Opinion

5 Matches that deserved 5 Stars

Published

5 years ago

July 2, 2018

The wrestling community as of late has been interesting hasn’t it?

Not only is the world of wrestling hotter than it’s ever been before, but at the same time we’ve been divided at some of the occurrences taking place lately, particularly from the one man known as Dave Meltzer.

With the recent top-notch quality wrestling being put on my New Japan Pro Wrestling in the form of the epic Kazuchika Okada vs Kenny Omega match at NJPW Dominion, we’ve seen traditions broken even further from what occurred last year. Wrestling’s traditional star ratings, generally ranging from 1 to 5 (1 being the worst, 5 being the best) have been somewhat expanded if that phrase is appropriate.

The use of 6 & 7 stars has been used to credit some of the NJPW product lately, but what does this truly mean?

Star ratings themselves are simply numeric, not really presenting any meaning beyond a value that is either small, medium or large to represent quality and much like most criticism, we should focus on critique for its content not the simple use of a numeric value or symbol. This sadly has caused a divide in the fan base, many feeling outraged at Meltzer’s ‘bias’ to products such as WWE or NXT, others thinking it’s incredibly unnecessary since a 6 or 7-star rating means no more than the highest, traditional 5-star.

Both sides of this argument make valid points and when actually heard out, are on to something. However, for the sake of exploiting a situation, let’s use this to shed light on the product we all love and cherish, wrestling!

In light of recent events, I’m going to use this divide to shed light on matches that can be deemed severely underrated but since the 5-stars mean that much, let’s take a look at matches that deserve the formal recognition of receiving the ‘iconic’ 5-star match rating from the likes of Dave Meltzer.

#5: The Rock vs ‘Hollywood’ Hulk Hogan – Wrestlemania X-8

Arguably one of the biggest crowd reactions in Wrestlemania history did not belong to a fateful 3-count, a title change or the return of a superstar but instead belonged to a 60-second stare down between two opponents nobody ever thought they would see collide in a WWE ring. The stare down between Hulk Hogan & The Rock in Toronto will forever be one that is remembered through time & will live on for as long as this business flourishes.

That moment epitomizes what this business is all about, the passion, the emotion & just the pure electricity of over 60,000 rabid fans losing their minds over a moment they knew would never come again. To think this reaction occurred before the bell had even rung is surreal and it’s crazy to think the consistency of this reaction spanned for the entire 16-minute period the match went on for.

All fanboying aside, the match itself was not the most technically masterful, in fact for the most part is being your run-of-the-mill Hogan match, just tacked on with the biggest name in the business at the time and a dream opponent we had waited for years to see collide with ‘The Hulkster’ head on. These additions however caused the matches lack of in-ring substance to become almost irrelevant to the passion the crowd had within it.

We tend to forget that while in-ring ability and story are in 50/50 split when it comes to judging a professional wrestling match, there are times when the tides can shift so greatly to one side it can entirely sway opinions in favour of the latter. Just how some films are remembered for their brain dead entertainment values over lack of substance in their scripts, this match will forever be remembered for being one of the most passionate amongst the fanbase & in my opinion, deserves that 5-star rating as much as any match on the coveted list thus far.

#4: Shinsuke Nakamura vs Sami Zayn – NXT TakeOver: Dallas

We can sum up this match with two words; ‘‘Fight Forever!’’.

The sea of cheers & chants that took place on this fateful evening in Dallas, Texas remain one of my favourite wrestling moments since the birth of the NXT brand in 2014.

You had the heart & soul of NXT in Sami Zayn, the no-quit babyface who was responsible for countless memories on the brand since his debut including phenomenal performances against Cesaro, Kevin Owens, Neville & Tyson Kidd which had granted him the reputation he had going into this dream match in what was his last appearance on NXT before his main roster arrival.

The matches story was poetic as well, having the longstanding warrior in Sami Zayn put his pride & reputation in the NXT brand on the line against a new threat, NJPW’s own Shinsuke Nakamura who’s signing was announced roughly 8 weeks prior to this landmark event. From the get-go the crowd was ready for what they were about to witness, the goodbye of their hero & the arrival of NXT’s future.

It was the match we all dreamt it would be and even more than we could have anticipated. This certainly wasn’t a standard WWE affair sharing the similar formula we see on RAW or SmackDown, this was a fight to the death and neither man gave up. Combining the aero-dynamic ability of Sami Zayn with the raw, brutish style of Shinsuke Nakamura resulted in a grueling contest that left both men physically and mentally exhausted, as was the audience.

Nakamura ended up pinning the heart & soul of NXT after a near 30-minute contest that rocked the Dallas crowd and cemented himself as a warrior from his very first match under the WWE brand, perhaps even being the best single WWE debut of all time?

That is a question we can leave to the community to discuss.

Giving this match 5 stars seemed like a given once the bell rang at the matches conclusion, but it seemed like many fans saw this match as lesser than many of us did, potentially a clash in tastes or some WWE fans not traditionally used to a style like Nakamura’s could have played into this. Either way, this was tremendous and I stand by it being the single best debut in company history.

#3: Sasha Banks vs Bayley – NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn I & NXT TakeOver: Respect

For myself personally and my interest in women’s wrestling, this was the resurgence of that. Admittedly I’m not that big of a fan when it comes to both the current state of Bayley’s or Sasha Banks’ characters, but I will forever defend the mastery these women put on display every time they went out to an NXT ring.

Both Banks & Bayley have the ability to say they possess perfect in-ring chemistry amongst one another and that comes primarily due to their real-life friendship outside the ring, as many fans who own the WWE Network would know. Every move they performed in the ring, every action & every glance of simple eye contact oozes passion & intensity which not only makes the match special on every level but brought every fan to their feet.

The reason both their NXT classics are here is because it’s impossible to distinguish which one of the two is better in terms of overall quality. Their first contest in Brooklyn was far more straightforward in terms of its structure, since the match was contested under standard one-fall rules, however their second & final bout was contested under Ironman rules and featured far more out-of-the-ring chaos than their initial clash. Neither match however drifted from the story at hand and stuck to the core of what made it so good, the proceeding storyline which was fairly simple; both women striving to be the best.

On top of the simple yet spectacular storyline, both Banks & Bayley managed to utilize fairly simple in-ring work to craft 2 masterpieces in women’s wrestling. There was nothing too flashy or in-your-face for the most part, just beautiful in-ring psychology & some awesome character moments that any wrestling fan could appreciate.

Not only were these the two matches that put women’s wrestling back in the spotlight but are 2 of the finest examples of just how phenomenal women can be in a wrestling ring when handled correctly. Banks & Bayley deserve all 10 collective stars these matches should have received and more, since that seems to be the trend these days and to anyone who hasn’t seen these two classics, do yourself a favour and switch them on right now. You won’t be disappointed.

#2: Shawn Michaels vs The Undertaker – Wrestlemania XXV

I don’t think there is a living wrestling fan out there who doesn’t love this match with every ounce of heart in their body.

The Undertaker & Shawn Michaels, two names so soaked in wrestling greatness & history it’s almost impossible to imagine another duo matching up to the standard they’ve set for any WWE star in today’s business. Prior to this match, the two had a storied history, being fierce rivals in the late 90’s before HBK left professional wrestling due to spinal issues and making history by competing in the first-ever Hell in A Cell match in WWE history, still standing as one of my favourite matches of all time.

Upon his return to the ring in 2002 both HBK & his former rival had been kept apart for the most part, with a few run-ins during the 2007 & 2008 Royal Rumble matches which only heated up fans anticipation for an eventual rematch between the two. In 2009 though, fans would be treated to something very, very special at the 25th Anniversary of Wrestlemania in Houston, Texas.

