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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Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.