{"id":45740,"date":"2018-03-16T21:52:28","date_gmt":"2018-03-17T01:52:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/totfc.net\/?p=45740"},"modified":"2020-08-05T21:52:37","modified_gmt":"2020-08-06T01:52:37","slug":"asukas-streak-is-the-most-valuable-commodity-in-wwe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/totfc.net\/?p=45740","title":{"rendered":"Asuka\u2019s streak is the most valuable commodity in WWE"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/span><\/p>\n

Whether it\u2019s coincidental or not, I feel like every Wrestlemania Season™ I always find some excuse to contemplate and write about the value of all of the WWE championships.\u00a0 Maybe it\u2019s because Wrestlemania is the culmination of the year\u2019s stories and scripts, and it\u2019s theoretically where everything comes to a boil, and the chips are all put on the table so that things can be settled, and things can be sown for the year after, but the bottom line is that everything is on the line, and the paths into the future become clearer for all the important players.<\/span><\/p>\n

The thing is, the WWE has done a lot of things and integrated some plot devices that have taken their own shapes, and manifested into tangible things that are on par with championships, if not competitive in value with the coveted belts that superstars wish to hold.\u00a0 Be them briefcases, winning streaks, or the ironically self-aware rights to face certain superstars or even simply get to point at signs, there are things that exist in the WWE Universe™ that have become as valuable, if not more, than the litany of belts available in the company today.<\/span><\/p>\n

And above all of the belts, briefcases and signs stands a streak, the one currently ongoing with Asuka<\/strong>, who hasn\u2019t lost a single match since arriving with the company in 2015.\u00a0 Sure, wrestling is scripted and the finishes all predetermined, but it still takes a tremendous amount of work to get people to like and care about you to where a promoter sees the value of keeping that character completely undefeated for ongoing three years straight.<\/span><\/p>\n

It goes without saying that Asuka\u2019s streak is the most valuable commodity in the WWE today.\u00a0 I know they\u2019re really trying to make it look like she\u2019s going to run into some massive resistance at Wrestlemania when she takes on Charlotte Flair in a proverbial Championship vs. Streak match, but I would wager money that Asuka wins regardless, and then the streak has a belt as well, increasing its overall value further.<\/span><\/p>\n

And Asuka has worked her ass off over the last three years and making the streak mean something, first by dominating NXT, and missing out on the first wave of superstar callups, solely based on the fact that she was carrying the developmental league and couldn\u2019t be promoted without a suitable cache of replacements in place, before showing up to the main roster and continuing her stellar work rate with a wider variety of female opponents.<\/span><\/p>\n

Furthermore, streaks in general are things that require a lot of time and patience to culture, and in an industry where patience is scant and knee-jerk reactions are commonplace, successfully developing one and keeping the company\u2019s faith to maintain it are extremely rare things.\u00a0 Consider the fact that Goldberg\u2019s 162-0 streak was snapped nearly 20 years ago, and up until now hasn\u2019t seen anything remotely close in storyline to remember the importance of an undefeated streak; and many former guys in the industry even regret breaking it then, because there\u2019s no limit to how valuable a streak can get, because the longer it goes unbroken, the more meaning it has when it actually does.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ironically, my biggest concern is that the WWE will eventually hit a wall of what they could possibly do with Asuka, and eventually run out of competitors.\u00a0 Women\u2019s wrestling has been growing rapidly, but it\u2019s still staggering behind the men\u2019s side, and there will come a point where viable challengers to break the streak will either be girls Asuka has already defeated time and time again already, or worse off, it\u2019s going to go to some tourist like Ronda Rousey.\u00a0 If the streak becomes too grandiose, it stops being a matter of trying to execute a suitable end to it, but the difficulty of building up a woman worthy of doing it.<\/span><\/p>\n

But let\u2019s cross that bridge when the time comes.\u00a0 Frankly, I hope the streak doesn\u2019t ever end, even if it means that the blue women\u2019s championship becomes worthless in the sense that there\u2019s almost never any chance Asuka drops it, because if there\u2019s just one thing that I still enjoy in a fake sport geared to kids, it\u2019s Asuka\u2019s streak.<\/span><\/p>\n