On this evening, The Undertaker & Shawn Michaels crafted a masterpiece in professional wrestling, a match with arguably the loudest crowd in recent wrestling memory and the closest thing I can envision in this business to a literal work of art. This instant classic didn’t just tell the story of two of wrestling’s best pushing themselves above and beyond in the fight to both keep the streak alive and subsequently end it on the side of HBK, it was also a match with stakes that have never felt bigger. Everything was on the line, legacies, honour & the right to ultimately be called ‘The Best’.

The two exchanged blows, signature moves, suicide dives, horrifying crash landings both in and out of the ring & submission manoeuvres for nearly 30-minutes and by the end of it were barely left standing on their own two feet. Understandably the crowd in Houston were on their own feet for the majority of this masterpiece and by the matches faithful end, cheered like never respect paying respect to two warriors who had left everything they had in the ring on this night.

Personally, I don’t understand what qualities this match was missing to not push it to that ‘5-star’ level, this match had everything a wrestling fan could dream of, from incredible storytelling to stomach churning kickouts it’s just a miracle this isn’t on that ‘historic’ list.

#1: The Shield vs The Wyatt Family – WWE Elimination Chamber 2014

You know what’s more special than two legends in their prime getting a reaction that nearly shakes the roof of the arena they’re in?

Two groups of young up & comers from a small developmental brand getting unanimous chants of ‘‘This is awesome’’ from every single audience member in attendance.

The Shield & The Wyatt Family at this point in 2014 were the most interesting collective of characters in the wrestling business, boasting multiple personalities all of whom worked together to make each respective group standout in their own unique way, which made this impending clash all the more anticipated by the WWE and wrestling fanbase in general. Their initial stare down, much like Hogan & Rock, was the coming together of weeks of storytelling with each unit at one another’s throat out for nothing but blood & vengeance and the audience in attendance felt that resonate regardless of where you were.

As for the match itself, its as close to perfect as one can get with a multi-man match in this business. It featured everything from the insane spots to self-contained character moments in the ring, which is something I think this match doesn’t get enough credit for. While all 6 men aimed to function as a unit, each of their individual personalities stood out just as much as their collective teams did, Rollins was your high-flying showman, Ambrose was the unhinged maniac & Reigns was the powerhouse constantly knocking down his larger opponents.

Everything done here worked, the match easily stole the show and left the crowd not just satisfied but wanting even more than what had just been put on display & we finally got the NXT clash fans had been clamouring for years on end to see with their own eyes.

Obviously tastes in styles of wrestling vary as does everyone’s opinion on this affair, but it’s baffling as to how and why people don’t see this match as anything but ‘5-Star’, it contains everything a professional wrestling match should be and more, also being one of the rare occurrences WWE manage to absolutely nail the booking of a feud without one single misstep. Phenomenal stuff all around and worth your time to go out of your way to see.

Let us know what you think on social media @ChairshotMedia and always remember to use the hashtag #UseYourHead!

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Coverage

Greg DeMarco’s 2023 WWE SummerSlam Review

The biggest party of the summer comes to Detroit, when WWE SummerSlam 2023 delivers an action packed event that easily exceeds expectations.

Published

2 months ago

August 7, 2023

Greg DeMarco

The biggest party of the summer comes to Detroit, when WWE SummerSlam 2023 delivers an action packed event that easily exceeds expectations.

WWE presents SummerSlam 2023 live from ford field in Detroit in front of over 59k fans–who provided an electric atmosphere. Overall the card featured either matches, many of them delivering at or above expectations.

Read on for my thoughts, and even some ratings!

How I am rating segments:

I am using “The Line of DeMarco-cation,” which is for entertainment. the line is if I was entertained. You can have three main results:

ABOVE the Line of DeMarco-cation
AT the Line of DeMarco-cation
BELOW the Line of DeMarco-cation

If necessary, i reserve the right to go WAY ABOVE or WAY BELOW. Significant segments can be rated. individual and overall ratings are totally subjective.

It’s simple: ENTERTAIN ME!

