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This past week on SmackDown, Asuka won a battle royal to confirm her place in a triple threat TLC match against Charlotte Flair and Becky Lynch for the SmackDown Women's Championship at TLC.
The decision to book Asuka in the match seemingly come out of nowhere, given the fact that she has been fairly anonymous on WWE television as of late, but it could turn out to be a very intelligent move on the part of the WWE.
Not only is Asuka one of the company's top performers, but she could easily carry the SmackDown Women's division as its top babyface, especially if Becky Lynch is headed to Raw to take on Ronda Rousey.
While the odds are stacked against her, The Empress of Tomorrow should walk away victorious at TLC and pick up her first ever main-roster title belt, and here are three reasons why.
3: Get the fans behind Becky Lynch
Becky Lynch is the most over wrestler on the planet right now, and the WWE will have to tread carefully over the next few months to really capitalise on that and potentially make her the face of the company.
One way or another, WrestleMania needs to close with Becky Lynch holding a title belt above her head, and quite frankly, fans don't really care right now whether that is Raw or SmackDown's.
For that moment to really feel special though, Becky Lynch has to come into Mania with something to prove and having her go into the event as the defending champion is probably not the smartest move.
Instead, booking her to lose a match where she doesn't have to be pinned or submitted will only get the fans behind her more, and the fact that the Royal Rumble is next month means that she could somehow forfeit her rematch to enter the Rumble instead.
2: Give her a great end to a horrible year
There are very few superstars who have been booked as poorly has Asuka in 2018. The former NXT Women's Champion came into the year as one of the hottest superstars on the roster, only for the WWE to completely ruin her following her first ever defeat at WrestleMania 34.
Despite this, fans are still behind The Empress of Tomorrow and a win at the end of the year, against two of the company's top female talents, would finally help put her back where she belongs in the company.
Asuka is one of the most talented females the WWE have at their disposal, and having her win this match would acknowledge that fact and show that she is much more than just a supporting performer in a bigger feud.
1: Becky Lynch and Charlotte can prepare for Ronda Rousey
Given how ridiculously over Becky Lynch is right now, and given the fact that Charlotte Flair has unfinished business with Ronda Rousey, a triple threat between all three women in the main event of WrestleMania 35 seems the logical outcome.
There are plenty of ways the WWE can get to this match, but one of the best would be to have both Becky Lynch and Charlotte win the Royal Rumble, Lex Luger and Bret Hart style.
This would then allow the two women to both challenge Ronda Rousey for the Raw Women's Championship at WrestleMania.
Of course, the WWE could go about this the opposite way and have Rousey drop her belt before heading to SmackDown, but that would mean booking her first defeat before WrestleMania, which would be a massive waste.
