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Welcome to FANTASY BOOKING WARFARE! Our esteemed panel of judges Dave Bradshaw, and special guests Michael Oku and Nina Samuels will cast their votes to determine who among our contestants is the least terrible booker of fantasy wrestling in the land! This time, it is Tempest and Laurie Blake in the Semi-Final round booking The End of Asuka's Streak!
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Welcome to FANTASY BOOKING WARFARE! Our esteemed panel of judges Dave Bradshaw, and special guests Michael Oku and Nina Samuels will cast their votes to determine who among our contestants is the least terrible booker of fantasy wrestling in the land! This time, it is Tempest and Laurie Blake in the Semi-Final round booking The End of Asuka's Streak!
Logo designed by: Lee Wildgoose
https://www.instagram.com/leewildgoose/
https://goosecreativedesign.com/
SUBSCRIBE TO partsFUNknown: https://bit.ly/2J2Hl6q
TWITTER: https://twitter.com/partsfunknown
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/partsfunknown/
Buy wrestling merchandise here: https://www.wrestleshop.com/
Read more Feature content here on WrestleTalk.com: https://wrestletalk.com/features/
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SportsTranscript
00:00 "Right, okay, we're booking for dummies, but we do promos.
00:02 Like, we make sure that it's..."
00:04 - Did you hear that, people at home watching on YouTube?
00:06 Man just called you dummies.
00:08 - Well, fortunately, you're not voting, so...
00:10 (all laughing)
00:13 - Welcome to another edition of Fantasy Booking Warfare.
00:18 Last week, Oli Davis secured his place
00:21 in our tournament final,
00:22 as Luke Owen and Team TNA
00:24 couldn't quite cross the finish line.
00:27 Now there is only one more semi-final match
00:30 before our esteemed panel of judges can finally decide
00:33 who is the least terrible booker of fantasy wrestling,
00:37 as Tempest and Laurie Blake rewrite history
00:40 and provide a more satisfying conclusion
00:43 to the end of Ask a Streak.
00:44 - I'm Dave Bradshaw, and for the past 15 years,
00:48 I have been a play-by-play commentator
00:49 in British and European wrestling.
00:51 - Off the top, missile, drop kick!
00:53 Can he get it? Yes, he can!
00:54 He's the champion of the world!
00:57 - I am the master of the half crab,
00:58 the current reigning undisputed
01:00 British heavyweight champion, Michael Oku,
01:02 and who better to tell you how bad things are booked than me?
01:06 (upbeat music)
01:08 - I'm Nina Samuels, star of the Nina Samuels Show
01:14 and here on WrestleTalk, because of course,
01:15 WrestleTalk needs more Nina.
01:18 (upbeat music)
01:20 - Who is gonna join Oli Davis in the finals?
01:26 This time it's gonna be Tempest versus Laurie.
01:30 The scenario they have been given
01:31 is the ending of Asuka's streak.
01:34 - This is a big one.
01:35 This is, things like this, that are so prestigious,
01:38 streaks are so prestigious in wrestling,
01:40 they have to end really well.
01:42 - I am very personally invested in this one
01:45 because I am such a huge Asuka fan.
01:48 - Let's see what Tempest would have done.
01:50 - So some admin first.
01:51 When Asuka debuted on the main roster, she sold too much.
01:54 She shouldn't be selling for three quarters of a match
01:57 against Emma.
01:57 So in my version of reality,
01:59 main roster Asuka is the same as NXT Asuka.
02:02 Mean, ass kicking, doesn't give a (beep)
02:05 if you are good or bad
02:06 and is dominant against 90% of competitors.
02:08 Otherwise, things are largely the same
02:10 leading up to WrestleMania 34
02:12 and Asuka's SmackDown Women's title match against Charlotte.
02:15 Now, our story begins at WrestleMania 34
02:18 with Asuka beating Charlotte to win the title,
02:20 like she should have done in real life,
02:23 making her pass out in the Asuka lock.
02:26 The night after WrestleMania, Asuka emerges with her title.
02:28 And before I get into this promo,
02:30 I will be booking all of this
02:31 as if Asuka would be able to deliver these promos
02:34 or something close enough to them
02:36 to get a similar point across.
02:37 Asuka takes the mic and says, "RAW, SmackDown, NXT.
02:41 No one has been ready for Asuka.
02:43 I want the best in WWE.
02:45 Come to SmackDown, try and beat me.
02:48 You will fail."
02:49 That same night, Ember Moon debuts on the main roster
02:52 and later in the show, crosses paths with Asuka backstage.
02:55 Asuka smiles, shakes Ember's hand and walks off,
02:57 but the mood is tense.
02:59 In the coming weeks, Charlotte Flair is granted a rematch
03:01 for the title at Backlash,
03:02 but it is clear that Asuka has become
03:04 the focus of the division.
03:06 There is a queue of contenders forming.
03:07 The lower card wrestlers are anxious
03:09 at the thought of facing her,
03:10 while the top stars want to take on the challenge.
03:13 Charlotte says in promos that she wasn't ready
03:15 for Asuka at WrestleMania.
03:17 She thought no one could go toe to toe with her
03:19 on WWE's biggest stage,
03:20 but clearly she underestimated Asuka
03:23 and that is not a mistake she will make again at Backlash.
03:25 At Backlash, Asuka once again defeats Charlotte
03:28 in another great match.
03:29 Charlotte escapes the Asuka lock,
03:31 rolling Asuka up for a near fall,
03:33 but Asuka kicks out,
03:34 nailing Charlotte with a kick to retain.
03:36 Following Backlash, Asuka continues to be a dominant force
03:38 on SmackDown.
03:39 The general manager books insufferable heels
03:41 to go one-on-one with Asuka,
03:43 something that is met with the same level of dread
03:45 as when Teddy Long booked people to go one-on-one
03:47 with The Undertaker, hala-hala.
03:49 The next person to step up to challenge Asuka
03:51 is WrestleMania Battle Royal winner, Becky Lynch,
03:54 who gets a title match at Money in the Bank.
03:56 No surprise, Asuka wins, this time with a cross arm breaker.
04:00 Earlier on the show,
04:01 the Women's Money in the Bank contract
04:02 is won by Ember Moon, who, when asked backstage
04:05 if she would consider cashing in on Asuka tonight,
04:07 simply says no, and when asked why not, says,
04:10 "I'm not ready."
04:12 The following SmackDown,
04:13 Asuka beats Lana handedly and quickly,
04:15 and after the match, Sasha Banks confronts her,
04:18 saying, "You think you have faced the best
04:20 "that WWE has to offer?
04:21 "Well, you can never say you've faced the best
04:23 "until you face me, and you damn sure won't be able to say
04:26 "you've beaten the boss when I take that title from you
04:29 "at Extreme Rules."
