18. Asuka

18. Asuka

Asuka has everything you want in a wrestler, a captivating personality, athleticism, and an arsenal of different moves to keep viewers interested. Strangely, Asuka born, Kanako Urai, was almost forced out of a career in pro-wrestling after developing nephritis, a rare disease that inflames the tissue in the kidneys. While working both as a graphic designer and occasionally making appearances in independent promotions in Japan, she quickly became a highly-popularized act for her in-ring antics. Asuka became known for her striking ability, particular in kickboxing utilizing moves like the Missile Dropkick and Roundhouse kick that would send her opponents flying across the ring.

In 2004, Asuka made her in-ring debut under the all-women promotion, AtoZ. From there she would wrestle for several different Japanese organizations including Ice Ribbon, Pro Wrestling Wave, NEO Japan Ladies Pro-Wrestling, Smash and more before finally signing a contract with the WWE. Asuka became the NXT Women's Champion for a total of 510 days, the longest reign in the belt's history. When she was promoted to the main WWE roster, Asuka was billed as having the longest undefeated streak in WWE history" at 914 days. In January 2018, Asuka became the inaugural winner of the Women's Royal Rumble match. Asuka has held nine different championship titles across all of the other platforms she's wrestled for and claimed the Smackdown Women's Championship once and is the current WWE Women's Tag Team Champion alongside her partner Kairi Sane.

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Did You Know...

I

For the past few years, we've been seeing more and more food halls dominate the retail industry. The craze has swept Los Angeles and New York by storm and is now making its way to Miami. In Magic City alone, ten of these food parks have opened just recently. The mania is even set to triple in size by the year 2020.

II

Now more than ever, more people have been adopting a vegan lifestyle. A survey in the United Kingdom reveals that 3.5 million residents have turned vegan, while 20 percent have at least tried the concept. People are now wanting to cut down on meat, and the food industry is giving in to the demand. Even wineries have started stocking up on vegan wines.

III

Due to increased awareness and desire to help the environment, companies have become more committed to eco-friendly food packaging. Previously, companies didnt care much about producing a ton of waste; but now, efforts to reuse, reduce, and recycle are much more apparent. For instance, PepsiCo has committed to creating completely recyclable packaging by the year 2025.

IV

Who would have thought that young millennials would be into rum? These barrel-aged, small-batch rums are the latest trend in booze, and now even British companies such as Essexs English Spirit are joining in. The spirit is one of the most popular and versatile forms of alcohol, whether it be sweet or strong, dark or white, neat with ice or served with coke.

V

Nowadays, people have become more accepting of imperfection; when it comes to fresh produce that is. Imperfect Produce is just one of the grocery delivery companies that serve physically flawed fruits and vegetables. This effort is geared toward reducing waste, and the disfigured foods are often turned into hummus, crisps, and juices.

VI

Various Asian restaurants have been popping up recently, and Sri Lankan cuisine is slowly making its way to the western palate. Sri Lankan dishes such as kottu roti, pol sambol, coconut relish, and hoppers, are being introduced to the market, and people are loving it. Unlike before, the Sri Lankan flavor is finally being recognized as an individual cuisine, separate from Indian food.

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