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During the match Charlotte targets Asuka's knee, hampering Asuka's ability to fight. Despite the targeting, Asuka is able to execute some moves--a drop kick off the turnbuckle here, an octopus stretch there. Kairi starts interfering in the match; she prevents Charlotte from doing something off the turnbuckle with Asuka. She later costs Asuka the match after Charlotte puts Asuka in the Figure Four/Figure Eight leg lock; Kairi breaks it up with an InSane Elbow.
Mar 18, 2024
Related Recs
Charly Caruso interviews Charlotte prior to her match with Asuka. Caruso asks about the Asuka fight the night before and feels Charlotte's behavior isn't "captain-like." Charlotte says she was the best woman to be the captain (but doesn't say she's "captain-like") & suggested Asuka is jealous of Charlotte breaking Asuka's streak and ruining Asuka's aura.
A short recap of what happened at Survivor Series plays before the match. Charlotte points out to Asuka before the match that her mist dyed her hair and she can't get it out.
Kairi goes after Charlotte during the first part of the match to Asuka's advantage. Charlotte scares Kairi up to the concourse leaving Asuka alone.
Kairi later returns after a commercial break. She stops Charlotte from attempting a Figure Four/Figure Eight on Asuka. Charlotte this time catches Kairi and throws her into the ring post before she can run into the audience. As Charlotte enters the ring Kairi distracts the referee, allowing Asuka to pin and mist Charlotte.
Mar 10, 2024
Charlotte walks to the ring as a recap of Charlotte vs. Asuka from the week before plays. The Kabuki Warriors are interviewed before the match. Asuka speaks mostly in Japanese as Kairi laughs throughout. They then claim they both will beat Charlotte before leaving gorilla position.
Before the match Kairi hits Charlotte with her wagasa and Asuka attacks Charlotte with her fists. The match starts. The Kabuki Warriors quick tag to control Charlotte and keep her in their corner. Charlotte’s able to get some momentum, but the Kabuki Warriors are able to break out or kick out of pins. The Kabuki Warriors win after Kairi makes a stealth tag before Charlotte puts Asuka in a Figure Four (with the intention of putting her in a Figure Eight). Kairi hits Charlotte with an InSane Elbow.
Charlotte is interviewed after the match saying she doesn’t regret wrestling the Kabuki Warriors.
Mar 11, 2024
Earlier Charlotte injured her shoulder after a brawl with Nia Jax. Charly Caruso interviews Charlotte after she steps out of the (very obviously not the Performance Center's actual medical facilities) DOCTOR/TRAINER room. She claims her arm will be fine...holding the Raw Women's Championship.
Unsurprisingly Asuka targets Charlotte's injured arm, but Charlotte gets momentum (and the announcers point that out). After Asuka runs into a turnbuckle, Charlotte is said to get momentum during the commercial break.
After Charlotte tries her signature moves on Asuka to finish off the match, Asuka wins by turning a Charlotte powerbomb attempt into an Asuka Lock submission.
Apr 9, 2024
Top Recs from @roseplantqueen
Writers questioned Asuka's poison mist gimmick after it appeared in WWE at Hell in a Cell. A writer from Wrestleview called the gimmick "stereotypical." The Ringer blamed the mist gimmick on...Paul Heyman. But here is a video from a WrestleMania weekend where Asuka talks about her admiration for The Great Muta and her desire to do a poison mist gimmick in WWE about a year and a half before she started doing it.
Mar 2, 2024
Since all of this is not on YouTube.
On this episode of SmackDown the Tokyo tour dates are recapped, complete with footage of the Kabuki Warriors winning against the IIconics in Tokyo.
A backstage segment (linked here) follows where Paige and the Kabuki Warriors confront the IIconics for the title shot they were promised. The IIconics delay the title match. The segment ends with face manager Paige slapping Billie Kay.
Feb 27, 2024
IIconics (champions) vs. Mandy Rose & Sonya Deville vs. Alexa Bliss & Nikki Cross vs. Kabuki Warriors.
* Mandy Rose rolls up Billie Kay for a pin, eliminating the IIconics.
* Asuka submits Rose with the Asuka Lock, eliminating Rose and Deville.
* Nikki pushes Kairi off the turnbuckle, leaving her susceptible to a punch (forearm?) by Bliss as Paige watches. Bliss hits Twisted Bliss, win titles.
Feb 28, 2024