Bianca Belair’s more than four hundred-day reign as WWE Raw Women’s Champion has finally come to an end as Asuka defeated her, just now, at Night of Champions. The win was not without controversy, as Asuka used some of the mist on her hand while raking Belair’s eyes to get out of The EST of WWE’s KOD finishing move. What followed was a series of knockout kicks from The Empress of Tomorrow that left Belair unable to get her shoulders up.
Belair initially won the WWE Raw Women’s Championship on night one of WrestleMania 38 when she defeated Becky Lynch. It wasn’t a great night for Lynch, either, as she lost to Trish Stratus earlier on the card after Zoey Stark dropped her with a facebuster finishing maneuver behind the referee’s back. Lynch’s nose was legitimately busted open by the move and she was bleeding profusely from her nose after the loss to Stratus.
Asuka is now a three-time WWE Raw Women’s Champion, and after being drafted to Smackdown two weeks ago, is likely headed back to the red brand. She is also a former WWE Smackdown Women’s Champion and three-time WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion. It is possible Belair demands a rematch for her title at WWE’s next big event, Money In The Bank, but the program could be extended to SummerSlam as well. With Roman Reigns now being advertised for the big London show, it isn’t lacking for star power.
Following Asuka’s win there was one more women’s match on the show as Rhea Ripley defended her WWE Smackdown Women’s Championship against Natalya. The Hart Family member didn’t stand much of a chance, as Ripley dominantly dismantled her in a matter of minutes, and then celebrated with a warm embrace with Dominik Mysterio. It will be interesting to see what they do with Ripley following her successful defense, as she was drafted to the Raw brand and carries Smackdown’s top women’s title.