Former NXT Champion Asuka will make her main roster debut at the WWE TLC PPV when she battles Emma but why exactly was the Australian Superstar chosen over the likes of Bayley, Sasha Banks, Dana Brooke, and Alicia Fox? Well, that was always the plan but the method for deciding how Emma would face Asuka changed at least twice on the day it went down.
The original idea was for a Triple Threat match with Emma, Banks, and Nia Jax but it was later changed to an Elimination Fatal 5 Way match. That was presumably to keep Nia looking strong and because more women wanting to face Asuka makes her seem that little bit more important in the eyes of fans unfamiliar with the work of The Empress of Tomorrow down in Full Sail.
Emma was always WWE's #1 choice because she has some history with Asuka and the two were widely praised for their match at NXT TakeOver: London back in December 2015.