WWE Royal Rumble 2020: Predicting all 30 women before Survivor Series 2019
By Amelia N
15. Rhea Ripley
Rhea Ripley has been promoted from NXT UK to Full Sail NXT (or at least hops back and forth between the brands, it’s unclear) over the past few months, and has been turned babyface on arrival in order to feud with Shayna Baszler. She’s massively likely to enter the Rumble; WWE are clearly high on her, and she has Royal Rumble experience too, debuting on the “main roster” during the match itself in 2019.
If the feud with Baszler is kept going long enough, it could even be written into the Rumble match itself (Baszler is likely to pop up too, as discussed further into the list). Don’t completely write her off winning the match in a huge swerve either, especially if she isn’t NXT Women’s Champion by then.
14. Io Shirai
Another NXT competitor with Royal Rumble experience in her locker already, ‘The Genius of the Sky’ has found another gear since her acclaimed heel turn on Candice LeRae earlier in the year. Shirai will very likely enter the match, and she really is just too good at what she does to discount her chances entirely, especially if she’s being looked at for a trade to Raw or Smackdown in the near-ish future. As much as there are still far likelier winners, a heel Io Shirai chasing down Becky Lynch in the build-up to WrestleMania. Yes please.
13. Ember Moon
Ember Moon is one of the biggest cases of “how could WWE mess up this badly?” in quite a long time. She’s talented, she has a marketable look, she has a crowd-popping and genuinely jaw dropping finisher. It’s absurd that she hasn’t taken off on Raw or Smackdown yet.
Anyway; Moon is currently recovering from an ankle injury, and as long as she’s cleared to compete by January, the Royal Rumble would be the perfect time and place to make her big return. Would it culminate in an Eclipse to the final competitor and a crowd-popping win? You’d have to consider it unlikely, but stranger things have happened.
12. Nikki Cross
Nikki Cross’ booking has been peculiar in 2019. A friendship with Alexa Bliss that was immediately written off as “Alexa turns on her any minute now” has instead been booked (so far) quite well and with no Bliss heel turn currently in sight, Cross has gone from strength to strength, briefly holding the Women’s Tag Team Championship with Bliss, and earning Smackdown Women’s Championship shots by herself.
Nikki will almost certainly enter the Royal Rumble, and in all probability could easily be one of the final four competitors to give the crowd a second babyface to get behind. She could go all the way, but it’s not overly likely.
11. Naomi
Naomi has been missing from WWE programming since July 2019, stating health and personal reasons. Her absence is a massive shame for the product; she’s usually pretty over with live audiences, she’s good in the ring and even her entrance music along tends to garner a decent reaction. The fact Naomi has been away for so long could work in her favor; if she’s ready to return by the time the Rumble comes around, she’s another competitor whose surprise return during the match itself would generate a big reaction, and position her in a decent underdog position to win the entire match.