10 WWE Royal Rumble Wins That Became Huge Disappointments

Asuka had been handled like a star during her unbeaten run through NXT, and that streak continued when she moved to the main roster in 2017. When the first-ever women's Royal Rumble match was announced, she was instantly considered one of the favourites.

With prospective opponents Alexa Bliss and Charlotte Flair watching, Asuka indeed ran through the field to put her name down in history as the first ever women's Rumble winner. The crowd had little time to show their excitement at her victory, though. Before Asuka could declare her choice of WrestleMania opponent, Ronda Rousey debuted to completely overshadow the Empress of Tomorrow's victory.

Still, there were high hopes when Asuka chose Charlotte as her WrestleMania opponent.

In the ring, the pair had a great match, but in a depressing end Flair won the pinfall, ending Asuka's undefeated streak and putting an end to her momentum. Flair then lost the SmackDown title to Carmella a few nights later, leading to Asuka feuding with the Princess of Staten Island over the belt. Expected to destroy Carmella, Asuka instead lost on the next few pay-per-views, pushing her further down the card and wasting the Rumble win. It would not be until the empty arena shows of the early pandemic that Asuka reasserted herself as one of the stars of the women's division.