5 reasons why Asuka needs to win the SmackDown Women's Championship

SmackDown Live went off the air this week after a big match was announced for the TLC pay-per-view.

Becky Lynch will defend her SmackDown Women's Championship against Charlotte Flair and Asuka in a TLC match in three weeks.

This could've easily been another chapter in the feud between Flair and Lynch, but the decision to add Asuka to the match could end up being an amazing way to end 2018.

It goes without saying that Asuka lost a ton of momentum this year due to horrendous booking, but a decisive win at the TLC pay-per-view could set the Empress of Tomorrow back on track to being the Asuka everyone loved in NXT.

With that in mind, here are five reasons why Asuka needs to win the SmackDown Women's Championship at the TLC pay-per-view.

#5 Needs it the most

Asuka's victory in the first-ever Women's Royal Rumble seemed like it would lead her to become the SmackDown Women's Champion, but that would not be the case.

Her title match at WrestleMania 34 ended in defeat, but still opened up new possibilities for Asuka's character after her massive undefeated streak came to an end.

And then...this happened.

At this point, it was abundantly clear that Asuka's time at the top of the division was temporary at best.

The end of her feud with Carmella spelled the end for SmackDown Live having anything of value for Asuka as she eventually faded into the background to become just another woman on the roster.

Her victory in the SmackDown Women's Battle Royal this week was her biggest win since the Royal Rumble and that's sad when compared to her feats in NXT.

Asuka winning the championship would be a great first step to correcting the mistakes WWE made with her this year.

#4 Gives her another historic accomplishment

Asuka's resume in WWE puts her in a pretty good place if we're strictly basing this off of NXT.

She's one of the longest reigning champions in WWE history with an undefeated streak that puts The Undertaker and Goldberg to shame.

As far as the main roster goes, her only claim to fame was her victory at the Royal Rumble and her amazing performance with Charlotte Flair at WrestleMania 34.

When you look at the rest of the accomplishments WWE has pushed the Women's Division to achieve, majority of them fall to the Four Horsewomen and Alexa Bliss.

In particular, Becky Lynch and Charlotte have accomplished so much with their feud this year that they've reached just about every milestone conceivable.

The first-ever TLC match for the women's division would be just another moment in the feud between Lynch and Flair, but Asuka winning the match to step back into the spotlight would go a long way in bringing her star power back to her NXT days.

#3 Makes her Royal Rumble victory valid

Nobody Was Ready For Asuka...or so we thought

The first-ever Women's Royal Rumble was won by the undefeated Asuka and made everyone believe she would be treated as a top star for years to come.

Unfortunately, she lost her title match at WrestleMania 34 and was booked worse and worse as the year progressed.

Now it goes without saying that there have been several WWE superstars to win the Royal Rumble and not win the championship, but the vast majority of those superstars were already world champions before winning the match or won the title later on in the year.

Asuka's victory was already overshadowed by the debut of Ronda Rousey, but the fact that she became irrelevant by the end of the Summer made it seem like her main roster career peaked at the beginning of 2018.

Having The Empress of Tomorrow win the title at TLC won't help erase WWE's booking mistakes, but it will at least make her seem like more of a legit star and not just another fizzled out NXT call-up.

#2 Opens door for other members of the roster

Asuka becoming the champion would be a great way to open up the main event to different superstars.

There are 11 members of the SmackDown Women's Division, but the last few months have been dominated by Charlotte Flair and Becky Lynch.

Their feud was one of the biggest and most entertaining in all of WWE, but the decision to continue their rivalry doesn't seem right when you consider that their feud had a definitive end at the Evolution pay-per-view.

If Asuka wins the title, the stories that could be told in the Women's Division become much more interesting allowing for the former NXT Champion to face other members of the roster and give them some much-needed time in the spotlight.

Naomi stands out in the SmackDown Women's Division as a potential opponent for Asuka should she win the title, but the other members of the division would also benefit from trading blows with the Empress of Tomorrow while the title is on the line.

#1 Aligns with WWE's Plans

Charlotte Flair's match with Ronda Rousey has been rumored for WrestleMania 35 since the former MMA superstar joined WWE.

Survivor Series gave us a sample of what they'd be capable of, but their feud seems far from over.

Meanwhile, Becky Lynch and Rousey have unfinished business from the Raw before Survivor Series where The Man led the charge to attack the Raw Women's Division and their champion...before Nia Jax punched her in the face.

The latest rumors for WrestleMania would have Charlotte facing Rousey in a rematch and Jax getting her comeuppance at Lynch's hands...two plans that would leave Asuka with nothing.

Having The Empress of Tomorrow win the SmackDown Women's Championship would be an easy way to get the titles away from Lynch and Flair to set up for their expected feuds.

Asuka becomes champion, Lynch and Flair get big matches at WrestleMania and WWE get to still do things their way...everyone walks away mostly satisfied.