just as Asuka herself did at the 2020 Royal Rumble.
It didn't take long to establish Baszler as the top heel on RAW quickly after her debut. Flair is off being the NXT Women's Champion so her plate is full as of right now. The Queen of Spades is the best option to challenge the Empress of Tomorrow and she will likely be a thorn in Asuka's side for the rest of the year.