04:30 At Extreme Rules, Asuka defends the title
04:33 against Sasha Banks in a lumberjack match.
04:36 Lumberjill match?
04:37 I don't know.
04:38 In this match, whenever Asuka gets sent to ringside,
04:40 the lumber people give her space,
04:41 worried they'll be killed.
04:43 When Sasha gets thrown out,
04:44 Bayley fights off the others
04:46 who try to stomp on her friend.
04:47 Once again, Asuka gets the win with a strike sequence
04:50 culminating in a brutal spinning back fist.
04:52 Bayley helps Sasha to her feet,
04:54 and the next week on SmackDown,
04:55 Bayley comes to the ring and says,
04:57 "So far, no one has been ready for Asuka
04:59 "because no one knows what she's capable of, but I do.
05:04 "They've always said I was the last of the four Horsewomen,
05:06 "the last to get called up, the last to become champion,
05:09 "but at SummerSlam, I will do
05:11 "what none of the other Horsewomen could.
05:13 "I will beat Asuka and become the new
05:16 "SmackDown Women's Champion."
05:19 At SummerSlam, Asuka beats Bayley
05:21 in the closest match she has had in WWE so far.
05:24 Bayley counters all of Asuka's finishers
05:26 and even hits the Bayley to belly for a near fall,
05:28 but as Bayley sits up in disbelief,
05:30 Asuka grabs hold of the Asuka Lock and chokes Bayley out.
05:33 That week on SmackDown, something is different.
05:36 Asuka comes out not her smiling, charismatic self.
05:39 She says, "That was the famous four Horsewomen.
05:42 "I am not impressed.
05:43 "No one is ready for Asuka.
05:45 "No one is worthy of Asuka."
05:48 Then, out comes the debuting Kairi Sane.
05:51 They argue in Japanese before Asuka knocks her down
05:54 with a spinning back fist and leaves.
05:56 In the coming weeks, Kairi says
05:58 that she doesn't know this Asuka.
06:00 When she heard Asuka say no one was worthy of her,
06:02 she couldn't believe it, and now she will not only beat Asuka
06:06 but she will remind Asuka of who she is
06:08 and what she fights for.
06:10 The match between them is set for Hell in a Cell.
06:12 Asuka, now working as a heel,
06:14 begins showing a level of complacency in her matches.
06:17 She doesn't celebrate her wins.
06:18 She knows she's going to win, and then she does.
06:21 She wants someone to challenge her.
06:23 Kairi does her best and tries to show respect to Asuka
06:26 but has shown none in return
06:28 before she's beaten with Asuka's kick.
06:30 From this point on, Asuka is shown
06:31 to be even more dominant by the week
06:33 while also carrying less and less.
06:35 She demands challenges and beats all three members
06:38 of the Riot Squad in a gauntlet match on SmackDown.
06:40 At Super Showdown, the Aussie version, not the Saudi one,
06:43 Asuka beats both Iconics in a triple threat match.
06:46 She beats the veteran Natalya, the monster Nia Jax,
06:49 all while completely unimpressed.
06:52 This sets up her match at Evolution against Mickie James.
06:55 James tells Asuka that she's not going to walk
06:57 into Evolution, the beacon of how far women have come
07:00 in this business, and walk out anything less than a champion.
07:04 I've been disrespected before,
07:06 but I am Mickie goddamn James,
07:08 and I will not be disrespected by you.
07:10 After the final of the Mae Young Classic,
07:12 as Toni Storm has beaten Io Shirai
07:15 and is presented with the trophy,
07:16 Asuka's music hits and she walks down to the ring
07:19 for her match, stepping on Toni's moment.
07:21 Toni tries to be like, "Come on, Asuka, not cool, man,"
07:25 but Asuka nails her with a kick for trying to talk to her.
07:27 Io Shirai and tournament semifinalist Meiko Satomura
07:30 come out and yell at Asuka as she just gets out of the ring.
07:33 As Toni is helped away, Mickie James' music hits
07:36 for her match with Asuka,
07:37 and just like everyone that's come before her,
07:39 Mickie fails and Asuka retains.
07:42 The following week, Asuka makes her entrance
07:44 when she is attacked by Toni Storm,
07:46 who has to be held back by security.
07:47 Toni gets taken to the back,
07:49 as Asuka says that Toni winning the tournament
07:51 means maybe she can pose a challenge.
07:53 Toni says she knows she's young,
07:55 but she is the Mae Young Classic winner for a reason,
07:58 and Asuka has lit a fire under her ass.
08:00 At Survivor Series, she's going to beat Asuka
08:03 and become SmackDown Women's Champion.
08:05 At the show, Toni puts up a good fight,
08:07 but is ultimately overwhelmed by Asuka's viciousness.
08:10 Asuka grows irritated, having thought that Toni
08:13 might be the one to push her to her limits,
08:14 but submits her with a cross arm breaker,
08:16 and after the match, stomps on her head,
08:19 prompting Io and Meiko to run in.
08:21 On TV, Meiko tells Asuka in a sit-down interview
08:24 that there's no need to disrespect her peers,
08:26 but Asuka says the WWE roster
08:28 is not deserving of her respect.
08:30 Meiko, Joshi legend, asks if that includes her,
08:33 and Asuka says yes and leaves.
08:36 A match is made between them for TLC,
08:38 and in an incredible battle, Asuka wins with her kick.
08:42 After the match, Meiko offers a handshake to Asuka,
08:44 but Asuka reaches out and hits a spinning back fist instead.
08:48 This time, Io's music hits, and she walks to the ring
08:51 and just stands face-to-face with Asuka.
08:53 No emotion.
08:54 On SmackDown, a contract signing is announced
08:56 for the Royal Rumble, as Asuka will put her title
08:59 on the line against Io.
09:00 Io says she doesn't care if Asuka disrespects her,
09:03 because when this is over,
09:04 all anyone will ever say about Asuka
09:06 is that she's the one that lost to Io Shirai.
09:10 Asuka, in response, says, "Do it!
09:12 "Beat me!
09:13 "All I've ever wanted this last year
09:15 "is for one of you to offer me a challenge.
09:18 "I want you to beat me.
09:19 "But still, not a single one of you is ready for Asuka."
09:24 At the Royal Rumble, Asuka faces Io
09:27 in what would be the best match of her reign so far.
09:29 Both exhausted, they both grab each other by the hair
09:32 and shout at each other
09:33 before Asuka hits a spinning back fist,
09:35 knocking Io to her knees,
09:36 and then a kick to put Io out.
09:38 Asuka wins again.
09:40 No facial expression.
09:41 The following week on SmackDown,
09:43 the women's roster argue backstage
09:45 about who deserves another shot at Asuka.
