10 WWE Extreme Rules 2018 Impulse Reactions

8. Barred

Asuka James Ellsworth
WWE

More than the words in this entry will be written about Asuka's WWE main roster run in due course, but if her first pinfall loss at Money In The Bank against Carmella was an conclusion most felt painfully inevitable, defeat in their Extreme Rules rematch was a Christopher Nolan ending too far.

Unlike some of the director's unnecessary extensions, this match felt necessary - 'The Empress Of Tomorrow' simply had to return to the form of yesterday. James Ellsworth was in a shark cage, so she wouldn't be forced to look completely stupid staring at him for so long that the 'Princess Of Staten Island' could recover herself to win. James Ellsworth then fell out of a shark cage, so she was forced to look completely stupid staring at him for so long that the 'Princess Of Staten Island' recovered herself to win.

Both matches saw the Champion take a beating the confines of both kayfabe and reality required, before the Challenger fell short - but the outcomes are what matter despite WWE's insistence via Road Dogg that wins and losses don't. Fans don't back losers - not least ones that look like even bigger ones than they actually are. Asuka's third defeat might as well have been her 333rd, the way she's been booked since WrestleMania.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation for 10 years. Alongside the production of daily written, audio and video content covering WWE and AEW, he also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot on the UK's wrestling podcast charts with over 10,000 episodes and 70,000,000 total downloads. He also co-hosts Benno & Hamflett, In Your House!, Podcast Horseman: The BoJack Horseman Podcast, and has guested on long-running Sunderland AFC podcast Wise Men Say. With WhatCulture, he has provided in-person coverage of some of the biggest pay-per-views and Premium Live Events in wrestling history, including WrestleMania, Survivor Series, All In & Double Or Nothing in destinations such as New York, New Jersey, Chicago, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. He has also been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, Fightful, POST Wrestling, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana, 411Mania and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in music and culture magazines The Crack, Pilot as well as Sunderland AFC's premiere fanzine A Love Supreme. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it every other Saturday at the Stadium Of Light, and at Cribs gigs nationwide.