Logan Paul vs. Ricochet

Welcome to the biggest match of Ricochet’s career.
Samantha Irvin’s outfit matches Logan Paul, not Ricochet — SWERVE, BRO!
Ricochet is a star, and I love seeing him treated like one.
Rocket Mortgage is donating $5k for every move off the top rope? This match alone might accumulate half a million.
I know Logan Paul needs to catch a private jet to Dallas and that’s why this is on first, but this is the perfect opener.
If you didn’t know who Logan Paul was, you’d think he was just another member of the roster–and that’s the biggest compliment you can give to him. He’s a damn good heel, too.
Paul using Braun Strowman’s powerslam–will we get Logan vs Braun?
LOGAN MUST POSE!
SPANISH FLY STICK THE LANDING.
This might be the best match either have had in a LONG time.
Logan Paul just hit a Buckshot Lariat over the top rope and to the floor. Sorry Hangman.
I love that refs continue to have names – like former Greg DeMarco Show guest Eddie Orengo (as El Bandido Jr).
I’d love to know Ricochet’s powerlifting numbers. Dude is deceptively strong.
Logan Paul flew two-thirds of the way across the ring on the Springboard Froggy Splash
This match is spotty–yes–but watch and learn Young Bucks. They are strung together by psychology and it all makes sense,
LOVE that finish. Logan Paul wins (as expected), but Ricochet is protected.
Think about that – RICOCHET IS PROTECTED.
Hell of a match.

Winner: Logan Paul (pinfall brass knucks shot)

WAY ABOVE The Line Of DeMarco-cation.

Brock Lesnar vs. Cody Rhodes

That video package–amazing. It likely telegraphed Cody’s win, but I don’t think many expect Cody to lose.
I love when people question Brock’s presence. Did you hear that pop?
Cody got a hell of a pop, too.
You can tell how much Brock Lesnar respects Cody Rhodes, as he opens up the arsenal for him.
I love that Brock simply stands center ring as the ref counts Cody out. Brock wants to win–doesn’t care how. That’s a little detail that shows how brilliant of a character Brock Lesnar is.
This is the fifth time Brock has gone for the count-out–and I love the psychology.
Now Brock does care how he wins–he wants to break Cody’s will.
Wait, is this Cody Rhodes’ mystery twin brother Cory Rhodes?
That top rope Cody Cutter was fantastic.
Not sure when Brock’s shorts got ripped, but it adds to this fight.
That’s what this is, a fight. And that is Brock Lesnar at his finest.
It might have been a happy accident, but Cody’s hand bouncing off the bottom rope before he finally grabs it to break the Kimura is another amazing little thing.
Brock is so slow and methodical, but snatches people up for the F5 in a flash. So good.
Cody Rhodes wins, after THREE Cross Rhodes. Good shit.
Interesting that the show of respect from Brock to Cody is considered Cody’s arrival.
Or maybe it’s just the arrival of “The American Nightmare.”
I will be very interested–as will all of you–to see what’s next for both men.

Winner: Cody Rhodes (pinfall, three Cross Rhodes)

WAY ABOVE The Line Of DeMarco-cation.

NOTE: Very interesting that Roman Reigns was featured in the PayBack promo, as well as Logan Paul. I wouldn’t expect either to be on that card.

Slim Jim SummerSlam Battle Royal

I have to admit, it just feels right to have Slim Jim back in my wrestling.
This better be good since it cost us Becky Lynch vs. Trish Stratus.
I hope Sheamus got a full entrance for the crowd.
Oh look, Omos still works here!
Chad Gable is so damn good.
Austin Theory is in this match? And didn’t get an entrance?
At WrestleMania 30, Big E was in the Andre The Royal Giant Memorial Battle Rumble, didn’t get an entrance, and didn’t even get to carry his Intercontinental Champion. And I don’t even think his elimination was mentioned by commentary (I’d have to go back and check).
Santos Escobar eliminating Austin Theory at least makes sense.
LA Knight barely breathes and the crowd gets ELECTRIC.
I haven’t made as many bullet points because this has actually been a really good battle royal!
I’d love to know who the agent was–fantastically done.

