This week on Raw, SmackDown star Sasha Banks challenged Asuka to a match at Extreme Rules for the ‘Empress of Tomorrow’s’ Raw Women’s Championship.
Before this, Sasha will travel back down to NXT to take on Io Shirai. Many have speculated that WWE could book Sasha & Bayley vs. Asuka & Io for an NXT show before Extreme Rules, a prospect that is rather exciting.
While the title match will likely be very good, fans are slightly annoyed at how Sasha, a SmackDown star, has just been granted a shot at a Raw championship.
Well, the reason that WWE has booked this feud has seemingly been revealed, and as with most things in WWE over the last five years, it concerns Charlotte Flair.
It was believed that heading into Extreme Rules and SummerSlam, Asuka would be feuding with Charlotte Flair. However, it is believed that she’ll instead work with Sasha Banks as Flair is taking some time off of TV.
There have been conflicting reports about Flair being taken off TV. While some claim that it is because she’s injured, others have been told that she is taking an “extended break” for some “personal time”.
Here’s what Dave Meltzer had to say in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter about why this match is being booked:
“Banks, a SmackDown wrestler, is going after the Raw title likely due to Charlotte Flair being out of action. Flair had two wins over Asuka, but then lost to Asuka on television and did an injury angle off it.”
Some fans have speculated that WWE may actually have Sasha beat Asuka at Extreme Rules, leading to a title unification match at SummerSlam between Banks and Bayley, five years after their awesome NXT match.
