The indisputable star power of Becky Lynch and the intensity of her rivalry with Charlotte Flair, mixed with the wild card of Asuka, led to the women of SmackDown Live headlining Sunday's pay-per-view in a Tables, Ladders & Chairs match for the brand's women's championship.

Flair and Lynch talked trash to start, but Asuka initiated the action.

The first big bump of the match came when Asuka slammed the champion off the top rope and onto a ladder, leaving The Man writhing in pain. The Empress of Tomorrow continued her dominant run, delivering a powerbomb to Charlotte off a ladder and through a table.

Lynch prevented Asuka from retrieving the title. Moments later, with those women on the floor, Flair climbed the ropes and delivered a moonsault to the floor, wiping both opponents out.

The Irish Lass Kicker recovered and blasted her opponents with steel chairs until Flair sent her into the guardrail.

Lynch recovered and set up both a table and a ladder. She positioned both of her challengers on the German announce table and climbed the ladder. She launched herself off with a double leg drop, but Asuka moved, leaving The Man to drive her weight into Flair.

Lynch and Asuka fought up a ladder, each jockeying to retrieve the women's title. The Queen reappeared and delivered several shots about the bodies of her opposition with a kendo stick, wielding it in a way that would make The Sandman smile.

Kicking Asuka out of the ring, Flair turned her attention to the ladder. One last shot to The Empress dropped her back to the floor. Several more left her screaming in pain. Lynch reintroduced herself and delivered a Bexploder to The Queen and into a table propped against the guardrail.

Asuka, sick of being the punching bag, unloaded on Lynch with the same kendo stick. Flair halted her fury with a spear through the timekeeper's position.

Back inside the squared circle, Lynch tried to grab her title, but Flair cut her off. The friends-turned-enemies faced off, exchanging hard rights before an all-out brawl broke out.

Flair positioned Lynch on a table at ringside, saying, "The Man always bows down to The Queen." She launched herself off the ropes with a senton, driving The Lass Kicker through the table.

Flair scaled the ladder and was inches away from winning the title when Asuka appeared. She fought The Queen off, with the women exchanging blows. Lynch reappeared, grabbed a ladder and set it up alongside Flair and Asuka. With The Empress down, The Man paired off with her rival.

Ronda Rousey appeared, knocked both Flair and Lynch off the ladders and walked to the back, drawing a chorus of boos from fans.

In the ring, Asuka scaled the ladder and grabbed the title for the win.

Asuka defeated Flair and Lynch to win the title

The final pay-per-view of 2018 brings with it another Match of the Year candidate featuring Lynch and Flair.

This one may have been the best of the year, though.

What a violent, brutal and intense battle between three women seeking championship gold. Lynch and Flair continued their rivalry, but Asuka refused to be overlooked, as she had been for the majority of the year. She was the buzzsaw fans fondly remember from her days in NXT, a relentless force who took tremendous punishment but fought through it to stick around by the end of the match.

Rousey interfering made perfect sense within the context of her story with Lynch and Flair and was teased earlier in the night.

There will be some who criticize WWE for taking the title off Lynch, but to get her on to Rousey, she needs to be on the Raw brand. With Vince McMahon's "Shake-up" coming Monday night and the overwhelming popularity of The Lass Kicker right now, expect her to be a permanent fixture on the flagship show as WWE embarks on the Road to WrestleMania.

Flair's work in the match cannot be understated. She was brilliant, taking big bumps and probably suffering some internal injuries following the leg drop off the ladder. Yet she fired up when necessary, fought through the pain and was integral to the overall success of the match.

On a night when there was some question about whether WWE would give the women the main event slot, they took the opportunity and ran with it, delivering an all-timer in the annals of TLC matches.