Jim Ross Says WWE Is Misusing Asuka, Talks Bruce Prichard Returning To The Company
Recently on The Jim Ross Report, WWE Hall Of Famer Jim Ross weighed in on a number of interesting professional wrestling topics. Among many other things, Ross shared his opinion that current WWE SmackDown Live! Women's Champion Asuka should never have lost to Charlotte Flair at WrestleMania.
According to Ross, WWE has 'mismanaged' and 'grossly under-utilized' Asuka. In Ross's view, his downward slide started when 'The Empress Of Tomorrow' saw her undefeated streak broken by Charlotte Flair and WrestleMania.
"It has been mismanagement [of Asuka]," Ross confirmed. "I thought Asuka? the ball was dropped last year at WrestleMania after she lost her undefeated streak to Charlotte. They had a great match. Anybody that watches that match and tells me it wasn't any good doesn't know anything about [pro] wrestling. I think the ball was dropped there. It [has] been hard to get the momentum back going."
With that said, Ross claimed there is room in WWE for another big female star and it should be Asuka.
"But man, as many people are tuning into the female elements of creative storytelling on RAW and SmackDown, for example, you've got to believe that there's a place for another major star and I think Asuka's it," Ross declared. "I think she [has] been grossly under-utilized. Maybe that'll change."
On the subject of WWE rehiring Bruce Prichard, Ross claimed that the move was in no way meant to get back at Conrad Thompson for signing The Undertaker to Starrcast. Prichard, who works on the Something To Wrestle With podcast with Thompson, will have fewer opportunities to podcast with Thompson given his new full-time role with WWE. With that said, Ross believes Prichard's return to WWE is due to no other reasons than Prichard's skills and experience.
"Hell no [bringing Prichard back to WWE was not a shot at Thompson]," Ross exclaimed. "WWE needs Bruce's expertise in creative. He started his career there. He's obviously going to try and end it there. I think that's wonderful. And Bruce also works very, very well with Vince [McMahon]. If you can't work very, very well with Vince, you're not going to last there very long, so that's kind of how I look at that deal."
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Source: The Jim Ross Report