09:47 Well, later in the ring, Asuka says, "I've beaten you all.
09:50 "I'll beat you again."
09:51 A brawl breaks out, and it is announced
09:53 that Asuka will defend her title
09:54 inside the Elimination Chamber
09:56 as Kairi Sane, Charlotte, Sasha Banks, Becky Lynch,
09:59 and Bayley qualify later in the night.
10:01 At the event, Asuka enters the chamber fifth
10:04 and eliminates the field.
10:05 Charlotte first with the Asuka Lock,
10:07 Becky with the Cross Arm Breaker,
10:08 Sasha with a spinning back fist,
10:10 and Bayley with the Asuka Lock,
10:11 leaving only Kairi to enter sixth
10:13 and have a great final sprint
10:15 before being pinned with a kick.
10:16 Asuka, still your champion.
10:18 The next night on Raw,
10:19 the show opens with Asuka in the ring.
10:21 Before she can speak, the music of "Ember Moon" hits.
10:25 She gets in the ring,
10:26 looks up at the WrestleMania 35 sign,
10:28 holds up her Money in the Bank briefcase,
10:30 raises the mic to her mouth, and simply says,
10:33 "I'm ready."
10:34 For the previous nine months,
10:35 Moon had been working her way up the roster,
10:37 was the sole survivor of her team at Survivor Series,
10:40 and defeated Io Shirai at Elimination Chamber
10:42 as her final personal test before WrestleMania.
10:45 In a solo interview, "Ember Moon" explains
10:48 that she never got closure in NXT.
10:50 Even when she was NXT Women's Champion,
10:52 she only won that title because Asuka relinquished it.
10:55 For nearly two years, she has stayed awake every night
10:58 thinking about Orlando and Brooklyn
11:00 and the mistakes that cost her everything.
11:02 Asuka interrupts the interview and tells Ember
11:05 she wasn't ready for Asuka then,
11:07 she isn't ready for Asuka now.
11:08 To her, Asuka has always been her greatest rival,
11:11 but to Asuka, Ember is just number 32 and 34,
11:16 referencing Ember being Asuka's 32nd and 34th wins in NXT.
11:20 At WrestleMania, Asuka comes out dressed as Kana,
11:23 but starts the match nonchalant.
11:25 While Ember is collected and confident,
11:27 they have a Mania classic.
11:29 Ember kicks out of the back fist and then the kick,
11:31 escapes the cross arm breaker,
11:33 and hits an eclipse for a near fall,
11:34 but as she sits up, Asuka locks in the Asuka Lock.
11:37 Ember rolls through into a pin,
11:39 but then locks in an Asuka Lock of her own
11:41 as Asuka fights to get to the ropes.
11:43 Asuka fires up, beckoning to Ember to bring it on,
11:46 which she does, engaging in a strike exchange
11:48 that batters Ember.
11:49 Asuka nods in approval and then hits the kick again,
11:52 but Ember kicks out, and this time, Asuka is shocked.
11:56 She goes for the kick again, but Ember ducks,
11:58 rolls Asuka through, and hits a kick of her own,
12:01 falling into the corner as she climbs
12:03 and hits another eclipse for the one, two, three.
12:07 Asuka is pinned, and as Ember leaps to her feet
12:10 in celebration, the camera focuses on Asuka,
12:12 semi-conscious, with a giant smile on her face.
12:16 As she comes to, she gets to a knee, mic in hand,
12:20 and simply says, "You were ready for Asuka."
12:26 - All right, so a year-long story arc
12:28 presented by Tempest there for Asuka.
12:30 Nina, let's start with you, 'cause I know, as you said,
12:32 you're personally invested in this one.
12:33 Were you pleased with what Tempest delivered?
12:35 - Yeah, the whole way the story was unfolded,
12:38 I, fairly soon in, I could tell that it was gonna be Ember,
12:43 so I don't know if that was foreshadowed a bit too much,
12:45 but maybe in hindsight, if I was just watching it
12:48 as I went along, I would be enjoying it in that way,
12:51 and to be honest, Asuka and Ember's chemistry
12:54 was always incredible.
12:57 It will mean that much more for someone like an Ember Moon
13:00 that it would have done for one of the Four Horsewomen
13:03 who already, naturally, by calling themselves
13:05 the Four Horsewomen, have a certain level
13:07 of accolade to them.
13:08 - I have to agree.
13:10 We're looking for the logic, and it's super-duper logical.
13:13 There are a few things that maybe I can point out,
13:15 but the fact that, yeah, it was a year-long,
13:17 and it's a good thing if you kinda know where it's going.
13:21 Like, all these challenges are happening,
13:22 and Tempest is talking about them,
13:24 and then Ember Moon just comes out.
13:25 I know she won the Money in the Bank,
13:27 but he did then explain what she was doing
13:30 in the interim, in the meantime,
13:32 by picking up big wins and being the source of iris
13:34 for Alusiris, so he made sure that she was being built up
13:38 and kept strong, as they say.
13:40 - One thing that I worry about a little bit
13:42 was after the heel turn for Asuka,
13:44 how he says that she doesn't celebrate victories.
13:46 If Asuka has no celebration, is that casual
13:50 about beating everyone?
13:52 Where does that leave everyone else after that?
13:55 Because you've still got an entire rest
13:59 of a women's division to try and build,
14:00 and does it bury everyone else?
14:02 - Once it gets to a point that you're booking someone
14:04 as strongly as we're booking Asuka here,
14:07 it feels almost inevitable that the only stage big enough
14:10 to end that then becomes WrestleMania.
14:13 And so it's like, are those results
14:15 somewhat predictable, inevitable?
14:18 At the end of the day, this happened over the course
14:19 of a year, and there weren't really that many
14:22 interactions with them.
14:24 To be honest, listening to all the women
14:25 that she was up against, Meiko, Miki, Sasha,
14:28 I just wanna watch all of those matches.
14:30 - Great matches in that.
14:31 - Some of them weren't built up, I don't think,
14:34 in terms of as good challenges.
14:36 There were explanations for a few,
14:37 by winning the Mania Young Classic and things like that.
14:40 Kairi debuted in his thing,
14:42 and immediately just got a back fist.
14:44 And that's like, imagine hearing that,
14:46 like you're gonna debut, what's gonna happen?
14:47 You're gonna get laid out.
14:48 Ooh.
14:49 You start to think about money,
14:50 you think about business.
14:52 Would people be more intrigued to see Asuka
14:54 versus Ember Moon, or Asuka versus Ronda Rousey
14:57 at WrestleMania?
14:58 - Yeah, I hadn't thought about that.
14:59 That is a massive omission.
15:01 Ooh, we're gonna have to grill him about that.
15:02 - Laurie, I think, has got a job on his hands
15:04 to try and beat that.
