9 WWE Survivor Series 2020 Impulse Reactions

5. Asuka Vs. Sasha Banks

Sasha Banks Asuka
WWE

Based on how fantastic Asuka and Sasha Banks' matches were before horrific finishes harshed the buzz earlier this year, it was reasonable to assume that these two would construct one of the sleeper hits of the night. But practice didn't hold up to the theory.

A clean finish and hard-fought battle were the minimal expectations met, but this was a good-not-great fight undone by that cloud of indifference hanging above The ThundeDome for the bulk of the evening. Put its gentle failings down to that rather than the really well-worked bit of hard graft from the pair of Women's Champions.

Not once up to this point had the scores on the night played a factor into things. No mention on commentary, no graphic on the screen. Banks wasn't fighting to get SmackDown back in the game, nor was Asuka working to give her show an unassailable lead, and a distinct lack of violence saw this one struggling for air by the end. Even a not-insignificant victory for 'The Boss' - another streak snapped in her recent run of form - went by with little mention from the commentary team.

 
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Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation over 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. Within the podcasting space, he also co-hosts Benno & Hamflett, In Your House! and Podcast Horseman: The BoJack Horseman Podcast. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, Fightful, POST Wrestling, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett