Asuka vs. Nia Jax
What we learned: We learned here that while Asuka will still go into WrestleMania 34 undefeated, Nia Jax isn’t going away quietly.
The Las Vegas crowd was much more lively for this one, which started when Asuka made her way to the ring with her always-impressive entrance. Upon arrival, however, The Empress of Tomorrow was treated to a nice beating as Nia Jax took control early and often. She reversed a few different offensive maneuvers from Asuka and really showcased that power. There was the one “oops” spot with the flip when Nia landed on Asuka’s leg but Jax looked solid here. She took some very hard shots with those backhands and kicks and took a nice bump on the Yokozuna-type spot. Her pulling up Asuka by her hair out of the armbar was very impressive.
The finish came very quickly as Asuka got the victory with a rollup. It was a little fast for my taste as I thought the match was flowing nicely and could have gone a few more minutes but this match did exactly what it needed to do, even if this was the one outcome I incorrectly predicted. I thought they’d go with a double countout to keep both looking strong and I guess I was still half right as Nia still looked dominant in the loss. Asuka did remain undefeated but Nia was the one that walked away after she blasted Asuka through the barricade. That was very well done.
What’s next: As I said earlier, I think Nia Jax will end up in the RAW Women’s Championship Match at WrestleMania 34. Asuka vs. Charlotte is still the match everyone wants to see and I think that’s what will happen. That leaves an open spot for someone to challenge Alexa Bliss and given the women of the red brand something to do leading into New Orleans. Perhaps another multi-woman match or a mini-tournament (either of which could set up the Bayley vs. Sasha match as well) would allow Nia Jax to further show off why she deserves her spot at WrestleMania and with the history between she and Alexa Bliss, this just writes itself.