15:05 Let's see how Laurie would book the end of Asuka's streak.
15:08 - Ooh, this is a fun one, isn't it?
15:10 Isn't it?
15:11 It's a fun one, but you've set a little trap, haven't you?
15:13 Set a little trap, because as much as it sucks
15:15 what happened at the end of Asuka's streak,
15:17 and all that ending, you mess around with things too much,
15:20 and suddenly you don't have Becky Lynch the man.
15:22 This is the problem with time travel.
15:23 You go back to fix one thing,
15:25 and who knows what else you might (beep) up.
15:26 Just ask Donald Gleeson, and about time,
15:28 all he wanted to do was get in Rachel McAdams' pants.
15:31 He didn't ask for the grandfather paradoxes.
15:33 He didn't ask for it.
15:34 I mean, Doctor Who might have been a better reference there,
15:36 but we can't go back and fix it.
15:38 But what we can fix is Asuka's streak.
15:40 So we're starting at the first ever
15:41 Women's Royal Rumble in 2018,
15:43 which I mostly don't have a problem with.
15:45 Besides, of course, the dead-ass crowd,
15:47 the crap commentary, and the bellas being in the final four.
15:50 So instead we get down to a new final four of Asuka,
15:53 Sasha Banks, who has gone the distance from number one,
15:55 the dominant Nia Jax, and Ember Moon,
15:59 still sporting a bandaged arm
16:00 from her NXT Women's title match the night before.
16:03 Now the three smaller women spend some time
16:05 bouncing off of Jax before attacking as a team,
16:08 and they get her off balance,
16:08 and they start to push her over the ropes.
16:10 But even with all three working together,
16:12 they struggle until Moon starts to use her injured arm,
16:16 giving her the last bit of strength needed
16:18 to send Jax tumbling to the outside.
16:20 Banks collapses exhausted.
16:22 Moon is clutching her arm,
16:23 and Asuka swoops in, locking in an arm bar
16:26 as Moon flails around.
16:28 Commentary notes how Asuka is a seasoned vet
16:30 who won't let a weakness go unchecked.
16:32 She's a shark who smells blood.
16:35 Moon almost passes out from the pain,
16:37 and just as she does, Asuka gets up
16:38 and whips her out over the top rope.
16:40 Banks then comes back in,
16:41 and the two brawl over the ropes
16:42 onto the apron.
16:43 Training blows until Asuka blocks a right,
16:45 pops Asuka up into the falling knee strike,
16:47 and she spills to the outside.
16:49 Asuka's going ammonia, baby.
16:52 Then of course, we're back on the regular course of history
16:54 until WrestleMania 34.
16:55 Just a minor change to the timeline.
16:58 Nothing to worry about.
16:59 What's that?
17:01 Wales is underwater now.
17:02 What are you gonna do?
17:05 Anyhow, Asuka versus Charlotte Flair
17:07 at WrestleMania is a great match,
17:09 just like the one in real life.
17:10 The two trade blows, technical maneuvers,
17:12 and hit all of the crazy off-links.
17:13 Top rope Spanish fly, suplex to the mats,
17:16 the whole nine yards.
17:17 But this time, as Chaz locks in the figure eight one-handed,
17:20 still working the arm injury established early in the match,
17:23 Asuka manages to shift her weight towards Charlotte,
17:26 who buckles, arm given out,
17:28 and dropping seemingly onto the top of her head.
17:30 Asuka then uses this momentary distraction
17:32 to whip round and lock in an arm bar
17:34 on the injured Charlotte, disorientated,
17:36 and woozy who has no choice but to tap out.
17:39 Asuka is your new SmackDown Women's Champion.
17:43 Now on the following SmackDown,
17:44 Asuka comes out to celebrate and says that at Mania,
17:46 she showed that she bows to no one
17:49 and proved that nobody is ready for Asuka.
17:52 But now it's time for everyone to see that Asuka,
17:55 the SmackDown Women's Champion, is ready for anyone.
18:00 So she puts out an open challenge
18:02 for contenders at Backlash.
18:04 And who should cut in the line?
18:05 But Sasha Banks, saying that she lost out
18:07 on her WrestleMania moment thanks to Asuka,
18:09 but she'll make do with taking the title off her.
18:12 Now the Banks program runs through Backlash
18:15 and Money in the Bank,
18:16 mostly because of the promo opportunities
18:18 of Banks saying that Money in the Bank,
18:19 she was gonna do, doesn't matter.
18:21 After the first match, Sasha cements her heel turn
18:24 by attacking Asuka during a post-match handshake
18:26 and beating her down.
18:28 Then a fired up Asuka sets up a second match
18:30 for Money in the Bank to get her revenge,
18:32 which she does, forcing Banks to tap to the Asuka lock
18:35 and taking great relish in holding on.
18:37 Just that little bit longer.
18:40 Now meanwhile, down in NXT, a very banged up Ember Moon
18:42 has lost the NXT Women's Championship to Shayna Baszler,
18:45 who capitalized on that injured arm from the Rumble.
18:50 Moon then debuts on SmackDown a few weeks after that
18:52 and goes on something of a hot streak,
18:54 netting wins over the likes of Ruby Riott,
18:56 Carmella, and Naomi.
18:57 Asuka then has a rematch with Charlotte at Extreme Rules,
19:02 this time with weapons.
19:04 Asuka manages to come out on top,
19:06 but not without some serious damage being done
19:08 to her upper back and neck.
19:10 For SummerSlam, we have Bayley lined up,
19:11 who was freshly turned heel and aligned herself
19:13 with Sasha Banks and is out for some revenge,
19:16 saying she hasn't forgotten how she lost
19:18 the NXT Women's Championship and Asuka might be focused
19:21 on tomorrow, but get too focused on it
19:24 and you won't see the past sneaking up on you.
19:27 So the SummerSlam match feels pretty big time
19:30 as the Empress of Tomorrow takes on the Karen
19:33 of I'd Like to Speak to the Manager
19:35 with Banks in her corner.
19:36 Bayley is at an obvious disadvantage
19:38 against the overwhelming offense of Asuka,
19:40 but the heels pull every trick in the book
19:42 in order to tip the scales,
19:44 including a rose plant onto the title belt
19:46 while the referee is down.
19:48 But almost on instinct alone,
19:50 Asuka kicks out, fighting for her championship.
19:53 And she manages to power up and win,
19:55 locking Bayley deep into an Asuka lock,
19:57 much like she did at TakeOver,
19:59 with that sort of whipping around to the floor
20:01 and then holding it really long.
20:03 After SummerSlam, it is announced
20:04 that Asuka has injured her collarbone again
20:06 and will be out for the foreseeable,
20:08 having to relinquish her title.
