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Asuka has been one of the standout stars of WWE's pandemic era, and she regained the RAW Women's Championship from Sasha Banks at this year's SummerSlam. The Empress of Tomorrow pulled double duty that night, also facing off against Bayley for the SmackDown Women's Championship.
Asuka first won the RAW Women's Championship after this year's Money in the Bank. The night after Money in the Bank, it was revealed that champion Becky Lynch was relinquishing the title due to her pregnancy, and Asuka was handed the briefcase that had the RAW Women's Championship hidden inside.
The RAW Women's Championship was briefly also held by Sasha Banks, but Asuka was successful in winning it back at their SummerSlam rematch. As Asuka begins her second reign with the title, here are five women who could potentially challenge her to the RAW Women's Championship shortly.
#5 Mickie James
After a fourteen-month break from WWE TV, Mickie James made her return this August on RAW. James returned as a face, in contrast to her previous heel alliance with Alexa Bliss. She had a brief feud against the duo of Natalya and Lana after the pair ruined her return segment.
On the most recent episode of RAW, James managed to defeat Lana despite interferences from Natalya, all while RAW Women's Champion Asuka watched on from the commentary table.
In the build-up to the match, Mickie James came to seemingly set a challenge to Asuka before being interrupted by Natalya and Lana. James proved that she was more than capable of going head-to-head against The Empress of Tomorrow for the RAW Women's Championship.
Fans have also seen Mickie James and Asuka square off previously. In 2016, James made the move to NXT when Asuka was the NXT Women's Champion. The pair had an amazing match at NXT TakeOver: Toronto, where Asuka eventually emerged as the winner.
Surely fans would want to see Mickie James going against Asuka once more, as they are both highly talented members of the RAW roster. Seeing James and Asuka clash again over the RAW Women's Championship would surely be an exciting prospect.
#4 Natalya
Natalya has altered her character over recent months. After a brief feud with Liv Morgan, Natalya aligned with Lana following the Ravishing Russian distancing herself from Bobby Lashley and turned heel. Will contending for the RAW Women's Championship be the next step for the new Natalya?
Fans have seen the pair face off a few times over the years, and each time they have managed to put on a great match. They are both highly skilled and experienced in the ring, and when they come together, it shows.
Recently, Natalya and Lana interrupted Mickie James when she was about to challenge Asuka. The pair also wanted to contend for the RAW Women's Championship, and currently seem to be in contention against James over who will do so. Although Lana lost to James, there still seems to be an opportunity for Natalya to compete for the title.
With Natalya currently working as a heel in WWE, there is also the classic villain versus babyface dynamic between her and Asuka. If the pair were to face off over the RAW Women's Championship, fans could be treated with a rivalry that has the potential to be huge.
#3 Peyton Royce
Up until very recently, Peyton Royce has been one half of the tag team The IIconics alongside Billie Kay. On the latest edition of RAW, The IIconics faced off against the newly-reformed Riott Squad in a match with a big stipulation - the losing time had to disband.
The Riott Squad won, and The IIconics did indeed break up. The pair then featured on RAW Underground, where Royce threw Kay between Marina Shafir and Jessamyn Duke and left her former partner to be attacked by the pair.
The break up of The IIconics seems to signal the pair as single stars rather than a tag team. There have been rumors swirling that Peyton Royce is due for a big singles push and having her compete against Asuka for the RAW Women's Championship would be a fantastic way to do this.
Peyton Royce and Asuka have faced off in the past in their days in NXT. Both performers are skilled both in the ring and on the microphone, and Royce seems to be continuing her mean persona, illustrated by her leaving Billie Kay to be attacked. Due to the characters of Asuka and Peyton Royce, and the history between the pair, seeing them clash over the RAW Women's Championship is an exciting prospect.
#2 Bianca Belair
Like Ruby Riott and Liv Morgan, it may be surprising to hear that Bianca Belair hasn't won a WWE title yet - could she be competing for the RAW Women's Championship soon?
During her time on NXT, Bianca Belair often won matches to determine number one contenders for the NXT Women's Championship, but she often fell at the final hurdle. The EST of WWE came close to defeating both Shayna Baszler and Rhea Ripley but just missed out on both occasions. However, Belair showed fans that she was a force to be reckoned with during the 2020 Royal Rumble, entering at number two and eliminating a record eight competitors.
Belair moved to RAW during WrestleMania, making an appearance to save The Street Profits from a beatdown from Zelina Vega, Angel Garza, and Austin Theory. Since her move to RAW, Belair has been established as a face, often coming to the aid of The Street Profits against Vega and her crew.
Belair has also become aligned with Ruby Riott and Liv Morgan on RAW, defending the recently reunited pair against The IIconics. There has also been talk about Vince McMahon wanting to push Belair in the near future, and having her compete for a title would a great way to do so. Soon, it could be time for Bianca Belair to emerge as a contender to the RAW Women's Championship against Asuka, which has the potential to be an amazing rivalry. Both stars are amazingly talented, and they could put on some show-stopping matches over the RAW Women's Championship.
#1 Shayna Baszler
Shayna Baszler was one of the most dominant champions in NXT history, could she be preparing to take away the RAW Women's Championship from Asuka soon?
Since moving from NXT to RAW, Shayna Baszler has not been shy about her desire for the RAW Women's Championship. Baszler came close to winning the 2020 Royal Rumble, entering at number 30 and throwing eight competitors out of the ring, tying with Bianca Belair for the record number of women eliminated in a rumble match. The Queen of Spades came second to Charlotte Flair who chose to challenge Rhea Ripley for the NXT Women's Championship.
Following this, Shayna Baszler made a beeline for then-RAW Women's Champion Becky Lynch and her title. She tore through her opponents at Elimination Chamber, making them all submit to the Kirifuda Clutch in a match that was described as a squash. in their title match at WrestleMania, Baszler was unsuccessful, although the pair had a great head-to-head against each other.
Since Lynch went on her WWE break, Baszler has sent out warnings to the women of RAW, brawling with Nia Jax and punching Sasha Banks during a backstage promo. After the title match was set between Asuka and Banks at SummerSlam, told Asuka that she would want her to win the title back, as she wanted The Empress of Tomorrow to be the person that she defeats for the RAW Women's Championship. It only seems like a matter of time before we see a title match between the pair.
