10 Ways Wrestling Is Ruining WWE
8. The NXT Transition
Asuka's NXT farewell came with all the pomp of a wrestling goodbye. The roster filled the stage, tears were shed, and naturally Triple H was pretty close by to steal focus and claim credit for something or other.
'The Empress Of Tomorrow' has left behind an incredible legacy in NXT, remaining undefeated for her entire tenure and knocking together a 523 day title reign in the process. But she'll arrive on the main roster that has notoriously misunderstood and misread nearly every developmental success story.
Away from Bayley's boos and Sami's sadness, Shinsuke Nakamura has become the latest main stage misstep. The 'King Of Strong Style'/'Artist'/'Rockstar' wrestles almost every week in increasingly boring WWE formula battles that extenuate precisely none of the nuances that made him such an enigmatic explosion in NXT. Little more than a 'do the entrance, do the entrance!' performer, Nakamura's played his greatest hit before the bell even rings, and doesn't look to have the longevity a character like his deserves unless he can figure out how to work around the company's deeply unsatisfying television parameters.
Is Asuka's case any different? To maintain her vaunted streak, she'll have to win decisively once a week instead of twice a month. Opponents will disappear quickly and malaise will quickly build. WWE have simultaneously given themselves so much to work with but even more to lose. Botching her promotion would be the biggest post-NXT crime yet.