Women's WWE Royal Rumble Match Should Be Added for 2017 Event

With all the recent advances of the WWE women’s division, now is the time to give them their own Royal Rumble match.

What is better than the Royal Rumble match? Two Royal Rumble matches! The women’s division recently headlined Raw and will soon feature its first Hell in a Cell match. One of the competitors in that upcoming match, WWE Raw Women’s Champion Sasha Banks, recently stated her desire to compete in the Royal Rumble match this coming January. However, the better plan is to have the first women’s rumble match. WWE now has the depth to pull off this monumental match and it will add special significance to the upcoming event.

But how should this match be booked? First of all, 20 competitors is a better option for the women’s division as opposed to the traditional 30-man rumble format. There are about 15 women combined on the Raw and Smackdown rosters (not counting Maryse and Lana). Therefore, setting a field of 20 competitors allows for the entire active roster to compete. Not to mention, it also allows for some surprise returns and/or debuts, which is always a staple of an entertaining rumble match. Imagine NXT champion Asuka getting to mix it up with the main roster, or having a Trish Stratus return to pop the crowd.

Another way to excite the audience is upping the stakes in the match itself. As in most rumble matches, the woman that wins this match should earn the right to compete for either the Raw or Smackdown women’s championship at WrestleMania 33 in Orlando. But what if one of the current champions wins? Simple, they get to choose their opponent for a title match at WrestleMania. These stipulations create the “big match” importance that should be associated with a rumble match. While also creating a historic moment for the winner.

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Adding a women’s rumble match also helps the format of The Royal Rumble event itself. WWE’s brand split created four major titles; WWE Universal, WWE World, and the women’s titles. With all four titles being defended, It would be difficult to book compelling matches in the time allotted. Instead, by having 2 rumble matches, the women’s titles won’t be defended. That way, there is flexibility in booking the show. The show could open with the women’s rumble, then close with the traditional rumble main event. In between, there would be time to book the likely WWE Universal and WWE World title matches.

To create it’s own identity, the WWE should modify the rules of the women’s rumble match. One option is to have eliminations occur by hitting the floor without having to go over the top rope. By doing this, there are more creative possibilities for eliminations. Also, the inclusion of pinfalls and submissions as means for elimination is a viable option. Another option is to decrease the duration of time between entrances. Shorter entrant intervals would increase the pace of the match and add a unique twist. All of these rule adjustments create new avenues for storytelling within the rumble match format.

The addition of a women’s rumble match is a logical step in the “women’s revolution” currently in WWE. Considering that the rumble match is a favorite among wrestling fans, it’s a great fit for the division. The women of WWE have proven they can carry high profile matches. So adding the rumble to their division will only help to elevate the prestige of the entire division. Now it’s up to WWE to make it happen.

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Women’s WWE Royal Rumble Match Should Be Added for 2017 Event

By Brad Fay | Oct 15, 2016

With all the recent advances of the WWE women’s division, now is the time to give them their own Royal Rumble match.