15 Ups & 13 Downs For WWE In 2017

4. The Empress Of Today

Asuka Dana Brooke
WWE.com

WWE came dangerously close to botching Asuka's main roster arrival on her very first appearance. The company made her work a needlessly competitive match with the lowly Emma at TLC, then again on the following night's Raw, before releasing the talented Aussie by the week's end. A destructive turn of events, it was totally at odds with Asuka's dominant NXT presentation.

The good news is that WWE have finally righted their course with 'The Empress Of Tomorrow,' and she already feels like one of Raw's star attractions. It started with a pre-Survivor Series jobber squashing spree, and continued at the pay-per-view itself, where she single-handedly eliminated three SmackDown opponents to win the women's elimination bout. A starring role in the upcoming women's Royal Rumble surely beckons, with Asuka an early favourite to win.

The last few months of Asuka's NXT run were stellar, too. Her long-running feud with Ember Moon culminated in one of the best women's matches in WWE history in Brooklyn, and June's Last Women Standing bout with Nikki Cross is an unheralded Women's Revolution classic. Perhaps the company will eventually find a way to squander 'The Empress' on Raw, but for now, Asuka is the most exiting performer in her lane.

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Channel Manager
Channel Manager

Andy has been with WhatCulture for eight years and is currently WhatCulture's Wrestling Channel Manager. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.