10 WWE Royal Rumble 2019 Impulse Reactions

7. Who's The Man?

Nia Jax
WWE

If Becky Lynch is the biggest star in wrestling, then the biggest star in wrestling just put over SmackDown Women's Champion Asuka with the intent of trying to elevate her and the title to a new level ahead of the long and winding Road To WrestleMania.

The two are probably not destined to fight again (Lynch will surely chase her long-awaited scrap with Ronda Rousey), and thus left it all out there for an opener that graduated to pulsating as the competitors grew in confidence against one another. Asuka's submission finisher drew a surprising tap-out loss - not the sort of thing 'The Man' gimmick is that equipped to absorb without a make-good - but more on that later.

For Asuka, this was further redemption for the character that only one year ago still had the world at her educated and violent feet. She was yet to lose, yet to look foolish and yet to squander a golden opportunity following a Royal Rumble wins. The days are currently more comfortable for the 'Empress Of Tomorrow' than they were a year ago - but her opponent will remain a mystery until 'The Man' comes around.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but 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 in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. 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 sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett