The WWE Royal Rumble 2020 represents the latest and realistically biggest opportunity to save their flagging ‘womens revolution’, and the big promise of equality it was meant to represent.
After a strong 18 months or so, the WWE women’s division has regressed alarmingly quickly after 2019’s WrestleMania; Since Becky Lynch, Charlotte Flair and Ronda Rousey headlined the yearly blowoff, the company has seen the women slip back into what is dangerously close to ‘Divas’ era levels of disrespect, with weekly shows routinely having nothing but one sub-five minute match, and no backstage segments, over the course of two or three hours.
The upcoming Royal Rumble, viewed and treated as the start of WrestleMania season due to the winner of each titular match getting a brand World Title shot at that year’s WrestleMania, is massively important for the company. If used well, it has the potential to completely reset the women’s division, and set the company back on track to the equality they promised a few years ago.
This article is a breakdown of 1). who should be in the 2020 Women’s Royal Rumble, and 2). their respective likelihoods of winning the match.
Starting with those who will enter but stand next to no chance of winning …
30. Billie Kay
One half of ex-Women’s Tag Team Champions, The IIconics, Billie Kay is the less polished in-ring of the two, and although a decent enough heat generator alongside her tag team partner and being an audience recognized body to pad out the 30 names needed, stands less chance than I do of getting a singles push in WWE.
29. Peyton Royce
The other half of aforementioned IIconics (formerly known as the Iconic Duo until legal troubles with the name forced the change), Peyton Royce is marginally the better worker of the two, and has the more stereotypical Vince McMahon-approved “look” that could lead to a slight singles push in the future. Right now, though, she also stands no chance on earth of winning the upcoming Royal Rumble, although she’ll almost certainly enter it.
28. Sarah Logan
The least pushed of the three members of the least pushed women’s faction in recent WWE history, Sarah Logan has disappeared off the face of the earth since the dissolution of the Riott Squad. She’s someone the audience will vaguely remember, and she’s an established main roster member, but once again stands absolutely no hope of winning the event.
27. Tamina
Tamina has been employed (independently contracted, sorry Vince) by WWE since approximately six months before the dinosaurs were wiped out. In the almost ten years(!) since her debut, she’s won precisely one championship, that being the bloody 24/7 Championship. She’s often used as what WWE clearly think is a surprise “HOLY-” return, but the crowd simply do not care about Tamina, and she’ll never be pushed to the main event. She is guaranteed, guaranteed to not win the Rumble.
26. Piper Niven
The first non-Raw or Smackdown competitor on this list, Piper Niven (a.k.a Viper) should, SHOULD be much more likely to win the Royal Rumble, should she enter it, than she actually will be. She’s great between the ropes, she’s well liked by the fans that know her work, and she has a look that (for better or for worse) screams “heel turn and presented as monster” in a Vince McMahon-led WWE. Unfortunately, as she’s a member of NXT:UK, she stands literally no chance of being taken seriously as a real contender.
25. Sonya Deville
Sonya Deville is the ‘Fire’ half of the tag team Fire & Desire alongside Mandy Rose; this has never been categorically stated by WWE, but given that Mandy Rose is Vince McMahon’s wet dream come to life, it’s fairly obvious. In a world with any justice, Sonya would stand a very decent chance of winning the Rumble; she’s good in the ring and she represents the LGBTQ+ community as a proud lesbian, and isn’t it about time that community had something to celebrate in WWE? Of course not, this is Vince world, dammit. Not impossible but sorely unlikely.
24. Ruby Riott
Ruby Riott literally had an entire stable named after her and to give her main roster name recognition, so, surely, she stands the most chance of a Royal Rumble push out of the three members, right?! Wrong.
The Riott Squad were booked terribly and although Ruby is comfortably the best of the three in the ring and has a marketable look, she isn’t treated seriously by WWE creative in the slightest. She’s only out of the five “least likely” because she’s currently injured and WWE love a post-injury push. It won’t happen, though.
23. Zelina Vega
Zelina Vega is an accomplished wrestler, as well as charismatic and highly marketable. It stands to reason, then, that she’s used as a valet/manager for Andrade and nothing more. Because of course she is, thanks Vince. Add Zelina to the list of “women who would be much higher on this list if the world was fair”, because she has the potential to break out as a singles competitor, if she’s just given the opportunity at all, which most likely she won’t.
22. Dakota Kai
A fairly dependable decently-sized-but-not-earth-shattering pop waiting to happen, Dakota Kai is beloved by the NXT faithful at Full Sail, and WWE are likely to bank on that popularity at least vaguely translating to a surprise Royal Rumble appearance. She’s almost certain to not win, but don’t rule out an underdog run to the final five or six.
