Get well soon, Asuka

Last night, it was reported via WhatCulture that Asuka had vacated the NXT Women's Title following a collarbone injury at Takeover: Brooklyn III. It was further reported that she was expected to take at least three months off to recover and that she was in talks to move up to the main roster when she did rather than returning to NXT.

First off, best wishes to Asuka for a speedy and trouble free recovery.

Less importamntly, of course, is my smarky opinion that this is probably a good way to handle the situation. According to WhatCulture Asuka's undefeated streak ran 523 days. Rather famously, it eclipsed even the undefeated streak of Bill Goldberg back in the day. And this wasn't just her run with the title, she remains undefeated in her entire WWE career.

And if she does up to main roster still undefeated, I think that's a good idea.

Let me explain: going up to main roster is the point of NXT. The show is still technically WWE's “developmental” product meant to get people over with the audience and letting them hone their character in a smaller setting. It s a good idea but there have been some problems.

You see, I'm not sure who would be worthy to have ended Asuka's undefeated streak. Okay, the answer is blatantly Ember Moon and I'm baffled that it didn't happen at Brooklyn III but here's my issue: would you really want to end the longest undefeated streak in modern WWE (I'm willing to bet there's a longer one in days of yore that isn't getting mentioned) on the developmental show?

You see my problem. This streak is a big thing and yet, by its very nature, it was going to have to end on a small time show. Whoever knocks Asuka off her perch is going to get one hell of a boost from it and whilst Ember Moon is more than worthy (as is, in my opinion, Nikki Cross) there's probably more prestige to be handed out from this than NXT can give.

This could be something main event worthy. This could be worthy of Hell In A Cell (not this year's, obviously) or some other major showcase match. Having her come into main roster with her winning streak intact means she comes into that title scene with a huge level of prestige that would have been somewhat diminished by breaking the streak beforehand. 

Why Nikki Cross and Asuka's Last Woman Standing match gives me hope

(no spoilers for the match result, I am genuinely recommending it and I don't want to give away the ending).

This might seem an odd moment of feminism but this was an absolutely brutal match and that's important. After the chronic botching of the women's Money In The Bank match, I for one needed a sign that the women's division wasn't just going to go off the rails.

Boy, did I get it.

This was a great match. I honestly mean that. My gold standard for Last Man/Woman Standing is Triple H versus Ric Flair which is one of my favourite matches ever. I have a lot of thoughts on how Flair hung on too long but the man has my eternal respect for how well he did in that match at his age (and, good grief, that spot with the screwdriver is just plain hard to watch).

But enough about old men brutalising each other for our entertainment, let's talk about two young women brutalising each other for our entertainment!

In all seriousness, this match was treated with all the seriousness that I felt the booking of Money In The Bank lacked with one exception... can we please stop putting adverts in the middle of main events? There were two ad breaks. Now, I like Roderick Strong and I am looking forward to him facing Bobby Roode for the title but, to be frank, its not what I was there for at that moment.

No, I was there for both women at various times going head first into the steel steps; Asuka drop kicking Nikki whilst Nikki was trapped inside a dustbin; Asuka taking an absolutely hair-raising DDT on the very edge of the ring apron and selling like a champ; Asuka being powerbombed onto a pile of chairs.

And, though I won't spell it out, the final spot. The winning moment. It was sheer brutality and a truly rare occasion when I was with the crowd when they started chanting “Holt shit!”. I do feel that chant has been devalued somewhat but it was truly deserved.

As I say, it might seem odd that I'm complimenting this as a return to form for the women's division but here we are. These two women were booked in a long, grueling match which they turned into an absolute belter. They were presented as fantastic athletes and unstoppable forces that could only clash in a match where winning involves beating the other person to exhaustion.

This is a definite step up from having a weak heel get a win off the back of her bloody boyfriend's interference.

Just, next time, let is see the match uninterrupted, please? 

The Undefeated Woman

Since this seems to be the week for women type news that will send male fanboys of things round the bend, let's talk about Asuka's undefeated streak, which is now the longest in WWE history.

Now, as people are so fond of pointing out, “wrestling is fake”. Now, this isn't true in the way people think its true (in that they think it means no skill or risk is involved which is very insulting to people I would never dream of insulting) but it does have to be admitted that results are booked in advance. What this means is that the largest wrestling company in the world made the conscious decision to let a woman beat Bill Goldberg's undefeated streak, the previous record.

That's big.

When the WWE chooses to equal or beat a record, especially one they talk about a lot, it means something. When John Cena won his sixteenth world title a few months back, equaling industry legend Ric Flair's record, it was a clear statement that the WWE views Cena as equal to that legend.

Not to be that guy but I do think they have a point. Please don't hurt my family.

Anyway, a woman now holds the record for longest undefeated streak in the history of the company. A thoroughly deserving woman, in my view. She's a fantastic in-ring talent and marvellously charismatic on the mic. Perversely enough, I do want this undefeated streak to end because then she can drop that title and finally move up to main roster where she belongs but I won't deny for a moment she deserves it. I just also think she deserves a big time match at Wrestlemania some time before she retires, is all.