10 Wrestlers You Never Thought Would Get Over On TV

3. Asuka

Orange Cassidy
WWE

Asuka couldn't speak fluent English, and was thus automatically f*cked in 2017.

Alarm bells - that sounded less like sirens, and more like "Vince isn't going to conflate her with Kaientai, isn't he" - rang out instantly. She went 50/50 with the departing Emma on her pay-per-view debut, and while she won the 2018 Royal Rumble, that is no guarantee of a push. Her killer swagger aura waned in overlong, mandatory promo segments - she seemed to panic in there, wondering aloud how to translate "You see..." from her native Japanese - and the undefeated streak NXT creative had spent years curating was sacrificed to get Charlotte Flair over. Flair subsequently lost to Carmella. Then Asuka lost to Carmella. Then WWE threw Asuka in the Chattahoochee.

Asuka surfaced in the Mixed Mixed Challenge, in which her incandescent physical charisma and general brilliance allowed her to show that she could tell wonderful stories through physicality, being a fabulous pro wrestler and all.

After yet more fitful booking, WWE finally clocked it towards the end of 2019: the mist-spraying, screen-dominating, effortlessly captivating Asuka, in delivering more comprehensible, natural and entertaining promos than any uttered in English on the same show, became the undisputed highlight of Monday Night RAW.

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!