Opinion: WWE created its own problems regarding Women's title situations at WrestleMania
In a shocking turn of events right before WrestleMania 35, WWE opted to have Charlotte Flair face Asuka for the SmackDown Women's Title less than two weeks away from the Grandest Stage of Them All. Flair ended up taking the title from Asuka, adding yet another reign to her already impressive yet bloated career resume.
That's not to say she isn't an extremely talented superstar in her own right, but Bayley, Sasha Banks and even Lynch haven't had the amount of title runs as she has. It puts two champions in the same main event match that was already selling itself as being the first-ever showdown between women to main-event a WrestleMania PPV.
Prior to Flair winning the SmackDown Women's Title, the match itself and its build were already enough to sell it to the fans as worthy to close down 'Mania. Becky Lynch is arguably the biggest face in the company right now and the fans have been rabidly rooting for her ever since SummerSlam last year.
But in Mr. McMahon's mind, taking the title off of Asuka was necessary for two reasons. The first reason was that it raised the stakes even higher for the main event. If that were true then the SmackDown Women's title would also be on the line.
The other reason was that he didn't want Asuka to have a 'throw away' match or defense added to what is shaping up to be a 17 match card. She could have defied the odds like WWE babyfaces always do by facing Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville in a triple threat as well. Now that she isn't a champion, will she get a now not guaranteed contractually-obligated rematch or will she join the rest of the women who were pushed aside in the battle royal?
The main fact is that WWE could have avoided treating Asuka like a worthless asset by not randomly adding Flair to the Lynch/Ronda Rousey match at WrestleMania in the first place. Lynch had to re-earn the shot she had already picked up by virtue of winning the Royal Rumble. Sure, she entered randomly but was approved on site by Fit Finlay. If Charlotte had a reason to be in the match, that was it. Not because of the whims of a senior citizen.
Another thing adding the SmackDown Title to both Flair and the match does is that it sends the message that he didn't think the triple threat match was big enough as it sat in order to main-event the show. The rivalry between Rousey and Lynch has dominated WWE since November and rightfully so due to some masterful work by Lynch and some extreme tactics by Rousey.
It could have easily closed the show in two weeks on the hard work of those women, but the need to interject Flair at every juncture has actually alienated some fans and women on the roster. Sure, Flair attacked Rousey at Survivor Series, but it was all in the order to keep her looking strong when she wasn't involved in the feud.
By feeling the need to add Flair to the match, he took away what could have been another great match at 'Mania between Flair and Asuka for the SmackDown Women's title. Had they just went with Flair vs. Asuka and Lynch vs. Rousey for the two title matches, it would have made sense and not enraged a lot of people including a portion of his own women's division.
The fact is, if anyone now has a legitimate gripe as to wanting to be released, it would be the Empress of Tomorrow and most of the women of SmackDown Live. They've been pushed aside to make a glaring diamond even brighter so that it can retain its luster.
Sometimes overthinking things is WWE's biggest problem, and this time it came at the expense of one of its best superstars in Asuka.
Do you agree that WWE is misusing Asuka? Do you have any comments you would like to share? Let us know in the comments section below!