Growing up, one of my favorite matches was always the Royal Rumble. It had everything in it; surprise entrants, the new guy who always comes in and battles everyone, along with the story told throughout the match, letting you get behind the winner.
Before talking about this year’s Women’s Royal Rumble, we
have to talk about last years. I’ve lost count of how many times I watched that
match. I lost it (in a good way) when Lita came out at number five, which
said this was something more than just a normal rumble. I continued to watch
the women pull out all the stops for a great match. The winner, Asuka,
deserved her win and it was good that it went to someone who had gone up in the
ranks.
This year, we have twenty-three women confirmed for the
Rumble. I have to say, I’m glad Alicia Fox is in it this year, after
missing the match last year through injury. With seven spots remaining, I
wonder what will happen, and who will come into the match.
I have a sneaky suspicion; Becky Lynch will be a
surprise entrant and go on to win the whole rumble. Yes, she has her match with
Asuka for the women’s title, but I don’t think that’s going to go her
way, cleanly at least, and it will help seal a match between Ronda Rousey
and Becky for Wrestlemania. Of course I’ve already predicted the other matches
on the card before I’ve got to them, but we’ve got to talk Rumble first!
Let’s think about the surprise entrants first of all. I
think we may see a couple come up from NXT, not including Lacey Evans
and Nikki Cross, and would expect to see either Shayna Baszler or
Bianca Belair in the match, depending on who wins their match on
Saturday. Other potential women involved in the match would be Candace LeRae,
Kairi Sane, Io Shirai or Mia Yim. On the NXT UK side, we
could see Toni Storm, current England Champion and Mae Young Classic
winner along with Rhea Rhipley. There’s a lot of potential there for any
of those ladies to make it to the match.
In terms of legends, I don’t think we’d see Trish Stratus
or Lita again, not this time round, but I would expect to see Michelle
McCool make her way back to try and beat her record of five eliminations. The
Bella Twins could also make their way to the Rumble, seeing as they are
favourites of the WWE Universe, and maybe Eve could show up. Personally,
I would love to see Melina or Victoria grace the ring again and
show some of the girls how it’s really done.
As for the current superstars, I’m not sure who could win
the whole thing. Alexa Bliss will make a good run of it, and there will
be some sneaky tricks from the Goddess to help her last the longest. Ember
Moon will be another one to watch, as she builds momentum in the division,
and has the opportunity to take the win. Mandy Rose will be another one
to watch, especially as she continues to build her story with Naomi. I
don’t think either will win, but I’m sure Mandy won’t want to be the first one
eliminated this time around. I also don’t think it’s the time for Nia Jax
or Natalya to get the win here, but I could be wrong as the rumours for
Natalya vs Ronda have been circulating for some time now.
At the end, I think it’s time for the moon to rise, and
Ember Moon will take the crown. I can see her challenge Asuka for the belt and
we get to see what these two can do on the grandest stage of them all.