20:10 It's a little bit of history repeating itself
20:11 as this is what happened in NXT,
20:13 but it mostly means that we can still have
20:15 Becky versus Charlotte, last woman standing
20:17 for the SmackDown Women's title at Evolution
20:19 and the whole pre-Survivor Series brawl,
20:21 bloodied nose, concussion, and overall overness of Lynch,
20:25 who's gonna win the SmackDown Women's title
20:26 at Evolution and then do the whole Ronda Rousey thing.
20:29 Because why would we not,
20:31 why would we write that out of history?
20:33 That would be madness.
20:35 Also at Evolution, we get Ember Moon versus Nia Jax,
20:38 a feud which has been brewing for a while,
20:40 built on their history during the Rumble.
20:41 And at the pay-per-view, Ember digs down deep
20:44 and conquers Nia in a gutsy performance
20:46 that really puts her on the map.
20:48 Then Asuka returns for TLC and joins the feud
20:51 between Charlotte and Becky for the SmackDown title,
20:53 so the TLC match that happened in real life is back on.
20:57 And just like in real life, Ronda Rousey interferes,
21:00 shoving the ladder over with Charlotte and Becky on it
21:02 and giving Asuka the opportunity to reclaim her title
21:05 just in time for Mania season.
21:08 So the second ever Women's Royal Rumble rolls around
21:12 on who should be first in, but plucky old Ember Moon,
21:16 who's dominant in the early stages
21:17 until a ghost from her past enters at number five,
21:22 Shayna Baszler.
21:24 The pair brawl and Baszler gets the upper hand,
21:26 grinding Moon to the mat,
21:27 giving her that gum shield grin as she says,
21:30 "I bet you're glad to be in this match again,
21:33 though you're missing something from last year,"
21:36 before doing her arm break stomp spot.
21:39 Moon screams in pain and rolls around the ring.
21:41 Despite all of that though,
21:42 Moon manages to last until late in the match,
21:45 managing to just about stay out of the way
21:48 of a dominant Baszler,
21:49 who has plenty of other people to terrorise.
21:52 Now the final three is Becky Lynch, Shayna Baszler,
21:55 and Ember Moon, Becky Lynch coming in at 28 once again.
21:58 Both Lynch and Moon are struggling
22:01 with Baszler's MMA-inspired offence,
22:03 a little blast from the past for Moon,
22:04 and a little taste of the future
22:06 for her upcoming match with Rousey for Lynch.
22:09 Not that we've established the match with Rousey yet,
22:11 it's happening soon.
22:12 Because Lynch does manage to win here,
22:14 she capitalises on Baszler eliminating Moon
22:17 because Moon hangs onto Shayna,
22:18 which gives Lynch the chance to tip her out
22:21 at the same time.
22:22 Lynch gives it the big old pointies
22:23 and challenges Ronda for the Raw Women's title at Mania,
22:26 and no, we are not doing Becky two belts
22:28 because it almost killed the division,
22:31 it stifled the division.
22:33 We are doing Becky versus Ronda, though, no Charlotte.
22:35 On SmackDown, a distraught Moon cuts a promo
22:38 saying that she was desperate to win the Rumble
22:40 because she is desperate to face Asuka again.
22:44 Because Moon is the one who took Asuka
22:46 to the absolute limit at NXT,
22:48 and she came up short, but she's been growing,
22:51 she's been fighting, she's been working,
22:53 and now, now she's ready for Asuka
22:57 because she's a full Moon.
22:59 She doesn't say that bit,
23:01 that's just me adding that in for,
23:03 please don't, please don't mark her down for that.
23:05 She didn't say that, that was me.
23:06 But she does say she's got one more chance
23:09 at a shot at Mania,
23:10 and that is qualify for the Elimination Chamber,
23:13 which she does in a great little match with Naomi,
23:15 'cause, oh, why not?
23:16 Meanwhile, though, Shayna also qualifies for the match,
23:18 squashing Carmella in five seconds flat,
23:21 something she's done to every opponent
23:23 she has had on SmackDown since the Rumble.
23:25 And Shayna says that Ember was too weak to beat Asuka before,
23:28 and now she's too weak to even have the chance to face her
23:32 because Embers are what you call it when a fire is dying,
23:36 and Baszler is here to finally snuff it out.
23:41 The Elimination Chamber match plays out
23:42 a lot like the one from 2020,
23:44 just, you know, a bit tighter.
23:46 Baszler comes in and she demolishes Ruby Riott,
23:48 Sarah Logan, and Natalya,
23:50 before prowling around the center of the ring
23:51 waiting for the final two pods to open,
23:53 which they do way quicker than in the real match.
23:55 Have you watched that recently?
23:57 She's walking around for flipping ages.
23:59 Now, the first spills Liv Morgan out into the chamber,
24:01 who ends up being choked out
24:02 right in front of Ember Moon's pod.
24:04 Moon's arm is taped and she looks nervous
24:07 as a gloating Baszler waits outside the pod.
24:10 When it finally opens, Moon fires up,
24:12 recklessly assaulting Baszler and taking her by surprise,
24:15 and the pair trade offense back and forth,
24:16 but Shayna eventually gets the upper hand
24:19 and spends a few good minutes torturing Moon.
24:23 She slams her into the cage,
24:24 and finally she slams the pod door into her injured arm,
24:28 over and over again.
24:31 Baszler then drags Moon to the corner
24:32 and sets up for the hanging Kira Fuda clutch,
24:34 just like she did to Liv.
24:35 But in a last ditch effort,
24:37 Moon manages to pull her into a sort of snapmare
24:39 and then climbs up the turnbuckle
24:41 and hits the Eclipse, one armed, for the one, two, three.
24:46 Ember has booked her ticket to WrestleMania.
24:50 So that means for WrestleMania 35,
24:52 you've got Becky Lynch versus Ronda Rousey
24:54 for the Raw title,
24:55 and you've got Asuka versus Ember Moon
24:58 for the SmackDown Women's Championship.
25:01 Now during the match, Asuka is confident,
25:03 maybe even cocky, because she's not only on top of a game,
25:06 she's against an opponent
25:08 who has a bit of a nagging injury, though.
25:10 It has had two months to heal up by this point.
25:12 It is not the focus of this match,
25:14 but Ember won't give up.
25:15 She digs down deep at every single point,
25:18 and she reminds Asuka she was the one
25:19 who made her have to fight dirty
25:21 to retain that NXT Women's Championship during their match,
25:24 because Ember is just so damn good.
25:26 History repeats itself for the Empress of Tomorrow.
25:29 She takes an Eclipse from Moon for another super close two.
25:33 And when Ember sets up for the second,
25:35 Asuka shields herself behind an official,
25:38 just like she did at TakeOver.
