WWE Stock Report: Asuka and Sasha Banks belong in the main event of Extreme Rules 2020

Some places do power rankings. Here at Cageside, we do a stock report.

In this weekly series, we identify three Superstars (or groups of Superstars) who are on their way up, and three that are moving in the opposite direction. After a busy week that included Dolph Ziggler moving to Raw, Big Show confronting Randy Orton, and the announcement of a SWAMP FIGHT, a lot of fortunes were changed.

With that in mind, let’s see whose stock has decreased the most this week:

Stock Down #3: Viking Raiders

Erik and Ivar spent more than a month competing against the Street Profits in activities like bowling, axe throwing, and golf. This week (June 22) on Raw they finally challenged Montez Ford and Angelo Dawkins in a wrestling match for the tag team titles, and the Viking Raiders lost. The post-match angle made it look like Andrade and Angel Garza will be coming for the tag titles next, moving the Viking Raiders down a notch on the card.

Stock Down #2: Charlotte Flair

Charlotte Flair tapped out to Asuka on Raw and was then written off television with an injury angle. She’ll be gone for at least a few weeks before she comes back trying to win all the titles in the promotion again.

Stock Down #1: Liv Morgan, Bianca Belair, Shayna Baszler

When Becky Lynch vacated the Raw women’s title due to pregnancy, it seemed like a good time for WWE to feature fresh stars like Bianca Belair, Liv Morgan, and Shayna Baszler. Instead what we’re getting on Monday nights is more Nia Jax, Natalya, and Lana.

Baszler and Belair are nowhere to be seen, and Liv Morgan’s singles push has ended.

Now let’s see whose stock has increased the most this week:

Stock Up #3: Akira Tozawa

One month ago, Akira Tozawa was just another jobber in WWE.

Today he’s the jobber champion, and he leads a gang of motorcycle ninjas.

Stock Up #2: Jeff Hardy

This week’s (June 26) episode of SmackDown featured a tribute to the Undertaker. Jeff Hardy played the role of lead babyface and defended the Deadman’s legacy by beating the hell out of that idiot Baron Corbin. It’s a big step up from being involved in urine angles.

Stock Up #1: Asuka & Sasha Banks

Sasha Banks expertly teased more tension with Bayley before turning her promo into a challenge for Asuka’s Raw women’s championship. The match will take place at Extreme Rules: The Horror Show.

Their match is one of four possible main event choices for that pay-per-view (PPV), alongside Drew McIntyre vs. Dolph Ziggler, Braun Strowman vs. Bray Wyatt, and Randy Orton’s match (presumably against Big Show). Asuka and Banks are clearly the best choice for the main event slot, and it’s beyond time for another women’s one-on-one match to main event a WWE PPV.

Dolph Ziggler is a pretender who just lost a feud to Otis. His presence in the WWE championship picture brings that title down, just as it did one year ago when he feuded with Kofi Kingston.

Randy Orton is probably fighting the Big Show, and I still have horrible memories of the last time they main evented a PPV together at Survivor Series 2013. It was a bad idea almost 7 years ago, and it’s damn sure a terrible idea for a main event in 2020.

That leaves Strowman vs. Wyatt in a SWAMP FIGHT, which I’m guessing will main event the card over Asuka and Banks. It’s a non-title match though, so it’s not a lock.

Asuka has been the MVP of WWE during the empty arena era, and Sasha Banks is one of the best workers on the roster. Their championship match belongs in the main event of Extreme Rules. Make it happen, WWE.

There you have it, Cagesiders. Whose stock do you think has changed the most this week?