10 WWE Careers That Were Transformed In One Year
5. Asuka - 2020
2019 was the year Asuka proved herself completely impervious to WWE's haphazard talent management, but 2020's unexpected and unwelcome Empty Arena Era has at points been saved by the 'Empress Of Tomorrow'.
A narrow loss to Becky Lynch at the Royal Rumble went some way to babyfacing her following months of high quality Kabuki Warriors Tag Team Title matches alongside Kairi Sane, but the disappearance of crowds brought about the intrinsic brilliance of Asuka's current act. She was the esoteric and ultra-confident character regardless of how many people were there to react. A performer that, wonderfully, wasn't performing.
Her character feels as real, unlike many that have seen their auras flattened by the silent-but-deafening noise of the Performance Center ceiling fan.
Winning Money In The Bank was seen as overdue reward for the work before it became clear just how great a reward that was. Becky Lynch's run as Raw Women's Champion elevated that belt in spite of itself. Asuka, as the division's clear top star, has the chance to enhance her own legacy with another lofty reign.