10 Booking Steps To End Asuka’s Undefeated Streak In WWE

7. The Ronda Inconvenience

sasha banks asuka
WWE.com

'Rowdy' Ronda Rousey must reside on RAW; it's the flagship programme, and WWE is negotiating to re-home it to FOX - or least threaten to do so, in order to leverage a far better deal with the USA Network. In order to maximise the dramatic heft of the shared universe storyline, Asuka must remain there also - but as far removed from Ronda as possible. There is scope for a major long-term storyline between the two erupting a year from now.

Fortunately, there is scope also to engage Ronda in a storyline that WWE, via social media, is already in the process of foreshadowing. Nia Jax and Nikki Bella were both instructed to criticise Rousey on Twitter for "spotlight-hogging" - an arc that can begin in earnest once the ink dries on the mainstream press her 'Mania moment is bound to generate. The fringes of the RAW Women's division have an in-built motive to target Rousey: the protection of their livelihoods. This fills the plot gap - why wouldn't Rousey, a skilled fighter and a major star, not simply kill everybody with the rocket strapped to her back? - while also preserving the longevity of the character and allowing an experienced hand, like a drafted Becky Lynch, to guide her through a baptism of fire under the pretence of animosity.

A learning curve masquerading as a storyline is a fictionally coherent means of preserving both Ronda's arc and, as it will intersect, Asuka's...

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!