10 Biggest WWE Creative Mistakes Of 2018

8. Asuka's Career

Sasha Banks Bayley
WWE.com

If you really think about it - as in think, and don't do what Asuka did in her series with Carmella, when she ignored James Ellsworth out of, what the f*ck even was it, fright, confusion? - it's almost depressing that one belated booking crumb can inspire such a feast of optimism. Asuka won a Battle Royal to enter the upcoming SmackDown Women's Title TLC Triple Threat match. All is forgiven, for SmackDown is doing the absolute bare minimum with a star they had ruined for months and months!

Is this the new standard? That the faintest, cruelest hope has now comprehensively replaced the satisfaction long-term storytelling used to yield?

All is forgiven.

Forget that nobody was ready for Asuka, but Asuka wasn't ready for James Ellsworth (!). Forget that SmackDown subsequently found no place for Asuka, even on an über-bloated four-hour PPV circuit. Forget that Asuka sporadically appeared on SmackDown not to wrestle really good matches, but to make friends with Naomi - a friendship that yielded an abysmal, f*cking abysmal, comedy of misunderstanding that was lowkey racist as sh*t.

This wasn't a mere creative mistake.

Asuka's post-streak run was an hysterically satirical take on Vince McMahon's perception of her, only it actually bloody happened.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!