Winner: LA Knight (last eliminates Sheamus)

AT The Line Of DeMarco-cation.

MMA Rules Match – Ronda Rousey vs. Shayna Baszler

Some of the shots during the entrance make me want WWE to get rid of stages altogether, and stick with this type of entrance.
Also, it’s a reminder that I hate major wrestling events in daylight.
This being an MMA Rules Match seems to be a missed opportunity at having a special guest referee.
The fans DO NOT CARE About this match, and I see why.
I am all for Ronda being able to go out how she wants to go out, and the talent pushing their own idea forward. But sometimes, you gotta say no.
Some matches also play much better in an arena instead of a stadium (Ronda Rousey vs. Charlotte Flair from WrestleMania comes to mind). This is one of those matches.
Whenever NXT had an “unsanctioned match,” the ref wore all black. That’s what we should have done here.
Now we have doctors checking on Shayna? Really? I know we want to put over how tough she is, but…..
The crowd pops out of relief when it’s over.
Do this on Raw, not here. Give Becky and Trish this spot.

Winner: Shayna Baszler (technical submission, Kirifuda Clutch)

BELOW The Line Of DeMarco-cation.

Intercontinental Championship: Drew McIntyre vs. GUNTHER (c)

My Peacock membership doesn’t let me see the video package here, and I am fine with that–it’s been a while since I’ve seen that AFLAC Duck, though.
Ludwig Kaiser must love doing the entrance, but honestly the act might be getting stale?
Corey Graves very poetic in pointing out that “records are meant to be broken.” That’s one of the core values of WWE at this point.
It does appear GUNTHER will be going it alone tonight as Kaiser and Giovanni Vinci are headed to the back. Let’s see if they stay there.
Interesting placement for this match, right after the ill-received MMA Rules Match.
Didn’t the internet tell us Seth Rollins vs Finn Balor was going on fourth?
Btw, this match is brought to you by Rocket Mortgage. Money talks, BAYBAY!
GUNTHER truly lives the “Ring General” gimmick.
As the match progresses, I honestly can’t see Drew winning here.
The simplicity of the finishing sequence really adds to GUNTHER: top rope slap fest, McIntyre crotched on the ropes, splash, lariat, powerbomb. Nothing fancy–trademark GUNTHER.

Winner, #ANDSTILL the Intercontinental Champion: GUNTHER (pinfall, powerbomb)

ABOVE The Line Of DeMarco-cation.

World Heavyweight Championship: Finn Balor vs. Seth “Freakin'” Rollins (c)

I presume we will get a bunch of Judgment Day shenanigans here, but I really needed Seth to go on last to further establish his championship. Instead, we are smack in the middle of the event (according to the Peacock slider, anyways)
Seth Rollins’ entrance + 58k people = a beautiful sight
The worst thing about this, to me, will be when Balor and Rollins are partners after Balor turns babyface.
Love Rollins tossing the vest at Balor.
Love the more unique start to the match.
Interesting that Rollins, with a win, moves to 5th all time for SummerSlam wins? I had no clue! Mr. SummerSlam anyone?
We keep naming refs, and I love it,
If you want an “inside look” at a match, start paying really close attention for a few minutes starting with the triplicate of dives from Seth Rollins. You’ll see a few things that the cameras picked up.
LOVE LOVE LOVE the Buckle Bomb into the barrier from Balor to Rollins. Should have known they’d do that, but it never crossed my mind. Brilliant.
Decent amount of overlap in the offense of this match and the one prior–in hindsight, they may have wanted to put GUNTHER/McIntyre on before Rousey/Baszler.
Fans boo’d the crap out of Damian Priest when he came down–but popped like hell for Dominik Mysterio and Rhea Ripley.
I really enjoyed the story told with the Judgment Day. When Priest called for the briefcase to be used, it would have worked. When Balor called for it, it wasn’t going to work, and Damian Priest knew it. But he let Finn Balor sink himself anyway. That will definitely play again later when they fully implode.

