News broke on Monday Night RAW this week that Asuka would be joining the RAW roster. There had been much debate among fans on whether Asuka should join RAW or Smackdown Live upon her main roster call-up. WWE decided to put her on Monday nights and are advertising that she is ‘coming soon’.
So why did WWE choose RAW over Smackdown Live?
According to Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio (subscribe here), there is a main reason why Asuka is going to RAW over Smackdown Live. The reason is because WWE feels like the RAW Women’s division lacks depth as compared to Smackdown Live.
Meltzer says that there are probably better matches on Smackdown Live for Asuka but that adds to the reason why she was needed on RAW. Smackdown’s women are all kind of pushed (or could be pushed); Naomi, Natalya, Charlotte Flair, Becky Lynch, Carmella and even Tamina have been built up as credible over the past several months.
On the RAW side, there is only Alexa Bliss, Nia Jax and Sasha Banks. Bayley is currently injured and there are no plans for Emma other than to be the one to take the pin at No Mercy according to Meltzer.
As a result, WWE made the decision to add Asuka to the weaker side.
Related – SPOILER on when Asuka will debut
So, did WWE make the right call? Let us know in the comment section below.
RAW Women’s division lacks depth as compared to Smackdown Live, what a joke. Because Raw only cares about Bayley, Sasha, Nia and Alexa, they don’t bother to build up Emma, Mickie, Dana and Alicia, not to mention Summer is cleared but not using her for more than a year. What’s the point Raw wants those women if they’re not using them.
so basically RAW has depth but they don’t care about doing anything with half of them except jobbing them out, so they’re going to send Asuka to Raw despite Smackdown having less women and Asuka being a better fit there.
Honestly, Asuka would have added a lot regardless of which brand she joined.
I am disappointed about the Emma bit though. I truly believe Emma deserves a fair opportunity to be the champion.