7 Most Insane Things Happening In Wrestling Right Now (Nov 3)

6. While We're On The Subject...

Stephanie INSANE
WWE

...why on earth was Emma so competitive against Asuka at TLC?

This is beyond comprehension - especially since Emma tweeted a broken heart emoji in response to the announcement. She wasn't released by mutual consent, which is the first thing that popped into everybody with a brain when they realised Tamina didn't follow her out of the door. So: Emma was on the chopping block, and WWE still positioned her as competitive in a match against the kayfabe most dominant force in the entire division.

Words. Words are difficult. To write. And put. In the right order. Why - why - risk normalising Asuka as a gutsy babyface who, in Michael Cole's words, "just loves to entertain!" when her opponent isn't going to benefit from the rub?

It's not so much that the matches in themselves were even. It's not as if Asuka sold for almost the entire duration, like when Triple H waved his d*ck in Goldberg's face. It's the message behind the match that inspires pure, unadulterated nihilism. WWE seems incapable of letting good wrestlers wrestle their own, good matches. "She needs an obstacle to overcome!", you can imagine Vince screaming.

She smashed through the entire NXT roster, Vince. She's harder in storylines than you are for Indian bodybuilders.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and surefire Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!