10 Big Turns WWE Must Make In 2017
9. Asuka (Heel)
Asuka has been a rock for NXT. The Four Horsewomen’s main roster departures were a huge blow to Full Sail’s women’s division, and when Becky, Charlotte, and Sasha left, the place that birthed the Women’s Revolution looked to be in deep trouble.
Bayley stuck around for a while, but Asuka soon rose as the division’s new cornerstone. She has dominated every opponent she’s ever faced, and is now dangerously close to breaking Paige’s 308-day record as NXT Women’s Champion. Asuka is a guaranteed hit in a division still recovering from the Horsewomen’s loss, and she’s immensely popular.
The former Kana has been a great badass babyface for the developmental brand, but it’s time to turn the corner. She’s too brutal and sadistic to play face much longer, and with the popular Ember Moon emerging as her next big challenge, it’d make for a more compelling program if the champion was allowed to tap into her more ruthless impulses.
WWE are already planting the seeds for this one. Asuka refused a handshake from the returning Mickie James at TakeOver: Toronto, and her interviews keep getting cockier and cockier. As strong as Asuka’s face run has been, she’s a born villainess. Turning her now won’t just prolong her NXT lifespan, but set her up for potentially great feuds with the likes of Becky, Bayley, and Sasha on the main roster.