Account
Asuka vs. Sasha Banks and Top Potential WWE Raw vs. SmackDown Matches
May 18, 2020
WWE last week announced the brand-to-brand invitational, and it has already led to some unexpected matches on both Raw and SmackDown.
WWE champion Drew McIntyre is set to face King Corbin on Monday's edition of Raw, while NXT women's champion Charlotte Flair will take on her SmackDown counterpart, Bayley, on Friday.
With so much talent on both brands, there are plenty of possibilities for matches that have been seen rarely or never before.
As the brand-to-brand invitational continues to play out, here are three potential matches that the WWE Universe would love to see on Raw.
Asuka vs. Sasha Banks
Asuka became the Raw women's champion last week as her reward for winning the women's Money in the Bank ladder match after Becky Lynch stepped down due to her pregnancy. As a result, The Empress of Tomorrow is now the face of the women's division on the red brand.
It can be argued Bayley holds the same role on SmackDown since she is the champion, but Sasha Banks is perhaps an even bigger star than her friend after playing a significant role in her holding the title for as long as she has.
WWE is building tension between Bayley and Banks, and it reached another level on SmackDown last Friday when Charlotte Flair called out The Legit Boss for being The Role Model's lackey and challenged her to stand up for herself and her own best interests.
A great way to further the issues between Bayley and Banks while also providing fans with an intriguing matchup would be to have them appear on Raw to interrupt Asuka during a promo segment.
The Empress could challenge the SmackDown titleholder to a match only for the champ to throw The Boss under a bus and force her to fight the battle for her.
Asuka and Banks have faced each other in a singles match only once before, and it happened two years ago on Raw. The bout was fantastic and left fans wanting more, but the rematch hasn't occurred to this point.
Doing Asuka vs. Banks would accomplish several goals, including putting the spotlight on The Boss and allowing her to have a great match with one of the best in the business. Also, the Raw titleholder could score a big victory to add credibility to her reign, perhaps by way of botched interference from Bayley.
An alternative option could be Bayley and Banks facing Asuka and Kairi Sane in a tag team match since The Kabuki Warriors are technically still a unit.
That match would have the potential to be the best women's tag team bout in WWE history if given enough time, and any number of storylines could play out in it as well.
Seth Rollins vs. Jeff Hardy
Seth Rollins has established himself as the top heel on Raw, and now that Jeff Hardy is back on SmackDown, he figures to be one of the blue brand's top babyfaces moving forward.
There are clearly some parallels between the two men in terms of their in-ring style, and a contest between them has often been talked about among fans as a dream match between Superstars who reached their peak in different eras.
Both Rollins and Hardy are multi-time world champions in WWE. The latter hasn't held a world title in the company since 2009, while the former was universal champion just last year before dropping it to "The Fiend" Bray Wyatt.
Rollins is coming off a loss to WWE champion Drew McIntyre at Money in the Bank, and he needs some wins in order to get back on track. Meanwhile, Hardy is in the middle of a rivalry with Sheamus.
The Monday Night Messiah's recent actions, including gouging Rey Mysterio's eye with the corner of the ring steps last week, could make him a target for someone like Hardy from a storyline perspective.
The Charismatic Enigma likely has a great deal of respect for Mysterio, and defending his fellow veteran's honor would be a good way to explain the match. It would also be a first-time encounter since Rollins and Hardy have never had a singles match.
A Rollins vs. Hardy match could branch off into multiple angles as well, such as Sheamus interfering to further his feud with Hardy or Murphy interfering on Rollins' behalf, which could lead to another unique bout in Hardy vs. Murphy.
Street Profits vs. New Day
Tag team wrestling isn't always a major focus in WWE, but there is no question that the company boasts several talented tandems across all of its brands.
Two of the best are The Street Profits and New Day, and they just so happen to hold the Raw and SmackDown Tag Team Championships, respectively.
New Day have been pure entertainment in their five-plus years together and have established themselves as WWE's go-to team. They have also enjoyed tons of in-ring success with eight championship reigns to their credit.
The Street Profits are still fairly new to the main roster, but they have made their mark with fiery promos and fun backstage segments. It also didn't take them long to capture the Raw Tag Team Championships after previously holding the NXT titles.
Perhaps the biggest argument in favor of The Street Profits vs. New Day is the fact that Montez Ford, Angelo Dawkins, Kofi Kingston and Big E could put together a great promo segment to set the stage for a match.
The actual in-ring action could be excellent as well since all four Superstars are impressive athletes with the ability to tell a compelling story through a match.
The Street Profits vs. New Day may be the biggest potential tag team dream match of all in WWE currently, and the brand-to-brand invitational could make it a reality.
Listen to Ring Rust Radio for all of the hot wrestling topics. Catch the latest episode in the player below (warning: some language NSFW).