8 WWE Royal Rumble 2020 Impulse Reactions
2. Becky Lynch (c) Vs. Asuka
It took a little while to get going, and this marked the first point of the night where the tired crowd seemed in need of a pick-me-up, but Becky Lynch's long-awaited successful title defence over Asuka got over by force of will and the hard graft of both Champion and Challenger.
It didn't feel like the the thrill ride promised by the build (and, to be truthful, the quality of their prior encounters), but by the time the 'Empress Of Tomorrow' started teasing submissions, the audience anxiety for the plight of the titleholder could finally be felt.
A weird referee separation drew sympathy for heel Asuka at the worst possible time to try and set up a spot in which Becky begged the official not to stop the match, but the wrestlers got what they wanted when Lynch rocked her opponent with a mid-mist kick seconds later.
Covered in the green stuff and the pain of her defeat, Asuka looked broken by the loss in a moment that did more for 'The Man' that the last four months or so of her ongoing title reign.