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There is no doubt that Asuka has been a standout performer of WWE's pandemic era of programming, and at this year's SummerSlam the Superstar is working double duty. Asuka is set to go head-to-head against both Sasha Banks and Bayley for the RAW and SmackDown Women's titles, respectively.
After Friday's edition of SmackDown, it was decided that Bayley would be defending her title first. The Role Model and Sasha Banks faced Naomi in a Beat the Clock Challenge, which Bayley lost. Asuka then showed the pair that she was more than ready to take them on this Sunday when she appeared on the arena ramp to attack them both.
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We could be in for some huge title changes at SummerSlam, and Asuka could win not just one, but two belts. If Asuka did become a champion at this year's SummerSlam it could ring in some huge changes for the WWE women's division, which has been dominated by Sasha Banks and Bayley over the past few months.
The possibilities of where Asuka could go next if she became a champion at SummerSlam are huge, and here are five potential outcomes if this does indeed happen.
#5 Asuka becomes RAW Women's Champion at SummerSlam, begins a rivalry with Shayna Baszler
This is potentially the most obvious direction on this list, and one that has already been hinted at on WWE TV. On a recent episode of RAW, Shayna Baszler approached Asuka and claimed that she would be cheering her on against Sasha Banks, and wanted her to win the RAW Women's Championship at SummerSlam. She then warned The Empress of Tomorrow that she wanted to defeat her for the title further down the line.
Asuka and Baszler have occasionally teamed up against The Golden Role Models on RAW, but once the belt is off Banks, it would be great to see a feud develop between Asuka and The Queen of Spades.
Both performers are immensely talented in the ring, and seeing the pair in a series of matches over the RAW Women's Championship would be fantastic. A well-developed rivalry between Asuka and Shayna Baszler could be a true highlight of WWE programming, with the duo having great potential together.
#4 Could Asuka turn heel after winning a championship at SummerSlam?
Since Bayley attacked Kairi Sane, we have been steering towards a more serious aspect to Asuka. Are we going to see a completely different side to The Empress of Tomorrow at SummerSlam?
After Asuka lost the RAW Women's Championship when she chose to save Kairi, she immediately began seeking vengeance against The Golden Role Models. The Superstar seems to be desperate to avenge what happened to her friend — and her title.
Once Asuka either wins back the RAW Women's title or beats Bayley for the SmackDown Women's title at SummerSlam, she could take this quest to seek revenge even further, causing trouble on her respective brand. The incident on RAW has affected Asuka, and it would be interesting to see her develop into a darker character as a result of this.
A change in persona has been hinted at by the Superstar herself of late. A fresh take on Asuka's character could inject a much-needed upheaval into the WWE women's division.
#3 Asuka wins a title at SummerSlam, which ignites a feud between Sasha Banks and Bayley
A potential falling out between Sasha Banks and Bayley has been bubbling under the surface for a while now, and if Asuka wins a title a SummerSlam, it could set off the downfall of The Golden Role Models.
We already had hints towards the duo falling out, including Sasha wearing Bayley's SmackDown Women's title at Extreme Rules and gazing at the belt through the night, and also Bayley reacting negatively when Banks told Asuka that she had to defeat the Role Model to earn a shot at her RAW Women's Championship at SummerSlam.
This theme continued on this week's edition of SmackDown when Bayley lost the Beat the Clock Challenge against Naomi to decide who would face Asuka first, and Sasha stood laughing at ringside. Later, Bayley fled leaving Asuka to attack Sasha on the ramp down to the ring, further showing the cracks in their relationship.
The current storyline surrounding Sasha Banks and Bayley is all about how the pair are holding all the power — and all the titles of the WWE women's division. If one of the pair lost a singles title to Asuka at SummerSlam, it could turn them against one another, especially if one of the stars caused the other to drop their belt.
A dispute that tears The Golden Role Models apart has been much-anticipated by WWE fans, and Asuka could be the perfect catalyst for the situation.
#2 Asuka could become dual RAW and SmackDown Women's Champion at SummerSlam
Asuka has won both the RAW and SmackDown Women's Championships during her WWE career, but could she pull off the unthinkable and win them both in one night at SummerSlam?
So far, the only woman in WWE history to hold the RAW and SmackDown Women's Championships simultaneously is Becky Lynch, who relinquished the RAW title to Asuka herself after the star won this year's Money in the Bank ladder match. The Empress of Tomorrow is a truly impressive performer, and could easily display the strength that Lynch did in her dual reign.
Asuka has been a fan favorite over the past few months, and she could easily keep fans engaged and interested across both the Red and Blue brands. Having Asuka as a double champion would open up feuds with stars from across both RAW and SmackDown, and the Superstar is somebody who can make her opponents look great in the ring.
Although the idea of dual champions has been quite popular recently in WWE, Asuka would certainly be able to bring her unique energy to the concept after SummerSlam.
#1 Asuka becomes SmackDown Women's Champion and shakes up the Blue brand after SummerSlam
The entire WWE women's division has been dominated by Sasha Banks and Bayley over the past few months, but this could all change at SummerSlam. It's been apparent that the title picture on SmackDown has been somewhat stale in comparison to the contention for the RAW Women's Championship.
There has been no clear contender for Bayley's belt for quite some time on SmackDown, with the champion often facing Superstars in short feuds that can often feel a bit lackluster. As well as this, fans have voiced their disapproval of the segments that some of the women of SmackDown have been written into, including the now-infamous "Karaoke Showdown", triggering the #NaomiDeservesBetter movement.
Moving Asuka to SmackDown as the new champion could inject some new life into the women's storylines on the Blue brand post-SummerSlam. The roster is full of talent and bringing a star of Asuka's level into the mix as champion would be a brilliant way to showcase the skills of Superstars such as Naomi, Sonya Deville, and Nikki Cross in meaningful feuds.
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