WWE's Slow-Burn Build with Asuka Must Culminate in Title Win at WrestleMania 34

Since Asuka's arrival on Raw, it has always been a question of when, not if, she would set her sights on the Raw Women's Championship. Based off the gradual approach WWE has taken with her so far, it would be best to hold off on her winning the title until WrestleMania 34 on April 8.

No stranger to gold herself, Asuka is a former NXT Women's champion and actually retired from the program in September as the titleholder. That ended her record-setting reign at 523 days, a remarkable run that saw her compete in classics against the likes of Bayley, Mickie James, Nikki Cross and Ember Moon.

It was high time she was called up to the main roster, where she is needed much more than she is in NXT. Asuka came to Raw still undefeated in singles competition, having not suffered a one-on-one loss in the two years she has been a part of the company.

Thankfully, WWE was wise enough to allow her to maintain that mystique on Monday nights. It's rare that any of the Superstars—male or female—feel special due to their overexposure and some questionable booking, but officials have done right by her so far on Raw.

Soon after beating Emma in back-to-back bouts, she annihilated enhancement talent and was handpicked by Alicia Fox to represent Raw against SmackDown Live in the women's tag team elimination match at Survivor Series. There, she outlasted the competition and was the sole survivor for her squad.

It was an impressive feat that seemed to suggest she was next in line for a Raw Women's Championship opportunity, but that was before Paige resurfaced on the next night's show and immediately positioned herself as a threat to the title.

Credit: WWE.com

Speaking of Paige and Absolution, they have dominated the Raw women's ranks and targeted Asuka as of late. Following the Japanese's victories versus Dana Brooke and Alicia Fox, Absolution showed up and teased attacking her prior to The Empress of Tomorrow walking off.

The seeds are being planted for a future faceoff between Asuka and Paige, and in all honesty, that is the biggest match for the women of Raw right now. Sasha Banks vs. Bayley appeared at one point to be the WrestleMania matchup for next year, but the ship might have sailed on that once-anticipated encounter.

That being said, WWE should not waste that mega match on an upcoming episode of the show but rather wait until WrestleMania for them to clash for the Raw Women's Championship.

Absolution are clearly heels, but they have been adamant about not aligning with anyone, including Alexa Bliss. They ambushed her backstage on the Nov. 20 edition of Raw, so it shouldn't be long before Paige receives her rightful shot at the strap.

Bliss has done a commendable job of carrying Raw's women's division this year, but she has faced every possible opponent so it's time for her to pass the torch to Paige.

Besides, Asuka beating Bliss for the belt would hardly be seen as an accomplishment considering they are on completely different playing fields.

Asuka signed with NXT long after Paige graduated to the main roster, so the two have yet to do battle. That WrestleMania-worthy match would be significantly superior to Asuka vs. Bliss from an in-ring standpoint, and it would kick off the Japanese's initial reign as Raw Women's champ on a high note.

Credit: WWE.com

Asuka could have captured the title her first night on Raw and few fans would have questioned it given her long list of credentials. However, what made her NXT Women's Championship win so memorable was that it had been built up over the course of six months.

Her main roster run should follow that same formula in order for her eventual Raw Women's Championship win to mean as much as it should. Needless to say, she should remain unbeaten en route to the title for many months to come.

With there being no obvious candidates on the active roster to hand her a first defeat, Asuka wearing gold around her waist coming out of WrestleMania is all but guaranteed.

Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, is an Endicott College alumnus and aspiring journalist. Visit his website, Next Era Wrestling, and "like" his official Facebook page to continue the conversation on all things wrestling.