25:40 Moon dives with a crossbody
25:41 and Asuka rolls through into the armbar.
25:44 Moon is writhing in agony now.
25:47 It almost seems like she's passed out from the pain,
25:48 so the referee raises her arm,
25:50 which catches in the air at the last moment.
25:53 Moon then crawls one arm to the ropes
25:55 to try and break the hold,
25:56 but Asuka won't even let go as they stand up.
25:59 Instead, she's trying to drag Moon back down
26:02 into an Asuka lock.
26:03 But Moon lets the momentum take her up
26:04 and over backwards, rolling over Asuka
26:06 until her shoulders are the ones that are down,
26:08 forcing her to break the hold.
26:10 And she sits up as Ember hits a quick drop kick
26:12 to the back of the neck.
26:13 Moon then rises to the top of the turnbuckle,
26:16 hits the Eclipse as Asuka stands up,
26:18 and one, two, three,
26:21 and new SmackDown Women's Champion, Ember Moon.
26:26 But before Moon can fully celebrate,
26:30 Asuka grabs her by the arm,
26:32 spins her around to face her,
26:34 and then the Empress of Tomorrow bows her head
26:39 to the new champ and leaves her to celebrate.
26:42 There's my booking.
26:44 You like it?
26:45 Yeah, you did.
26:46 You like it more than Tempest's?
26:48 Yeah, you did.
26:49 Well, that is the question.
26:50 Did we like it more than we liked Tempest's version?
26:53 Michael Oki, what you thinking?
26:55 Yeah, I mean, there were some points
26:57 where I feel like Tempest's story was more linear,
27:02 simple booking, you know, in a good way.
27:05 And with this one, there's more twists and turns.
27:06 What I really liked is Ember Moon coming in not 100%.
27:11 So it's even a bigger underdog baby face thing
27:14 for her to try and overcome.
27:16 There were so many other facts involved.
27:18 It did kind of coincide with the launch of The Man
27:20 with Ronda Rousey's return.
27:22 It's really hard in terms of like making sure
27:24 that that timeline still went.
27:25 And that was one of our criticisms about Tempest
27:27 was that Ronda Rousey wasn't addressed at all.
27:30 I love the fact that this booking means
27:33 that we get Becky versus Ronda
27:35 in the singles match that we all wanted.
27:38 Strong opinions.
27:39 Love that.
27:40 Love that.
27:41 But I do kind of feel like it was at the expense
27:45 of the woman that this is meant to all be about
27:47 and a bit at the expense of Asuka.
27:49 Her relinquishing the title was down.
27:53 It is a title reign.
27:54 And then in turn, the undefeated streak.
27:56 And then in turn, Ember Moon defeating her
27:59 and ending the undefeated streak.
28:01 Is that the price you pay for keeping other people
28:04 stronger than in Tempest's version?
28:06 That's it.
28:07 This sparks a lot more thought than Tempest's thing
28:11 in terms of where it could go.
28:13 While Tempest's version might be,
28:17 as you say, in a linear way, a stronger story,
28:20 does Laurie's version leave us with a stronger,
28:24 post-WrestleMania women's division overall?
28:27 It does.
28:28 I think it definitely does.
28:28 In a way, that's why with Tempest,
28:30 I really wanted to know what happens next.
28:33 Because I think it's important.
28:35 Because he's left himself quite a lot of work to do
28:37 in terms of making sure that the division is still strong.
28:40 Whereas the way Laurie built it,
28:42 I don't necessarily need to know the next part.
28:45 I don't know, I didn't feel like I needed it.
28:47 I'm still not sure which one's better than the other.
28:49 I think we need to--
28:49 I'm on the fence here, actually.
28:51 I think we need to get the answers from them to sway us.
28:54 Should we do it?
28:55 Yes, let's do it.
28:56 All right, let's get Tempest and Laurie in here.
28:58 Tempest, Laurie, thank you both for your submissions
29:01 in terms of how you would book the ending of Asuka's streak.
29:05 You both chose the same person to end the streak.
29:08 Tempest, why Ember Moon?
29:10 I felt that Ember Moon would have been the person
29:13 that would have benefited from it the most highly,
29:16 that you could also then tie into the storyline
29:18 and the history that they had going into a main roster run.
29:22 I thought it meant the most to showcase something
29:24 that we never got to see on the main roster,
29:27 as well as someone that I think
29:28 just narratively fit the best.
29:31 Laurie, is your one to consider?
29:32 Yeah, ditto.
29:33 Yeah, thanks for explaining my booking there, Tempest.
29:36 Beating Asuka's streak,
29:37 being the one to finally finish that,
29:39 is such a major deal.
29:40 It's another accolade for somebody,
29:41 and you should use it to build somebody else.
29:44 Okay.
29:45 All right, so let's look at both of your scenarios
29:47 in more detail.
29:48 Tempest, we'll go to you first.
29:49 The way Michael described it, a very linear story.
29:51 Given how strongly Asuka is booked throughout,
29:54 does it quite quickly become obvious
29:58 that the only place this is going is WrestleMania,
30:00 and therefore does that make the various title defenses
30:03 in the six months up to WrestleMania foregone conclusion?
30:06 I mean, yeah.
30:08 But I think that's a lot of wrestling.
30:11 Someone is a dominant champion,
30:13 I think it's more than likely
30:14 that's gonna culminate at WrestleMania.
30:16 Asuka is really interested in the opponent
30:19 that is Toni Storm, and she's just won a tournament,
30:21 so hopefully that would be a big title defense
30:24 also happening at a big four pay-per-view
30:26 at Survivor Series.
30:27 So you still have those moments,
30:29 but I mean, yeah, everything's gonna build to WrestleMania.
30:32 I think that's-
30:33 Yeah, but isn't that your job as the booker?
30:34 Your job as the booker for the next five, six,
30:36 you know, showcase matches, right?
30:38 Is to each time make the viewer believe,
30:41 "Oh, maybe this is the time,
30:42 maybe this isn't going to WrestleMania."
30:44 I think I'm more trying to focus on these
30:47 as big storytelling moments.
30:49 Like, I don't think a lot of people were anticipating
30:51 like Roman Reigns losing the title to Kevin Owens
30:54 this year at the Royal Rumble,
30:55 but that was still something that was hotly anticipated
30:57 because of the story that was involved.
30:59 Everyone's still thinking that's gonna be WrestleMania,
31:02 but there are still elements in play there
31:04 that you can use to benefit the story itself.
31:07 Mako, Mickey, Sasha, like a lot of really,
31:11 really exciting matches that we're getting
31:13 with Ember saying after she's just won Money in the Bank,
31:16 had this amazing moment and straight away almost,
31:21 not burying herself a little bit,
31:22 but knocking herself down by saying, "No, I'm not ready."
