8 Ups & 11 Downs For WWE In 2018 (So Far)

2. Asuka's Ruination

That WWE would eventually ruin Asuka once she arrived on the main roster was always a concern among the company's justifiably cynical fanbase, but few could've predicted the efficiency with which the writers would destroy everything special about 'The Empress Of Tomorrow.'

It started at WrestleMania 34. The Charlotte Flair match was great, but the finish came out of nowhere, and it felt far too early to nuke Asuka's undefeated streak. An effective follow-up could've undone the damage, but WWE chose to compound it. This Carmella storyline has been a disaster. Asuka fell to the always-catastrophic distraction finish at Money In The Bank, when a cosplaying James Ellsworth squashed whatever remained of her once impregnable aura, and the ensuing weeks have yielded further diminishment, with Carmella routinely getting one over on her challenger.

Asuka's mystique? Gone. Threat level? Dead. Electric charisma? Neutered in this environment. Savagery? Non-existent.

WWE's lack of caste system, complete misunderstanding of what made Asuka's NXT run so successful, and undying need to present every single performer on the same level has normalised 'The Empress.' Now, she's no different to anyone else on the roster. She's a face in the crowd, a nobody, and redemption is lightyears away.