Winner AND STILL World Heavyweight Champion: Seth Freakin’ Rollins (pinfall, Stomp on the Money In The Bank Briefcase)

WAY ABOVE The Line Of DeMarco-cation.

WWE Women’s Championship: Charlotte Flair vs. Asuka (c) Bianca Belair

Very odd having Asuka enter second.
Charlotte Flair with the ode to Becky Lynch at WrestleMania 35 (IYKYK)
Did I miss the C4 ad read? I saw that Bianca Belair entered with some, which made me thing THAT was why she came in last, and now the C4 branding is around the ring, but no real mention? Or did I miss it? Was it only for Peacock Premium subscribers?
Very choppy match so far–and Charlotte has to basically stop the match to have Jessika Carr fix her outfit, leaving Belair and Asuka in the corner waiting until Asuka realized what was happening and tried to cover. The Double Natural Selection that followed was quite clunky.
Bianca nowhere near Charlotte Flair when the moonsault hit–is Bianca really that good? I seem to ask myself this during every big time Bianca match, dating back to WrestleMania 37 when I felt like Sasha Banks had to carry her.
I find myself wanting to fast forward to the finish, here. I’m not, but I kinda want to.
ANOTHER REF NAMED! Thank you, Michael Cole.
If IYO SKY cashes in here (which is easy to expect), I really hope it’s not right after Charlotte wins, getting her to #15. Granted, she could cash in DURING the match and make it a 4-way. But of everyone, I think Charlotte needs to eat the pin tonight.
We have now had medical personnel tending to one of the participants in the middle of each women’s match tonight–first Shayna Baszler, now Bianca Belair. Seems like a misstep on someone’s part.
Bianca with the heroic comeback, and a beautiful 450 Splash on Charlotte during the Figure Eight.
Charlotte gets misted but Bianca gets the pin???
Makes sense if we do the cash in here. as Bianca is hurt.

Winner, AND NEW WWE Women’s Champion: Bianca Belair (pinfall, small package)

Aaaaaaaand here comes IYO SKY.
I love Corey Graves telling Bianca to get the hell out of dodge.
IYO and Bayley take out everyone, and she is indeed cashing in.
Over The Moonsault, new champion, and the crowd goes nuts. Women’s Money In The Bank briefcase is still undefeated.
Nice World Of Stardom reference by Michael Cole, too.

Winner, AND NEW WWE Women’s Champion: IYO SKY (CMITB cash-in, pinfall, Over The Moonsault)

AT The Line Of DeMarco-cation.

There were some rough spots, but the cash in saved it for me.

Undisputed WWE Universal Championship Match: Jey Uso vs. Roman Reigns (c) with Paul Heyman

I am timing this from the second Jey Uso’s theme hits through the end.
Man, Mike Rome is on one, and I am not sure if that’s a good thing. He doesn’t sound as fantastic as he usually does.
12:34 from Jey’s music hitting to the bell ringing.
Roman is so slow and methodical, I don’t know if he realized Jey was going to dive so soon. Jey connected with Roman’s back, but that could have been really really bad.
I know this is Tribal Combat, but given the use of stairs earlier tonight, we might as well consider the stairs legal.
You know it’s an important match when Roman Reigns hits The Drive By, as he did on Jey Uso.
Table, Kendo Stick, and more early.
Jey clotheslining Roman over the top rope (with the Kendo Stick) and hitting the dive makes me think Jey got slightly lost earlier when he did the dive to a kneeling Roman’s back.
That was a MASSIVE powerbomb onto the chairs!
35 minutes in (remember, since the start of Jey’s entrance, so 23 minutes into the match) and this is definitely just a touch slow. The story is amazing, so that’s my only complaint so far.
I have to wonder if Roman knew he was bleeding when he hopped the barricade to go into the crowd.
Aaaaaaaaaaaand here’s Solo Sikoa. That should surprise no one. We gotta get the whole family involved, right? At least the whole Bloodline.
Solo declining to help Roman up might be starting Solo’s arc in the story, but it wasn’t apparent enough and commentary had to fill in the blanks.
50:22 since Jey’s entrance is the point where Jimmy shows up (pulling Jey out of the ring).
Jimmy hits the Superkick and leaves.
Spear through the table that was set-up about a week ago and Roman Reigns pins Jey Uso at 52:09 (from th estart of Jey’s entrance).