And the rest of the rankings:<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Pointing at the Wrestlemania sign<\/strong> \u2013 when John Cena declared that pointing at the sign was a right<\/em>, it immortalized the act as a legitimate commodity of value.\u00a0 Heath Slater doesn\u2019t get to point at the sign.\u00a0 Titus O\u2019Neil doesn\u2019t get to point at the sign.\u00a0 And as much as it chaps my ass, Rusev doesn\u2019t get to point at the sign, regardless of how ironically over Rusev Day has become.\u00a0 Yes, pointing at the sign is a right that solely belongs to those who are in the favor of management, and those who are currently in the blueprints of the machine for having any sort of success.\u00a0 The right to point at the Wrestlemania sign has become among one of the most valuable honors in the locker room, and has taken more meaning than the right to contend for belts.<\/span><\/p>\n

Getting to face the Undertaker<\/strong> \u2013 Regardless of if it happens or not, but most signs are pointing to yes, the simple fact that his name is even making it on television, and his presence at Wrestlemania is being talked about, suddenly, all the belts have been forgotten.\u00a0 The year CM Punk faced the Undertaker at Wrestlemania, he publicly buried all championships on television by proclaiming his (then unbroken) streak was more valuable than any championship opportunity, but that wasn\u2019t that much of a surprise because it was CM Punk, and CM Punk as a heel at the time.\u00a0 But John Cena basically doing the same thing?\u00a0 On the heels of missing all opportunities to vie for a 17th<\/sup> World title, he scrambles and basically insinuates aiming for something bigger than a World title, in the form of getting to face the Undertaker?<\/span><\/p>\n

If not for the fact that the Undertaker\u2019s streak has long since been broken, at a misfigured 23-2, this would hold more value.\u00a0 But for all intents and purposes, I\u2019m going to assume he shows up, and I\u2019d have to say Undertaker wins, even against a cyborg like John Cena, because I don\u2019t think there\u2019s any way Mean Mark loses two in a row, and if anyone\u2019s going to give Taker his final victory, it has to be an icon like John Cena.<\/span><\/p>\n

WWE World Championship<\/strong> (c. AJ Styles) \u2013 the irony is that this is clearly the unofficial work rate world championship, but is also on the obvious B-show, Smackdown.\u00a0 Regardless, it\u2019s in the hands of a guy who legitimately deserves it with his stellar work, and ability to have good matches with just about anyone from Brock Lesnar, John Cena, Kevin Owens to even Jinder Mahal.\u00a0 And despite the fact that the Wrestlemania card is more bloated than a beached whale, the AJ Styles vs. Shinsuke Nakamura match for the World title is one of the ones that just about every genuine wrestling fan is pinning all their hopes on.<\/span><\/p>\n

WWE Intercontinental Championship<\/strong> (c. the Miz) \u2013 where AJ Styles puts the World title on the map for his in-ring work, the Miz puts the Intercontinental title on the map for his out-of-the-ring classic heel work.\u00a0 Say what you want about the Miz, that he\u2019s a mediocre wrestler, he\u2019s too safe, and other perceived pejoratives, but it\u2019s hard to deny that the Intercontinental belt hasn\u2019t been more desirable than it is now, solely because the kids really want to see the annoying, sniveling, cowardly heel get his ass kicked and be stripped of it.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s not a popular opinion among marks, but the Miz has been an integral performer over the last 10+ years, and although he\u2019s no Chris Jericho, he\u2019s demonstrated a tremendous talent of reinventing himself and the capability to run in a wide variety of characters and personas.\u00a0 He\u2019ll very likely lose the title at Wrestlemania to Seth Rollins or Finn Balor, but whomever wins it can profusely thank the Miz for making the belt actually mean something again.<\/span><\/p>\n

WWE Smackdown Tag Team Championship<\/strong> (c. the Usos) \u2013 Despite the fact that the WWE perceives tag team wrestling of secondary importance, the Usos and the New Day have made it their personal mission to make the Smackdown Tag belts mean something.\u00a0 Their series of matches throughout the 2017-2018 wrestling year over the belts have been nothing short of clinics, and it\u2019s always a treat to see when opponents have magical chemistry and it translates seamlessly in the ring.\u00a0 I\u2019m not enthused with the Bludgeon Brothers being integrated into their program, but given the fact that Luke Harper and Erick Rowan can actually work, I\u2019m hoping they\u2019ll be as successful as the Dudleys were, inserting themselves into the Edge\/Christian vs. Hardy Boyz feud.<\/span><\/p>\n

