10 Booking Steps For Asuka On WWE's Main Roster

2. A Banks Statement

Asuka WWE
WWE

With Bayley forcibly brushed aside by the Champion, Sasha Banks stakes her claim to Asuka's throne with major victories over Nia Jax and Alexa Bliss.

Considered something of a dream match thanks to the reminder that Asuka kicked off her NXT in-ring career the night Sasha said goodbye to hers, the pair are presented as equals in the build up, but Sasha falls short in the July pay-per-view battle.

Rolling through the Banks Statement to apply the Asuka Lock, the 'Empress Of Tomorrow' retains her title despite the fierce test from the fellow Full Sail graduate, but jumps the challenger after the match with more kicks to her head. As commentators reference the damage she'd previously inflicted on Becky Lynch and attempted on Charlotte back at WrestleMania, Bayley makes the save for her friend before taking a shot herself.

'NOBODY WILL EVER BE READY FOR ASUKA' screams the undefeated titleholder as Bayley and Banks lick their wounds, but the following night on Monday Night Raw, Kurt Angle decrees that 'The Hugger' will enter a Battle Royal to determine a new Number One Contender for SummerSlam.

Surviving to the end and dedicating the contest to the injured 'Boss', Bayley eliminates the previously dominant Nia Jax last to earn the match she'd previously been refused.

In this post: 
Asuka
 
Posted On: 
Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation over 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. Within the podcasting space, he also co-hosts Benno & Hamflett, In Your House! and Podcast Horseman: The BoJack Horseman Podcast. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, Fightful, POST Wrestling, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett