Original Plan For Asuka’s WrestleMania Opponent Revealed

Asuka didn’t make it all the way to WrestleMania as SmackDown Women’s Champion. Vince McMahon decided to change things up and give the SmackDown Women’s Title to Charlotte Flair instead.

This unexpected title change meant that the #1 contender fatal four-way match between Sonya Deville, Mandy Rose, Carmella, and Naomi needed to be canceled. They weren’t not too thrilled with this decision.

The Wrestling Observer Newsletter reports that Mandy Rose was slated to win that #1 contender’s match and get a rematch against Asuka for the SmackDown Women’s Title at WrestleMania.

There was no indication given that Mandy Rose would have been able to defeat Asuka at WrestleMania either. However, the match was eventually trimmed from the WrestleMania card because “that [match] really had little interest and instead make the main event stronger.”

Now it appears that Asuka will meet all four of those women in the WrestleMania Women’s Battle Royal if they do end up holding that match which has yet to be announced.