We publish a whole lot of content here at Cageside Seats. We’re also [looks around and whispers so the bosses can’t hear] not the only place producing wrestling content on the internet. So, as a service to you on the weekdays, we’ll be producing a wrestling newsletter, "Rude Awakening." Well, it will be a newsletter eventually: for now, it’ll just be part of your experience here at Cageside, collecting the news, recaps, and social moments from the greater wrestling universe daily so you won’t fall behind, with a newsletter format to come.
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Asuka is going to face Ember Moon at NXT TakeOver: Orlando during WrestleMania weekend. There’s a good chance — as good as anyone has had — that Moon is going to win that NXT Women’s Championship bout and take the title that Asuka has held for a record reign. When that happens, then Asuka’s road to to the main roster will be a clear one: there’s little need for her to stick around NXT for anything other than a rematch if Ember Moon is going to be the top competitor in the women’s division, especially when nearly everyone Asuka defeated on her way to this moment is on RAW or SmackDown already, anyway. The question becomes, then, not if Asuka is going to head to RAW or SmackDown, but instead, which of those shows should she join?
You can make arguments for her inclusion on either brand. RAW has a bit of a problem of focusing so heavily on Charlotte Flair, Sasha Banks, and Bayley, with little time for other performers to get anywhere near the show’s Women’s Championship. At the same time, RAW also has recently reintroduced Emma (only to de-introduce her with a note she’ll be re-re-introduced soon), built up Nia Jax as an eventual main eventer within the division, and admittedly already has enough star power at the top: you could argue they should do more with what they have, because they can. Then again, Asuka would change everything, and seeing Charlotte face off against her at some point would be incredible.
SmackDown has closed the star power gap a bit, but is expected to lose Nikki Bella after WrestleMania for some time. That opens up a void, one Asuka could easily fill, and also would serve to reset the women’s division a bit since the power structure would have changed so much. As much as Alexa Bliss, Naomi, and more are all believable challengers for the blue brand’s Women’s title, Becky Lynch is unquestionably the best they have to offer, and throwing Asuka in the mix would help bring some uncertainty and depth to the top of SmackDown. There’s no real wrong answer as to where Asuka should go — both shows need more women and more time for women, and Asuka would help whether she’s on Mondays or Tuesdays. Your own preference likely comes down to whichever show you enjoy more, and hey, that’s not a bad thing.
- Speaking of NXT, Sean Rueter has full recap of this week’s episode, where the Ember Moon vs. Asuka match was announced.
- Whether Roman Reigns is turning heel or not for his match with Undertaker is one of the many rumors in Thursday’s roundup.
- Here is a very useful gif of the Miz from this week’s Talking Smack. And here is the full transcription of the Talking Smack segment he and Maryse once again owned.
- Ember Moon vs. Asuka isn’t the only NXT title match that was announced this week: we’ll get the rematch of Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Bobby Roode for the NXT Championship in Orlando as well.
- Big Show explained the awesome spot he did with referees during a dark segment of RAW last week.
- WWE has reportedly signed STARDOM wrestler Kairi Hojo to a three-year contract. She has a whole mess of championships for the Japanese promotion, and even had an appearance on Lucha Underground this season.
- Jerry Lawler defended a fat joke he made about Nia Jax by explaining that it wasn’t actually a fat joke, just a joke that only works if you’re implying that someone is fat.
- Edge went through the credentials for his wife, Beth Phoenix, to explain how deserving she was of her upcoming WWE Hall of Fame induction.
- Here’s C.K. Stewart at Paste on the slow progress of WWE on LGBQT stories Stephanie McMahon promised would exist.
- Also at Paste, a thoughtful follow-up to a recent article wondering about the lack of women’s merchandise on WWE’s shop, this time centering on the merch Bayley does have.
- Orlando unveiled a 12-foot-tall WWE World Championship belt to celebrate the upcoming WrestleMania 33. As Bill Hanstock points out, though, it’s an enormous belt set 12 feet high, not a belt that is 12 feet in height itself.
- Naomi says she’s not giving up on WrestleMania 33, and we’re all hoping she can make it back in time to challenge for the title she had to give up.
- Big Show says he’s finished wrestling when his next contract is up in 2018, so come on Shaq, stop waffling.