5 reasons why Sasha Banks is Asuka's next challenger for the WWE Raw women's title

Sasha Banks and Bayley successfully retained their WWE Women tag team titles on this week's RAW, and while one would think that would be enough for them, The Boss had something else in mind. She ultimately ended up demanding a title shot and called out Asuka for a match at the upcoming Extreme Rules pay-per-view.

With that being said and WWE pretty much throwing a swerve into the what was believed to be a rematch between Asuka and Nia Jax, here are five reasons why WWE decided to go in this direction.

As always, let us know your thoughts in the comments below and be sure to tell us who you want to see Asuka face next for the Raw Women's title.

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#5 Utilizing Brand-to-Brand Invitational

WWE is really making the most of their cross brand match ups with Sasha Banks versus Asuka

WWE has made a lot of interesting moves lately when it comes to who would be able to show up to which brand and it has led to a lot of interesting match ups along the way. It has also opened the door to a much fuller title picture in each division, which is what WWE seems to be utilizing here with Sasha Banks versus Asuka.

While there is probably little chance that The Blueprint will come away with Asuka's gold, it is a nice dream match scenario that really caught fans off guard. Furthermore, it is another example of WWE putting their genius cross brand booking together and coming up with something that will attract attention.

In the end, WWE is really getting a lot out of these cross brand matches, which is why they should continue to implement it. Not only will this allow Raw and SmackDown to have that "anything can happen" feel to it, the move will also allow for more dream matches that the WWE Universe want to see.

#4 Lets WWE build to Sasha Banks versus Bayley

Sasha Banks and Bayley can't stay best friends forever.

Sasha Banks versus Bayley is going to happen at some point in the near future, and that time doesn't appear to be now, so WWE has to do something until then. Fortunately for the WWE Universe, Asuka versus Sasha Banks is the perfect appetizer to that match and could even help lay the groundwork for the end of their friendship.

What if Sasha Banks is unsuccessful in defeating Asuka for the Raw Women's title or Bayley accidentally costs her best friend the match? Either scenario would be a devastating blow to the team, especially with the numbers advantage they have and could be the beginning of the end for the pair.

WWE needs a stop gap plan until Bayley versus Sasha Banks is ready and this is probably the best way to get there. It is also a great way to explore the relationship between Banks and Bayley, which will help make their eventual feud all the more personal.

#3 Sasha Banks' momentum in WWE

Sasha Banks has all the momentum in the world right now!

Momentum is the name of the game in WWE and that is exactly what Sasha Banks has going for her right now. In fact, between picking up three straight victories over the last couple of weeks and two of those coming in title defenses, it's pretty safe to say that Sasha Banks is the perfect opponent for Asuka right now.

Of course a lot of fans will probably disagree with that statement, especially with how despised Bayley and Banks are as heels, but their momentum is undeniable. What is also undeniable is the fact that no one on the Raw roster has that same kind of momentum right now, which is why The Boss is really the only option.

In the end, WWE could have gone with Asuka versus Nia Jax one more time and given the feud a satisfying conclusion, but the company seems intent on going in a different direction. Furthermore, The Empress of Tomorrow finally toppled Charlotte Flair on June 22nd episode of Raw, which pretty much eliminates her as an opponent as well.

#2 Puts odds against Asuka

Can Asuka overcome the odds one more time?

WWE has a history of stacking the odds against a babyface champion in any way possible and the company is looking to do that again with Sasha Banks versus Asuka for the Raw Women's title. With Bayley in her best friend's corner, there is a very real possibility that Asuka may not come out of Extreme Rules as champion.

And that's what will draw people into this feud: the fact that Asuka may or may not walk out as champion. Now, Asuka is only in the beginning stages of her title reign and most likely won't lose the strap to Banks at Extreme Rules, but it's that slight possibility of Asuka not retaining the strap that will captivate the WWE Universe.

In all honesty, Extreme Rules is one of those B-level pay per views that WWE has to fill out without going full speed ahead and this is a great way to do this. It might even help to make the eventual feud between Banks and Bayley all the more special and really make it a marquee match for SummerSlam.

#1 Possibility of running the Women's division

What if Sasha Banks and Bayley hold all the gold after Extreme Rules?

The pro wrestling world is full of what-ifs and WWE teased yet another one when Sasha Banks announced that she would be challenging Asuka for the Raw Women's title.

The moment was a swerve all on its own due to the fact that it looked like Banks wanted to go after Bayley's title... and it raised a very important question - what if WWE decides to give Sasha Banks and Bayley full control of WWE's Women's division by having them hold all three titles?

Not only would be it be a historic move on the company's part, it would also cement Bayley and Sasha Banks as future first ballot Hall of Famers in the process.

In the end, it's a very real possibility that this comes to fruition and would be a true moment in history for the WWE Universe to behold. Whether it actually happens or not remains to be seen and depends on where the company wants to go with Asuka's title reign, but all the reasons to watch are definitely there.