This past Saturday, Asuka defeated Carmella, Natalya, Raquel Rodriguez, Liv Morgan, and Nikki Cross in the Elimination Chamber to earn her spot against Bianca Belair at Wrestlemania 39 for the Raw Women’s Championship. Asuka secured her victory by making Carmella tap in the Asuka Lock as the last elimination. It is the first time that Asuka has won an Elimination Chamber match. Asuka returned to the WWE after a brief hiatus at the 2023 Royal Rumble where she started donning facepaint reminiscent of her time in Japan as Kana.
Asuka became the first woman and fifth person to win an Elimination Chamber, Royal Rumble, and Money in the Bank briefcase. Only John Cena, Randy Orton, Edge, and Brock Lesnar have won all three events. In 2018, Asuka entered the first women’s Royal Rumble at #25 and eliminated Nikki Bella to win. At Wrestlemania 34, she lost to Charlotte Flair for the first time in WWE. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Asuka won the 2020 Money in the Bank match at WWE Headquarters.
Asuka has been a consistent history maker in her time with WWE and her newest accomplishment is not surprising. However, what is surprising is the fact that Asuka has yet to earn herself a victory at WrestleMania. As mentioned previously, Asuka lost to Charlotte Flair at WrestleMania 34. She lost to Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross at WrestleMania 36 when she teamed with Kairi Sane. She had another loss at WrestleMania 37 when she was defeated by Rhea Ripley. The Empress of Tomorrow is out of character and will be thinking about how to break her WrestleMania streak.
Asuka will be facing Raw Women’s Champion, Bianca Belair, on either April 1st or April 2nd. Since the Royal Rumble, Asuka seems to have a new attitude, making her one of Bianca’s toughest opponents. She has always been one of the most dangerous women on the roster, and she seems to be reverting to the woman she was when she started with WWE/NXT in 2015 with her 914-day winning streak. The EST may realize why nobody is ready for Asuka. The Women’s Tag Team Champions, Iyo Sky and Dakota Kai, haven’t been announced for WrestleMania yet.
We do know that we’ll see Rhea Ripley vs. Charlotte Flair at WrestleMania for the Smackdown Women’s Championship in a rematch from WrestleMania 36 when Charlotta defeated Rhea for the NXT Women’s Championship. Rhea earned her shot at Charlotte by winning the 2023 women’s Royal Rumble back in January.
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