WWE Smackdown Women\u2019s Championship<\/strong> (c. Charlotte Flair) \u2013 no disrespect to Charlotte, but the placement of his belt on my list is almost solely based on the simple fact that Asuka wants it.\u00a0 Charlotte is undoubtedly top-tier of the women\u2019s division, but she\u2019s kind of been wasted over the last few months with a feud with the green Riott Squad, and no participation in the Royal Rumble, bringing the value of the belt down in the process.\u00a0 If not for the fact that Asuka has set her sights on the Charlotte\u2019s belt and not Alexa Bliss\u2019s, this would undoubtedly be lower on the list.<\/span><\/p>\n

Women\u2019s Money in the Bank Briefcase<\/strong> (Carmella) \u2013 as much as Asuka\u2019s want for the blue belt raises its value, it also passively raises the value of the first-ever™ Women\u2019s Money in the Bank briefcase.\u00a0 And the reason why this has as much value as it does now, is simply the fact that Carmella still hasn\u2019t cashed in the proverbial creative reset button, mostly because the women\u2019s storylines are seemingly better buttoned up than the men\u2019s, plus the fact that Carmella is still kind of green in the ring herself.\u00a0 But due to the simple fact that the expiration date on the MITB briefcase is now ticking down, and that it has to be used, it makes it more interesting as the expiry approaches.\u00a0 I wouldn\u2019t be surprised to see Carmella cash it in at Wrestlemania, but likely on the Women\u2019s Red belt, since there\u2019s no way in hell creative would let Carmella be the one to dethrone Asuka.<\/span><\/p>\n

WWE RAW Women\u2019s Championship<\/strong> (c. Alexa Bliss) \u2013 As much as I lust over<\/span> like Alexa Bliss, she too has kind of been wasted during the duration of her current championship run.\u00a0 It\u2019s ironic because Charlotte was having good matches on RAW, and Bliss was having good matches on Smackdown, but once switched over, both have stagnated since.\u00a0 This would have fallen further down if not for Alexa\u2019s defense of the title in the first ever™ Women\u2019s Elimination Chamber match, and had Asuka chosen the red belt to pursue, this would have been raised up.\u00a0 But instead, Alexa is doomed to a mediocre match at Wrestlemania, where I predict she\u2019ll escape with a narrow cheap victory against Nia Jax with the help of Mickie James, but then get obliterated by Jax afterward, where a prone Bliss will then get pinned by Carmella who cashes in at seeing the sudden opportunity.<\/span><\/p>\n

NXT Championship<\/strong> (c. Andrade \u201cCien\u201d Almas) \u2013 given what I knew about Andrade \u201cCien\u201d Almas\u2019 career before joining the WWE, I kind of knew that putting the NXT belt on him was a great thing, while taking it off of formulaic wrestlers like Bobby Roode and Drew McIntyre.\u00a0 It\u2019s getting to a point where only those who have paid some dues in Japan should be the only ones worthy to hold the NXT championship, and I would still wager money that the Cien vs. Johnny Gargano match at TakeOver:Philadelphia is going to be a serious contender for Match of the Year™, even though the first quarter has yet to finish.\u00a0 That being said, I\u2019m hoping Cien retains over Aleister Black, because I frankly don\u2019t think he\u2019s ready to carry just yet, and I feel Cien would be wasted on the main roster.<\/span><\/p>\n

NXT<\/span> WWE United Kingdom Championship<\/strong> (c. Pete Dunne) \u2013 I\u2019ll admit I\u2019ve never been familiar with wrestling from the UK, and given my first impressions of the British invasion were small statured guys like Tyler Bate, Pete Dunne and Jack Gallagher, or fat embarrassments like Trent Seven, I never really thought the UK Championship really meant anything.\u00a0 But over the last year, the Dunne\/Bate matches have torn every house they\u2019ve been in down, and Dunne has subsequently quietly been having some stellar matches with non-UK compatriots like Johnny Gargano, Roderick Strong and Adam Cole to fortify his body of work.\u00a0 I now look forward to seeing guys like Dunne and Bate on television, and the UK title now seems like it\u2019s actually worth something.<\/span><\/p>\n

