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With Asuka being officially recognized by the company as possessing “the longest undefeated streak in WWE history”, we here at Cageside have fallen off from tracking her every match.
But as she heads into a major challenge to both that streak and her epic run with the NXT Women’s championship, facing Nikki Cross in a Last Woman Standing match at the taping in Full Sail tonight (June 23), which will be released to WWE Network next Wednesday, June 28, it seemed like a good time to check in. You know... just in case.
It seems unlikely Triple H and team would opt to pull the plug on the Empress’ dominance here, especially with a show which has become the third brand’s WrestleMania - TakeOver: Brooklyn - only a couple months away. The stipulation removes champion’s advantage and means she could lose without being pinned or submitted, though, so you never know.
Regardless of how much of a chance you give Cross, here’s where Asuka’s runs stand.
A few backs, several outlets noticed the length of time she’s held her title passed what WWE had acknowledged as the longest championship run of the “modern era”: CM Punk’s 434 day reign from 2011 - 2013. Surprisingly, the promotion didn’t call attention to that.
ESPN, however, earlier today recognized she has now tied Trish Stratus reign from earlier this century as the third longest Women’s title run in company history:
.@WWEAsuka ties @trishstratuscom today for the 3rd-longest women's title reign in @WWE/@WWENXT history. pic.twitter.com/1j75rmvviC
— WWE on ESPN (@WWEonESPN) June 23, 2017
As far as her unpinned/unsubmitted streak* goes, since we last wrote about it a week ago, Asuka’s racked up a couple more wins on house shows: teaming with Ruby Riot to beat Mandy Rose & Sonya Deville in Bel Air, Maryland on June 16 and pinning Cross the following night in Poughkeepsie, New York.
That puts her at 184.
Will she take sole possession of third and attain her 185th straight win in Winter Park tonight?
We’ll be following along in a spoiler report, so come on back to find out!
* For more information on what WWE is and isn’t counting in her “undefeated streak”, click here.