WWE Royal Rumble 2019: 8 Things WWE Got Right

2. Giving Asuka The Clean Win

Royal Rumble 2019 Asuka
WWE.com

Asuka's 2018 started off with a Rumble bang, sagged in the middle then ended on a high at TLC when she won the SmackDown Women's Title. When it was announced she would defend against a red-hot Becky Lynch at the 2019 Rumble though, some worried her time as champ would be fleeting.

It's not.

Despite Becky's hotness in WWE right now, she was booked to take a clean submission loss. Anyone angry at that should see the bigger picture. Lynch is over enough that occasional losses don't hurt her, and the fact she gave up to Asuka's finish can become part of the narrative against Ronda Rousey ("You've already tapped out").

Further, Asuka really needed a few memorable wins under her belt to get back on track after a woeful summer. Now, she's beaten Charlotte Flair and Becky Lynch in a three-way TLC match and defended her prize one-on-one against 'The Man'. We have our Asuka back again.

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