10 WWE Wrestlers Who NEED A Big Push After Royal Rumble 2023

7. Asuka

They might have f*cked it already, but a strong push and good creative aren't necessarily one and the same in WWE.

This remains true under Triple H, who, despite littering his roster with countless Black and Gold acts - who might as well have worked for Ice Ribbon, for how known they are to main roster fans - has proven himself capable of getting the important things right.

The rebooted Asuka drew a huge pop at the Rumble; entering the ring to a literal new coat of paint, a striking, sinister and mischievous look, fans were clearly behind the idea of taking Asuka seriously as a threat once again. She might not be the sublime worker she was in the mid-2010s, but she's still a top 10 talent in the entire company. She can still draw gasps by dragging opponents to the mat with her impossible-to-defend submission transitions.

On Raw last night, she flashed her teeth to a returning Carmella. Carmella wasn't unsettled; she simply said that Asuka, who did nothing but smile, was "Eww, gross".

Rather than a burial, "happily", this was just WWE's trademark piss-poor dialogue that will act as impetus for Asuka's first win under the new look.