🔵7/14/23 Smackdown/LVL Up Thread: BLUE Asuka tonight!

[The Rick Jericho]

“The Empress of Tomorrow” Asuka will face “The EST of WWE” Bianca Belair in what is sure to be an epic showdown for the WWE Women’s Championship live on SmackDown.

With no shortage of challengers for her title, Asuka remains undeterred and even welcomes the chaos that comes with multiple threats, including that of the ever-lurking Ms. Money in the Bank, IYO SKY.

Belair, meanwhile, has been on a mission to reclaim her title and has gone to extreme lengths to get this championship opportunity secured.


Will Asuka remain the WWE Women’s World Champion, or is Belair finally ready for Asuka?

Last Friday on SmackDown, "The Trial of the Tribal Chief" set the stage of an all-out onslaught on The Usos by Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns and Solo Sikoa.

Later in the evening, however, Jey returned to Madison Square Garden and used a steel chair to take out Reigns and his younger brother Solo before challenging The Head of the Table to a match for the title!

Don't miss the fallout of the monumental throwing down of the gantlet as well as all the action of SmackDown, this Friday at 8/7 C on FOX.

[mistery]

I'd be shocked if Charlotte doesn't interfere tonight and cause a DQ/No Contest, setting up a triple threat at Summerslam, where Asuka hopefully retains because neither Charlotte or Bianca should be in the title picture right now as both are beyond stale.

[clc]

I hope they actually give the girls some time this week.
A triple threat with Asuka, Bianca, and Charlotte is a terrifying prospect for this Asuka fan.

[asuka007]

Hopefully the women can get more than TWO MINUTES this week.

[Deleted]

Bloodline get 7 segments...women get 2 min and no entrance.

[salz4life]

Jul 14, 2023 7:49:41 GMT -5 mistery said:

I'd be shocked if Charlotte doesn't interfere tonight and cause a DQ/No Contest, setting up a triple threat at Summerslam, where Asuka hopefully retains because neither Charlotte or Bianca should be in the title picture right now as both are beyond stale.

The best part of this being that Charlotte is stale after just coming back from being gone for a few months. LOL

[Hypnosis]

Jul 14, 2023 10:25:51 GMT -5 salz4life said:

Jul 14, 2023 7:49:41 GMT -5 mistery said:

I'd be shocked if Charlotte doesn't interfere tonight and cause a DQ/No Contest, setting up a triple threat at Summerslam, where Asuka hopefully retains because neither Charlotte or Bianca should be in the title picture right now as both are beyond stale.

The best part of this being that Charlotte is stale after just coming back from being gone for a few months. LOL

Because she just can't stay out of the title picture for an extended period of time.

[clc]

Charlotte's entire character arc: "Me Charlotte, Me get title shot". Lose title without actually putting anyone over, rinse repeat.

[EoE: Workin On My Night Cheese]

Jeez, you guys are gonna hate my survey results when they come back with the majority opinion that Flair should still be a main eventer…

[XIII]

Jul 14, 2023 11:49:07 GMT -5 EoE: Workin On My Night Cheese said:

Jeez, you guys are gonna hate my survey results when they come back with the majority opinion that Flair should still be a main eventer…

She absolutely should be a main eventer…she also should absolutely have stories that aren’t disappearing for months and then immediately competing for and winning the title. 

it’s pretty bad when Asuka won the title and multiple people were like “I guess Charlotte is about to come back” and then she came back the next SD. LMAO.

[clc]

Jul 14, 2023 11:49:07 GMT -5 EoE: Workin On My Night Cheese said:

Jeez, you guys are gonna hate my survey results when they come back with the majority opinion that Flair should still be a main eventer…

Makes sense considering how much they already invested in presenting her as the division's final boss. Also she can put on great matches when she wants to.

She'd be a great main event-er is she was less selfish. I always say she's the opposite of her dad. Her dad, win or lose, made every one of his opponents look like a million bucks. Charlotte is a heel that always wins clean and never loses clean. She takes most of the offense during the match. She frequently no-sells her opponents. No one walks away from a Charlotte program looking better. Her in-ring- story-telling is limited to, "Charlotte smash! Charlotte strong!" No one walks away from a Charlotte program looking better. 

(She made a little bit of a liar of me, becasue she recently and FINALLY put Rhea Ripley over clean at Mania)

[theironyuppie]

Jul 14, 2023 12:08:23 GMT -5 clc said:

Jul 14, 2023 11:49:07 GMT -5 EoE: Workin On My Night Cheese said:

Jeez, you guys are gonna hate my survey results when they come back with the majority opinion that Flair should still be a main eventer…

Makes sense considering how much they already invested in presenting her as the division's final boss. Also she can put on great matches when she wants to.

She'd be a great main event-er is she was less selfish. I always say she's the opposite of her dad. Her dad, win or lose, made every one of his opponents look like a million bucks. Charlotte is a heel that always wins clean and never loses clean. She takes most of the offense during the match. She frequently no-sells her opponents. No one walks away from a Charlotte program looking better. Her in-ring- story-telling is limited to, "Charlotte smash! Charlotte strong!" No one walks away from a Charlotte program looking better. 

(She made a little bit of a liar of me, becasue she recently and FINALLY put Rhea Ripley over clean at Mania)

While Charlotte can be inconsistent, at her best her storytelling is hard to match and she's incredible at making it feel huge that she's losing. Rhea at WM 39 is the most recent example, but you could also look at the Falls Count Anywhere match with Sasha, the 2/13/17 Raw match with Bayley, or even the Evolution match with Becky to see what I mean.

[gritizen]

Bayley has her own briefcase @vonwagner

[asuka007]

Jul 14, 2023 11:00:24 GMT -5 Hypnosis said:

Jul 14, 2023 10:25:51 GMT -5 salz4life said:

The best part of this being that Charlotte is stale after just coming back from being gone for a few months. LOL

Because she just can't stay out of the title picture for an extended period of time.

Also her character never changes/progresses. At least Bianca is acting more p***ed off/aggressive since losing the title, which is a start.

[Deleted]

Jul 14, 2023 14:00:32 GMT -5 gritizen said:

Bayley has her own briefcase @vonwagner

She's f***ing done

[EoE: Workin On My Night Cheese]

Announced for tonight, Styles v Butch v Escobar v Waller in a Fatal 4-Way, winner faces the winner of another Fatal 4-Way that happens next week to decide the next #1 United States Contender.

Also, Sheamus/Holland v Pretty Deadly.

[bob loves the Hurt Syndicate]

Jul 14, 2023 11:49:07 GMT -5 EoE: Workin On My Night Cheese said:

Jeez, you guys are gonna hate my survey results when they come back with the majority opinion that Flair should still be a main eventer…

[The Rick Jericho]

Wonder if LA Knight is relegated to a dark match or promo before the show kicks off.

[asuka007]

So they have to do Bayley vs. Shotzi now, right?

[Deleted]

Jul 14, 2023 17:25:42 GMT -5 asuka007 said:

So they have to do Bayley vs. Shotzi now, right?

IYO probably tries to cash in again tonight only for Shotzi to interrupt it this time and then leading to a hair vs hair match against Bayley next week or maybe on the SD before summerslam.