WWE RAW Tag Team Championship<\/strong> (c. Cesaro\/Sheamus) \u2013 Normally, I\u2019d say that this title is doomed, because it\u2019s very likely going to be won by one man at Wrestlemania, when Braun Strowman squashes Cesaro and Sheamus.\u00a0 But the fan in me is excited at the opportunities a single tag team champion will do for storylines, and the hopes that Cesaro will be freed from the shackles of carrying Sheamus and actually go singles again.\u00a0 However, it is kind of an insult to the titles themselves that one man is going to be better than a two man team, and not even all of the hard work that Cesaro and Sheamus have put into making them somewhat respectable, this impending squash job is going to ruin all of its credibility.<\/span><\/p>\n

WWE United States Championship<\/strong> (c. Randy Orton) \u2013 the thing about the US title is that it\u2019s relevant and it\u2019s defended, but in the grand scheme of things, it\u2019s still not enough for it to be any more valuable than anything over it.\u00a0 A part of it is that it\u2019s changing hands a little too frequently, having been held by seven different guys over the last calendar year, and the ultimate insult, having been voluntarily vacated at one point, by a Dolph Ziggler who took all of two seconds off, killing a potentially good storyline.\u00a0 Marks wouldn\u2019t want to admit it, but the last time this belt had any real clout was when John Cena held it and ran the US Open Challenge, and had great matches with all comers, every week.\u00a0 If only such a thing became a requirement of the belt, like Crash Holly\u2019s hardcore rules became a permanent thing with the Hardcore title, this belt would instantly regain value in a heartbeat.<\/span><\/p>\n

WWE Universal Championship<\/strong> (c. Brock Lesnar) \u2013 I kind of get the whole mentality of keeping the belt on Brock because anytime he does defend it, it\u2019s a major event, but frankly it has to be defended just a little bit more than this for that to work, and against anyone other than Braun Strowman.\u00a0 Despite the fact that it classifies as a World championship, it\u2019s now a literal non-existent title that has no real meaning, and it desperately needs to be put in the hands of an actual WWE regular for it to have any chance of becoming a viable achievement again.<\/span><\/p>\n

WWE Cruiserweight Championship<\/strong> (c. ??????) \u2013 Who\u2019s the current Cruiserweight champion?\u00a0 I don\u2019t even feel like Googling it, despite the fact that I\u2019ve googled at least 6-7 other things in the span of writing this post to fact-check myself.\u00a0 That\u2019s how irrelevant this title is now, and why it\u2019s a shame Enzo Amore was the shitbag sexual deviant he looked like, because he actually was bringing a little bit of interest back to the entire division that would be killing it<\/em>, if it were 1998.<\/span><\/p>\n

Men\u2019s Money in the Bank Briefcase<\/strong> (F. Baron Corbin) \u2013 other than his size, I don\u2019t think I\u2019ll ever see what the WWE sees in Baron Corbin.\u00a0 Winner of an Andre the Giant Battle Royale and a MITB, and constantly thrust into main event and high-profile feuds, he\u2019s basically the Roman Reigns of Smackdown, but doesn\u2019t draw a fraction of the vitriol than Roman gets.\u00a0 Probably because he has no mic skills, no charisma, and an extremely limited arsenal.\u00a0 But he\u2019s big in stature and Vince McMahon has a notorious hard-on for big guys, so he\u2019ll continue to be forced down our throats.\u00a0 But much like his career, he wasted the MITB, and hopefully someone better will capitalize on it next year.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Whether it\u2019s coincidental or not, I feel like every Wrestlemania Season™ I always find some excuse to contemplate and write about the value of all of the WWE championships.\u00a0 Maybe it\u2019s because Wrestlemania is the culmination of the year\u2019s stories and scripts, and it\u2019s theoretically where everything comes to a boil, and the chips are … Continue reading Asuka\u2019s streak is the most valuable commodity in WWE<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[83,54,55],"class_list":["post-45740","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-brog","tag-observations","tag-wrestling","tag-wwe"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/totfc.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45740","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/totfc.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/totfc.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/totfc.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/totfc.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=45740"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/totfc.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45740\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":45742,"href":"https:\/\/totfc.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45740\/revisions\/45742"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/totfc.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=45740"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/totfc.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=45740"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/totfc.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=45740"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}