Winner AND STILL Undisputed WWE Universal Champion: Roman Reigns (pinfall, spear through the table)

AT The Line Of DeMarco-cation.

“At” might surprise you, but this was WAY too slow. Bell-to-bell it was roughly 40 minutes, and that was about 10 minutes too long. But the story is worth it in the end.

WWE SummerSlam 2023

Total Matches: 8

ABOVE the Line of DeMarco-cation – 4 matches (3 WAY ABOVE)
AT the Line of DeMarco-cation – 3 matches
BELOW the Line of DeMarco-cation – 1 match

One “bad” match and seven “good ones, four of those I’d call “great.” Three of the great ones I labeled as “WAY ABOVE” the line, which easily makes up for one match that was lacking. Hell, when even the Battle Royal is good, you know you watched a damn good show.

Overall Rating for WWE SummerSlam 2023: 9/10

Let me know your thoughts! Drop a comment and tell me your ratings, and what you think of the Line Of DeMarco-cation.

Let us know what you think on social media @ChairshotMedia and always remember to use the hashtag #UseYourHead!

Opinion

King’s WrestleMania Rewind: Charlotte Flair vs. Asuka from WrestleMania 34

Chris king is back with one of the most underrated matches in WrestleMania history–Charlotte Flair vs. Asuka!

Published

6 months ago

April 2, 2023

Chris King

WWE WrestleMania 34 Charlotte Flair Asuka

Chris king is back with one of the most underrated matches in WrestleMania history–Charlotte Flair vs. Asuka!

We look back at Charlotte Flair vs. Asuka at WWE WrestleMania 34. ‘The Empress of Tomorrow’ put her unprecedented and historic undefeated streak of 914 days on the line against ‘The Queen’s’ SmackDown Women’s Championship.

For years, this was considered a dream match while Asuka dominated the roster in NXT, while Flair won numerous championships on the main roster on both Raw and SmackDown. The Empress made her long-awaited debut on the September 11th episode of Raw and began to tear through the competition.

Asuka outlasted all twenty-nine other women in the historic first-ever Women’s Royal Rumble match to challenge for the title of her choosing. At Fastlane, she made her choice.

The WWE Universe was so excited for this match myself included. Both superstars delivered a fantastic performance on the Grandest Stage of Them All executing counter after counter. Asuka showed off some nasty-looking kicks to her opponent, and Flair hit a thunderous Spanish Fly off the top rope. Flair was seconds away from defeat at the hands of The Empress but she locked in Figure Eight and Asuka was forced to tap out.

I can’t even begin to explain how shocked I was at this outcome, as nearly everyone expected The Empress to continue her undefeated streak and walk away with the women’s title. This controversial decision was the downfall of Asuka’s momentum. She would ultimately win the SmackDown Women’s Championship at the 2018 TLC pay-per-view in the triple-threat ladder match.

Fast forward to this year when Asuka has recently returned with her Japanese-inspired persona Kana. Kana is dangerous and ruthless and is heading into a championship with Bianca Belair at WrestleMania 39. The Empress has regained all her momentum and is highly favored to walk away with the Raw Women’s Championship. Let’s hope that Asuka and Belair can tear the house down and deliver an A+ grade match both women are fully capable of.

Let us know what you think on social media @ChairshotMedia and always remember to use the hashtag #UseYourHead!