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Charlotte is later interviewed. She's asked about her upcoming match with Asuka as well as her loss at NXT Takeover: In Your House. She claims she didn't lose as she wasn't pinned or submit. She says she elevated the NXT Women's Championship. She also claims Asuka is trying to "steal her moment." Asuka dances in with the Raw Women's Title. "Do you ever take anything seriously?" Charlotte asks. "Yes. Yes, I do," Asuka says before slapping her.
During their match, commentary suggests that Charlotte is downplaying her loss to Io Shirai at TakeOver: In Your House. Bayley and Sasha Banks come back out, this time to sit on commentary. During the break Charlotte sends Asuka flying over the announce desk. Both fight on the outside before entering the ring. The IIconics watch the match behind the plexiglass barricades around the ring. They attack Bayley and Sasha Banks. All are ejected before the last commercial break.
Commentary wonders how much Asuka can handle before her match with Nia Jax at Backlash as Charlotte struggles to take out Asuka. Asuka is able to kick out of a Charlotte spear and places Charlotte into a submission. Nia comes out and interferes, allowing Charlotte to spear and pin Asuka. Nia Samoan Drops Asuka.
Apr 5, 2024
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Charlotte's match here is before her match at NXT TakeOver: In Your House. She's scheduled to defend the title against former NXT Women's Champion Rhea Ripley and Io Shirai, a woman who received a title shot against Charlotte and ended up in this triple threat because of several matches stopped by disqualification. Charlotte tells the audience here to shut up and respect her as she'll retain at In Your House. (She doesn't retain at In Your House, losing the title to Io.) Charlotte claims Asuka has a history of "bowing down" to (never winning against) her.
Asuka comes out for the match. Commentary suggests it took a while for Asuka to recover after her WrestleMania 34 match. During the match Asuka's leg is injured but she moves as if she's okay. Charlotte tries to work on Asuka's leg with a Boston crab but she breaks out of it. Asuka tries to trap Charlotte in a powerbomb but Charlotte dumps Asuka out of the ring. Asuka loses the match by count out after Nia, wearing Asuka's mask and dancing like Asuka, clotheslines her outside the ring.
Apr 4, 2024
Charlotte Flair vs. Natalya vs. Nia Jax — Winner Challenges Asuka at WWE Backlash: Raw, May 25, 2020
Asuka comes out on commentary. She's asked if she thinks Natalya (after last week) can focus on the match, then if she wants to face Nia. She mostly speaks Japanese but at one point she does lament Kairi's latest fate in English ("Poor Kairi"). Asuka really doesn't like Charlotte currently; she laughs at Charlotte's promo during the Kevin Owens Show and boos the idea of Charlotte becoming a double champion. Okay, not completely: Asuka cheers Charlotte targeting Nia's knee with kicks and a Figure Four/Eight attempt. Asuka tosses Nia back into the ring at one point. She yells at Charlotte to give up after Natalya puts her in a sharpshooter. Then Asuka gets mad when Nia breaks up Natalya's submission attempt and yells when Nia stares her down. Although she's stunned at Nia's Samaon Drop and pin, she displays the Raw Women's Championship in front of Nia after the match.
Apr 2, 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