WWE Royal Rumble 2018: Outcome of Women’s Match Doesn’t Need Controversy
By Sarah Hirsch
On Sunday, the women’s division will go through another history making moment with the first WWE Women’s Royal Rumble.
Within the last two to three years, fans have seen the evolution of the Women’s Division continue to grow rapidly. We have already seen Raw, Smackdown, and PPV main events, Women’s Money in the Bank and Hell in a Cell. There is a possibility of the Elimination Chamber as well, but first the Rumble has to take place.
Upon the news of Maria Menounos announcing the match to Stephanie McMahon commentating, fan pages on social media and wrestling websites immediately wondered if McMahon would enter herself in the Rumble and win, a’la Triple H in 2016. Truth is, many fans know how the McMahons work, and this would come as no surprise and predictable. I know I would be angry at that outcome, and it would ultimately ruin the special milestone for the Women’s Division.
Plus, with the Money in the Bank last year, the company has cashed in the controversy route with Carmella and James Ellsworth. Ellsworth would grab the briefcase for Carmella, resulting in numerous outcries and another Money in the Bank match that following Smackdown to crown a Miss Money in the Bank. Carmella would win once more, this time on her own, furthering her role as a heel in the Smackdown Women’s Division.
I’m not saying that the Rumble has to be a straight-forward match. Of course there may be some controversy in terms of eliminations. I could see that happening in order to get some feuds going for WrestleMania. But an ending of non-epic proportions would hurt the Rumble more than help. Plus, McMahon hasn’t wrestled in a long time in addition to Alexa Bliss being Raw Women’s Champion (as well as Raw’s top female heel). It wouldn’t make much sense, but we have seen WWE do what they want despite themselves.
While many fans are favoring Asuka to win the Rumble, it could also be Smackdown’s for the taking. Some of our Daily DDT writers believe that Becky Lynch could win to earn the right to face Charlotte Flair in New Orleans at WrestleMania. There is no problem with that at all; could there be controversy with that? Perhaps depending on how the match was booked and if it would make sense in the build of Lynch’s journey. Again, that could be used to build some depth in storylines towards WrestleMania during the Rumble match.
Next: WWE Royal Rumble 2018: Sasha Banks Deserves to Win
The Women’s Division has come so far in the last several years. It’s said that it takes one bad apple to ruin the whole bunch. Essentially, the wrong winner will suggest that the Rumble for the women is in vain. The Division as a whole doesn’t need that, the Rumble doesn’t need it, and most importantly the fans don’t deserve a BS moment that will only make them NOT look forward to the Rumble next year. WWE must make the first women’s Royal Rumble count and provide an idea of what’s to come for the Women’s Division and its evolution. Make the first Women’s Royal Rumble one to remember for all the good reasons. Everyone deserves that.