31:25 With her belittling herself like that,
31:27 I was like, "Huh, that's an interesting choice."
31:30 To what detriment is that to the rest of the women
31:34 if Asuka's running through the mall
31:36 and doesn't even care?
31:38 - I think I was very much trying to walk the line
31:41 between which women are going to be showcased in this story,
31:45 which ones aren't.
31:46 I felt like I covered enough of the roster there
31:49 so it's not as if nobody wants to face Asuka
31:54 'cause I would totally agree in that sense.
31:56 If the entire roster was scared to face her,
31:58 I do think that would be a big detriment to the roster
32:01 and then of course having people to face Ember
32:03 after WrestleMania and such,
32:04 while still also having the people like the Riot Squad
32:08 and the Iconics who could take very dominant losses
32:12 to also further develop the monstrous stature of Asuka
32:17 as she moves into the later stages of the reign.
32:20 - Interesting.
32:20 - As for Ember Moon though,
32:22 to answer that part of your question as well,
32:24 that to me was something that I just didn't have enough time
32:29 to explain, that was some of the things
32:30 that I would have loved to--
32:31 - Blame the parameters of the competition.
32:32 - Yes, of course.
32:34 I would love to have two running storylines here
32:37 but also for the sake of some suspense maybe
32:41 of trying to be like, and then she comes out
32:43 and challenges for WrestleMania
32:45 to have that be a part of the story
32:46 where I think coming after Money in the Bank
32:49 with her acknowledging, "I'm not ready,"
32:52 I think that is more so just setting her aside
32:55 from the rest of the women that are itching and clawing
32:58 to be able to be the next one to face Asuka
33:00 where she's like, "I acknowledge I'm not there yet
33:03 "but I will be."
33:05 - Okay.
33:06 - Michael, you're looking pensive.
33:08 - I do wonder about this Asuka title reign
33:11 of you're naming a lot of her opponents
33:17 and they're interesting from a,
33:19 let me call myself a hardcore wrestling fan perspective.
33:22 It starts with the big names, the horsewomen names.
33:24 It starts big but I feel like in terms of the big names
33:27 that have been built on the main roster, it drops off.
33:30 - Are you mistaking good matches for big matches?
33:34 Because yes, Toni Storm will be a big match.
33:36 Mika Satomura will be a big match
33:37 but they haven't been built on the main roster.
33:39 Have you done enough to build them
33:41 to be credible challengers the way Sasha,
33:44 Bayley and Charlotte are?
33:45 - I think it's a valid criticism to say
33:47 that maybe those aren't on the same level
33:49 as the four horsewomen who have obviously spent years
33:52 being top stars in WWE.
33:53 In my version of this reality, I would like to think
33:56 that the Mae Young Classic gets a lot of praise,
34:00 gets a lot of attention put on it.
34:01 Having three of the final four people in the semi-finals
34:05 and then finals of this tournament
34:07 would hopefully be enough to make them,
34:10 oh, these are credible challengers.
34:11 They've just beaten the field of 32 other competitors
34:16 and maybe not be on the same level as a Sasha Banks match
34:19 or a Bayley match or something,
34:21 but a serviceable level to go into a WrestleMania season.
34:26 - Where's Ronda Rousey in all of this?
34:28 - Ronda would be the Raw Women's Champion around this time.
34:31 I was booking an Asuka storyline
34:33 and that didn't have to include Ronda Rousey.
34:36 She's just occupied doing something else
34:39 as the Raw Women's Champion.
34:41 - Right, you've gone through the four horsewomen,
34:43 you're looking for challengers who,
34:45 regardless of their talent, are big,
34:47 credible in the eyes of the audience.
34:49 - Are you rubbing the fans of Asuka versus Ronda?
34:52 - No, and I think that would be something
34:54 you would do after this story,
34:55 because at this point, Asuka and Ronda are both undefeated
35:00 and I wouldn't want to beat either person
35:04 before WrestleMania, so I think the better option
35:07 is to just not do it and then give them the proper match
35:10 later on in the story.
35:11 - Okay, interesting.
35:14 Laurie. - Hello.
35:15 - You've been sitting there for a while.
35:17 I want to congratulate you.
35:18 I was saying to these guys,
35:18 I want to congratulate you for how responsible you were
35:23 in, even when fantasy booking,
35:26 making sure that you haven't done too much
35:28 to ruin the course of time.
35:30 - I don't want to take the one thing
35:31 that WWE did well away from them in 2018.
35:34 You know, you don't want to take that off them.
35:36 They did a good one.
35:38 - Do you think that your version,
35:40 by the time Asuka gets to WrestleMania,
35:42 that she's as strong as she is in Tempest's version?
35:46 - Potentially not.
35:47 I don't think she maybe is.
35:49 What I wanted to get to was a world in which
35:51 we've got Asuka, we've got Ember Moon,
35:53 we've got Ronda, we've got Becky,
35:55 we've got Shayna on the up coming in.
35:57 We've got Sasha and Bayley just turned heel.
36:00 So we've got a really, really strong women's division.
36:03 - Michael? - He's thinking.
36:06 He's in a pensive mode.
36:07 - Why would I care about Ember Moon
36:13 being Asuka for the undefeated streak
36:16 when she's relinquished the title?
36:18 - Asuka would have been forced to relinquish the title
36:20 when she's gone for a bit. - Yes.
36:21 - And she comes back winning it and continues on a streak.
36:24 - If I'm a casual fan that's watching WWE,
36:26 like casual fans do,
36:28 and I know that Asuka's undefeated and she's the champion
36:30 and then she's not the champion anymore,
36:31 I would assume that she would have lost
36:34 her undefeated streak.
36:36 What's the big accomplishment of defeating
36:38 the undefeated streak and winning the title
36:40 when it's a thing that she's lost in the past?
36:42 - She's not lost it.
36:43 She just had to vacate it for a bit.
36:44 - It's lost. It's lost.
36:45 - It's not lost. - This is semantics.
36:46 - No, it's not lost. - It's semantics.
36:48 - She was never paid. - She doesn't have it
36:49 anymore. - She was never submitted
36:50 and you would promo package- - And that WWE vacant
36:52 will have had a new championship.
36:53 - You would have- - That will have happened
36:55 which means it was lost.
36:57 - You're gonna promo package the absolute (beep)
36:59 out of that to say that she's never been pinned
37:00 and she's never been submitted.
37:02 This is semantics.
37:03 - Yes, this is semantics.
37:04 - Yeah, and also- - You've lost the title.
37:06 - Yeah, and okay, we're booking for dummies,
37:07 but we do promos. - Oh my goodness.
37:09 - We make sure that it's- - Did you hear that?
37:11 People at home watching on YouTube,
37:13 man just called you dummies.
