With WrestleMania 34 now in the rearview mirror, the majority of WWE fans have collectively agreed that the SmackDown Women’s Championship match between Charlotte Flair and Asuka stole the show.
Once the card became official, it came as no surprise that many assumed AJ Styles’ WWE Championship defence against Shinsuke Nakamura, a rematch from their incredible Wrestle Kingdom encounter, would be the one that takes home the award for the match of the night.
WRESTLEMANIA 34
Now that we’ve seen everything unfold, it’s clear why the company held back slightly with The King of Strong Style turning heel. Although the mixed tag team match is also a strong contender for the match of the night, especially with Ronda Rousey having arguably the greatest in-ring debut of all time and exceeding expectations, fans can agree that The Queen and The Empress tore the house down.
It’s not just the brilliant match itself - which is rightfully drawing plenty of praise - but the fact that the WWE finally decided to pull the trigger on Asuka’s streak ending, and it came down to Charlotte to do that and effectively create history in the process.
Clearly, fans are now eager to see what the company has in store for Asuka and how they can book her, especially since she’s now on SmackDown LIVE following the Superstar Shake-up and we’ve never seen her get pinned or submitted, so everything that happens moving forward is going to be new.
Someone else who knows a thing or two about streaks and what it feels like to have one end is Goldberg. The former Universal Champion boasted an inflated record of 173 without losing back in WCW, until Scott Hall helped Kevin Nash claim the WCW World Heavyweight Championship.
Asuka’s streak eclipsed Goldberg’s, with WWE claiming it lasted for around 914 days before the Figure Eight was locked in by Charlotte inside of the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. When speaking to The New York Post recently, Goldberg admitted that he felt bad for Asuka but believes the right person broke the streak.
THE RIGHT TIME
According to Wrestling Inc, he said: “It’s so hard. I felt bad for her. It’s a really cool accomplishment.
“It’s unbelievable, but there comes a time when you kind of question its tenure and when is it the right time to break it. Who is the right person to break it?
“I think it was done properly, I do. I think the pressure has been taken off of her. There was a lot of pressure on me at the end of the streak.”
Everyone is going to have their own opinion on the streak ending.
Some would have preferred it ending after she had actually reached the top and have it end as champion, like Goldberg’s streak ended. Others would have preferred a cash-in upon the completion of her match, for example.
However, there’s no denying that the WWE made a great pick in Charlotte and with no taser gun involved, the end of Asuka’s streak was perhaps a lot better than how Goldberg finally lost.
What do you make of Goldberg’s comments on Asuka’s streak ending at WrestleMania 34? Have YOUR say in the comments section below.