This year’s Royal Rumble event is historic because it will include the first ever Women’s Royal Rumble match in WWE history. The announcement of this match has lead to a ton of speculation among fans.
As of this writing, only 18 women have been officially announced, leaving 12 open spots for “mystery entrants”. Rumors are flying as to which ladies we’ll see return from the past to take another shot at WWE glory; such as former champions Trish Stratus, Lita, and Alundra Blayze. And while a return by any of these three women would absolutely be rush of nostalgia and somewhat a swerve (especially in the case of Blayze), these are names that fans kind of expect to be involved.
This list is my top 5 swerves that could potentially take place in the first ever Women’s Royal Rumble.
Source: WWE.com
#5 – Bayley Will Eliminate Sasha Banks
Bayley’s time on the WWE “main roster” has been underwhelming since being called up from NXT in August of 2016. Even though she’s a former Raw Women’s Champion, her sole title reign was forgettable. Bayley has had a difficult time connecting with the WWE audience the way she was able to in NXT.
In my opinion (and the opinion of many other fans), Bayley’s lack of a mean streak is really hurting her perception of credibility as a top female performer. I never thought I’d say this back in her Full Sail days, but Bayley desperately needs a heel turn and I think the Royal Rumble is the perfect place to start planting those seeds.
I want to see Bayley swerve the WWE audience, as well as Sasha Banks by eliminating her from the Royal Rumble match.
Bayley and Sasha can work together as a team during the match, helping each other eliminate rival competitors. Make it look like everything is going smoothly and that they’re on the same page. When Sasha turns her back and least expects it, Bayley blindsides her and tosses her over the top rope for the elimination.
While this act alone would not cement Bayley as a heel (because the Rumble can only have one winner) it would certainly garner a negative reaction from the crowd. By no means do I think that Bayley should win this year’s Rumble match, but I would love to see her character take a big step in a new direction starting on this show.
Source: WWE.com
#4 – Nia Jax Will Have the Most Eliminations but Won’t Win
On paper, Nia Jax has to be considered one of the favorites to win the first ever Women’s Royal Rumble match. Just look at her. She’s big, she’s powerful, and she’s agile for her size which is a perfect combination for this type of match.
I think Nia will get the most eliminations by a landslide. It will be the type of record that will stand for years to come, similar to the record Kane held from 2001 until Roman Reigns broke it in 2014. This match can be used to really put over how different Nia is than any of the other women competitors.
Nia Jax will look like an unstoppable monster, eliminating every woman in her path until my #1 swerve hits the ring to eliminate her.
Source: WWE.com
#3 – Ember Moon Will Debut While Still NXT Champion
I want to hear the crowd react to Ember Moon’s cool entrance. I want to hear the pop after she hits an Eclipse. I want to see one of the top women from the main roster eliminate her. Then, I want to see her back in NXT.
My reasoning for this swerve is pretty simple – use this platform to get more eyes on the current NXT Women’s Champion.
It’s really as simple as that. I think that Ember Moon is best used right now to help the NXT brand and her time as a regular part of the main roster will absolutely come one day. In my opinion, Ember is one of the most well-rounded women that the WWE currently has on any brand. I just don’t want her to get lost in the shuffle and there is plenty more for her left to accomplish in NXT.
I think WWE owes it to their “casual” audience to become more familiar with Moon before she makes her way to either Raw or SmackDown. Plus, the Eclipse is an incredible move that the portion of the crowd unfamiliar with NXT has been deprived of seeing for far too long.
This match is the perfect opportunity to give the WWE fans a preview of Ember Moon.
Source: WWE.com
#2 – Ronda Rousey Will Debut and Eliminate a Major Star
As a fan of both professional wrestling and MMA, I’ve been waiting for Ronda Rousey to officially debut for the WWE for quite a while now.
We’ve seen her pop up a few times in the past, such as her appearances at WrestleMania 31 and the Mae Young Classic. Rousey to WWE seems inevitable. It’s a classic case of not “if” but “when”.
Rousey’s debut at the Rumble would be a swerve in itself but it’s somewhat expected. The former UFC Bantamweight Champion was even seen at dinner with WWE COO, Triple H just the other night.
The real swerve is that Ronda Rousey will eliminate Asuka.
That may sound crazy but think about it. What better way to establish Rousey as an immediate threat within the WWE than to have her eliminate the undefeated former NXT Champion?
There are many similarities between Rousey and Asuka that can be taken advantage of in this scenario. Both are known for undefeated streaks and both use submissions such as armbars to put opponents away in record time. I get goosebumps thinking about the crowd reaction during a stare down between the two in the middle of the ring after Rousey makes the walk down the aisle.
Asuka’s credibility wouldn’t take a hit whatsoever for Rousey to eliminate her and it could lead to an eventual big-money feud between the two down the line. It’s also worth noting that Rousey’s close friend, Shayna Baszler recently debuted on NXT and is already making big waves within the company. There have been rumors for a long time that Rousey and Baszler would team up if both made their ways into the WWE system, which is very exciting to look forward to.
If anyone’s ready for Asuka in the Royal Rumble match, I think it’s “Rowdy” Ronda Rousey.
Source: WWE.com
#1 – Kharma Will Return to WWE
This one is the biggest long-shot on this list (though she did tell Pro Wrestling Sheet that she would like to be involved), hence why it’s also the biggest swerve.
If you don’t know about the history of Kharma (also known as Awesome/Amazing Kong) in the WWE then here’s a quick recap:
Fans were shown vignettes for her debut for around a month.
She showed up and attacked a bunch of female wrestlers.
She entered the 2012 Royal Rumble, eliminating two wrestlers in the match.
She had a child and was eventually granted her release from the company after the WWE did not give her sufficient time to return to in-ring shape.
Why do I think that the time is now for Kharma to return to the WWE and finally show the world what the hype was about all that time ago? Because she’s healthy and isn’t signed to any major promotion. She was also recently a part of the popular Netflix series, GLOW.
I want to see Nia Jax standing in the middle of the ring after totally cleaning house, waiting for someone to step up to the challenge. The lights go out, we hear an evil laugh, and out comes Kharma.
Next: Ranking The Top 10 Female Superstars Of 2017
I think Kharma eliminating Nia Jax could lead to a great feud between the two and a possible WrestleMania match. Nia needs a credible opponent and I can’t think of anyone better to match her with than Kharma.
This return could help Kharma re-write her own chapter in WWE history.