37:15 - Well, fortunately you're not voting, so.
37:17 (laughing)
37:19 - You've kept the women's division very, very strong,
37:22 but is that potentially at the expense of Asuka,
37:26 which is the big debate for me that I think we're all still-
37:30 - I think for me, the thing with undefeated streaks
37:33 is like the best undefeated streaks
37:36 in the history of wrestling are like,
37:39 obviously you have Taker's streak at WrestleMania, right?
37:41 But he was losing in between WrestleMania
37:43 every single year.
37:44 You've got Goldberg, Goldberg coming in
37:47 and squashing people, and that number
37:48 just inflated artificially every single week.
37:51 Suddenly there's like 50 more opponents
37:52 every single week he comes out.
37:53 - That wasn't true.
37:54 - No, it wasn't true.
37:55 I know. - I've heard that number once.
37:56 - I think you should know this.
37:58 - No, well the number just started.
37:59 - Yeah, but it's like that sort of thing
38:00 of just like the kind of,
38:02 the way that the sort of myth arises
38:05 is more about, it's less about
38:06 what actually happened in the ring
38:08 and more about what you're telling people.
38:10 And I think with Asuka, in terms of her undefeated streak,
38:13 it's about it getting past a certain number of days, really.
38:16 Once you've kind of done Becky, Charlotte,
38:19 and Bayley, and Sasha, you've kind of crossed
38:22 the people off the list that need to be done.
38:23 And then like beating Carmella at this period in time
38:26 is kind of meaningless.
38:29 - It doesn't matter.
38:30 - I think in terms of the overall--
38:31 - Carmella doesn't matter is what he has said.
38:32 - I think in terms of the overall storytelling,
38:34 when you're just saying somebody has been undefeated
38:36 in WWE for three years, that's what people are listening to.
38:40 They're not going, okay, well now tell me
38:41 every single person.
38:42 - All right. - And the injuries.
38:43 - Well, okay, that's your opinion.
38:45 - I think Nina's done a very good job here
38:46 of explaining where we are as a panel.
38:49 What we see is the strengths and weaknesses
38:51 of both of your scenarios.
38:54 So now you're each gonna get an opportunity
38:56 to just give us your final pitch
38:58 for why we should pick your version over your opponent's
39:01 while keeping it to firmly under one minute.
39:04 We'd appreciate it.
39:05 Tempest, you first.
39:06 - I think my booking does a better job
39:10 of telling the story of Asuka's streak
39:12 and that being the main focus of the story
39:16 while also providing Asuka with a satisfying character arc
39:20 with her going through her battles with complacency
39:24 and wanting to be challenged
39:26 and finally having that paid off in a WrestleMania match
39:29 against somebody with plenty of history with,
39:31 while also providing tons of great matches
39:34 that while yes, they all do lose to Asuka
39:38 and there are lots of people in the division that do lose,
39:40 all service the story in individual ways.
39:44 - I think my booking leaves the division
39:45 feeling really strong.
39:46 It leaves the future of WWE really, really bright
39:49 for the women's side of things.
39:50 It doesn't end up in a situation where
39:52 what happened in 2019 is that Becky became Becky Two Belts
39:56 and nobody else got a look in.
39:58 We end up in a situation where we have Becky,
40:00 we've got Ronda, we've got Asuka,
40:02 we've got Shayna, we've got Ember.
40:03 We've got all of these people in new, interesting scenarios
40:07 and you can ping off so many storylines out of that.
40:10 We get a satisfying conclusion
40:12 to the streak that plays on history
40:15 and we get to build new stars in the process.
40:17 - I think we've heard plenty from both of you.
40:19 In fact, I think a period of silence from both of you
40:21 would be most welcome at this point
40:24 while Nina, Michael and I decide
40:26 who we think should join Oli
40:29 in the final of Fantasy Booking Warfare.
40:31 (dramatic music)
40:33 (dramatic music)
40:36 - Our decisions have been made.
40:55 First of all, we are gonna hear from Nina Samuels.
40:58 - I ultimately went for the story that
41:04 really told the story of Asuka,
41:07 had the true character development
41:10 and paid that wonderful woman the respect
41:12 that I think she deserves and I went for Tempest.
41:16 (dramatic music)
41:17 - All right, Michael O'Keefe?
41:19 - Well, I'm looking at it purely based on
41:24 what is the best way to book an undefeated streak.
41:28 It's very easy to book it well as it's happening.
41:31 It's very difficult to book the ending.
41:34 So I'm purely looking at the ending
41:36 and if it was built well and that's why I'm choosing Tempest.
41:41 (dramatic music)
41:45 - There's not much drama here because you're in the final.
41:47 Congratulations, Tempest.
41:48 You've already got two out of three votes.
41:50 My main concern though was the thing about Ronda
41:53 and why you weren't having them face each other.
41:57 I thought the answer, Tempest,
41:59 that you gave to that was exceptional.
42:02 - I'll vote for Tempest.
42:03 - Outrageous.
42:04 Do you know what?
42:05 I've been booked 2019, see where you end up.
42:07 See where you end up.
42:09 Fix it, Tempest, you've ruined it.
42:10 - At this point, we hear from both competitors.
42:15 Let's hear from the loser, Laurie.
42:17 - Well, I think he's already set his pace to be honest.
42:20 - Well, he stormed off.
42:21 He stormed off in the most unprofessional manner
42:23 and that's not-
42:24 - Let's hear from what I hope will be a more gracious winner
42:27 than we had loser in Tempest.
42:28 - I would say dock some points from him
42:30 but he didn't get any, so.
42:31 - Wow.
42:32 - Ollie, I'm coming for you, Mr. Davis.
42:37 Only one of us can be the least terrible person at this game.
42:41 It's gonna be me.
42:43 - And in a completely one-sided affair,
42:46 Tempest put Laurie Blake in the Oscar lock
42:48 to steamroll his way into the final.
42:51 Only one match remains, but will it be Tempest
42:54 or Ollie Davis who stands triumphant
42:57 as the least terrible booker of fantasy wrestling?
43:01 Tune in next week where they will be booking
43:03 the Shield triple threat match
43:05 only on Fantasy Booking Warfare.
43:09 - I'm actually, do you know what?
43:11 I mean, I'm actually in a bit, sorry.
43:12 I was a bit unprofessional, I'm actually in a bit warm.
43:14 So I'm just gonna have to take my t-shirt off, I'm afraid.
43:16 - Okay.
43:17 - I'm sorry, I appreciate it.
43:19 Sorry, I appreciate it.
43:19 It's so refreshing.
43:20 (all groaning)
43:22 - Oh, well, this changes everything.
43:24 Wait, Nia Sambu's great and-
43:27 is great and so is Dave.