After a lackluster end to 2024 for the women’s division, WWE opted for a reset by crowning new champions in Rhea Ripley and Tiffany Stratton. The match quality has been steady since the turn of the year, but the division hasn’t had the requisite support from creative despite there being interesting directions within the roster for WrestleMania.
While the men have arguably had the best build to a Royal Rumble match ever with numerous long-term threads and character arcs coming together to create a world worth revisiting again and again, the women have been given nothing but a few lackluster promo segments. Some of the heavy lifting in this match will come down to returns, surprises, and NXT cameos.
Once the Rumble is done, Paul Levesque and his team need to have the women’s titles matches ready for WrestleMania. With that being said, here are five of the biggest contenders to win the Women’s Royal Rumble:
1) Charlotte Flair
The return of the 13-time Women’s Champion from over a year-long absence comes as a welcome boost to WWE as the promotion gets ready for its biggest stretch of the year. Vignettes for her return have already begun to air, and she looks likely to have a big match at WrestleMania this year.
Fans have always drawn parallels between Charlotte Flair and Tiffany Stratton, two standout athletes who took to wrestling naturally and were heralded for their precocious talents. According to Sean Ross Sapp, there have been internal discussions about promoting this match at WrestleMania.
A triumphant return at the Royal Rumble would set Charlotte on course for a major battle of generations. The onus would then fall on the creative team to make Stratton feel like an insurmountable obstacle for Flair to overcome after a spell on the sidelines.
2) IYO SKY
Even in a down year for the women’s division, IYO SKY was one of the most consistent performers in the promotion and was regularly a highlight on RAW after dropping the WWE Women’s Championship to Bayley at WrestleMania 40. She’s now established herself as a firm fan favorite.
There here have been reports that she could be on course to challenge Rhea Ripley at Allegiant Stadium, and there was even a tease on the December 09, 2024, episode of RAW.
IYO borrowing a page from the 2006 Rey Mysterio handbook to win the Royal Rumble would be an incredibly popular decision that will buy the creative team goodwill ahead of WrestleMania season.
3) Becky Lynch
According to a report from PWInsider, Becky Lynch is slated to be at the Royal Rumble this weekend. She has re-signed following her sabbatical and looks set to make her long-awaited return.
Lynch’s absence left a void in the women’s division that WWE was unable to fill throughout the year.
While she’s not one of the top two favorites to win the Rumble, the Irish star has threads with Rhea Ripley and Tiffany Stratton that she could revisit. Those matches would be more than worthy of finding a spot on the WrestleMania card.
4) Bianca Belair
One of WWE’s mainstays since her call up to the main roster in 2020, Bianca Belair is unbeaten and is one of the best stadium workers in the world. She’s another wrestler who has reportedly been discussed as a possible WrestleMania opponent for Rhea Ripley.
Belair and Ripley are the two biggest women’s stars WWE has produced after the Four Horsewomen, and a match between the two feels one of the biggest attractions WWE has in its repertoire.
However, she could find herself wrapped in the whodunnit that also involves Jade Cargill and Naomi. Cargill was written off TV in November following an attack from a mystery assailant, and with a return seemingly on the horizon, it’s likely that Belair’s WrestleMania direction will center around finding the culprit.
5) Jordynne Grace
WWE’s latest acquisition from TNA, Jordynne Grace, could be a dark horse to win the Royal Rumble.
Her last run as TNA Knockouts World Champion was well-regarded, and she arguably became the flag bearer of the promotion. She also impressed during her stint in the Rumble last year, along with a handful of appearances in NXT.
WWE has a chance to swing for the fences and make a star in one night by having her win the Royal Rumble. She could easily face either Rhea Ripley or Tiffany Stratton and tear the house down with either of them.