21. Dana Brooke
Dana Brooke is another competitor who seems to have been employed by WWE forever, but she’s actually only been with the company since 2013; since her main roster debut in 2016, however, Brooke has been restricted almost entirely to C-show Main Event, and the occasional quick match jobbing to the main event players. She does, however, clearly have some talent, and Vince McMahon’s penchant for conventionally attractive blonde women means nobody would be overly surprised if Brooke was given a sudden out-of-nowhere push. She’s a lock to enter the Rumble, but winning? It’s massively unlikely.
20. Liv Morgan
Liv Morgan has been missing from WWE programming for the past four months, and wasn’t presented as a particularly high priority when she was the last of the televised picks in the 2019 Draft. Interestingly, though, she’s been teasing a complete gimmick reboot on social media; if the expected change of look/attitude/direction has the desired effect, Liv could be on her way to finally being taken seriously by WWE management.
Where better to announce her big comeback than during the Royal Rumble? Even if it was her first on-screen appearance under a new gimmick she’d be an unlikely winner, though.
19. Natalya
Natalya is one of WWE’s most trusted go-to competitors in the women’s division. When a main push prospect gets injured or violates the Wellness Policy, just call Natalya, she’ll work until we can re-write things! Unfortunately, although she’s gained the occasional title run during her time in WWE, Natalya is at the time of her career where she’s primarily used to put over young and upcoming prospects, rather than being viewed as a main event player herself. Don’t rule her out entirely, but don’t put your money on her either.
18. Carmella
Creative are obviously high on Carmella, and have been ever since her main roster debut in 2016. She was the first ever Miss Money In the Bank, she’s won the WrestleMania Women’s Battle Royal, and she’s been routinely placed in high profile feuds with the likes of Charlotte Flair and Nikki Bella.
The reason she’s rated this unlikely is that in recent months, Carmella has been used primarily as a comedy prop, regularly teaming with R-Truth as the centerpieces of the 24/7 Championship “division”. Since the alliance with Truth was ended rather pointlessly by the Draft, Carmella has yet to show any flicker of being taken as seriously as she was two years ago. You can never fully write Carmella off, and unless she’s hotshotted back into a title match she’ll almost certainly enter the Royal Rumble match, but right now she’s not likely to win at all.
17. Paige
Paige winning the Royal Rumble would be one of WWE’s biggest feel good stories in years. Hell, Paige even entering the Royal Rumble would be monumental; officially retired from in-ring competition since an injury in December 2017, Paige has been kept on WWE television first as General Manager of Smackdown, then as the manager of the Kabuki Warriors.
Since said managerial job ended, as so many do, by her getting acidic green mist spat in her face, all has gone quiet on the Paige front. There are, however, some rumors that her recent neck surgery has seen her quietly cleared for in-ring competition again; massively unlikely, but the precise sort of surprise WWE would work overtime to keep secret until the second her music were to hit. Consider this entry more heart than head, but wouldn’t it be great?
16. Candice LeRae
During her stint in NXT so far, Candice LeRae has quietly progressed into the main event scene, failing to take the NXT title from Shayna Baszler and engaging in a high profile feud with Io Shirai.
She’s also no stranger to the Royal Rumble match, having entered last time out. She’s very popular with the fans and there’s always a chance that WWE pull a swerve with an unexpected Rumble winner; LeRae would be both that surprise and a high profile babyface winner for a heel champion to run scared of in the buildup to WrestleMania (Hi, Bayley).
As one of the biggest names in NXT’s womens division, Candice Wrestling is fairly likely to enter the Rumble again this year.
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.
10. Asuka
The winner of the first ever women’s Royal Rumble match in 2018, Asuka has enjoyed a very stop-start push during her main roster career. Now back on track after low points including being booked to fall for James Ellsworth’s nonsense in a losing feud with Carmella, she’s one half of the women’s Tag Team Champions with Kairi Sane. Asuka is an elite level performer who can drag a good match out of almost anyone, and although she only won two years ago, a repeat Rumble win wouldn’t really be overly surprising at all.
9. Nia Jax
Nia Jax has been on the injury list since WrestleMania in April, suffering ACL tears on both her knees. As discussed earlier, WWE do love a post-injury push, and Nia is never too far from being given a title push anyway. Late January is the expected return date for April-sustained ACL tears, and it wouldn’t be surprising at all to see Nia return in the Royal Rumble match. If she does, it would be even less surprising to see her win it, as WWE clearly think she’s a big deal.
8. Mandy Rose
Mandy Rose will almost certainly enter the Royal Rumble, much to the delight of Corey Graves, which will in turn make it much to the distress of everyone else in the world. Graves’ intolerable drooling aside, Rose is obviously a WWE high priority, but her push has stalled somewhat in recent times. Recently finishing a critically panned program with Nikki Cross, Mandy could nonetheless finally be in line for the big push she’s obviously getting at some point in the near future.
7. Lita
Royal Rumbles tend to have at least one “nostalgia” entrant, with the women’s events so far including Torrie Wilson, Vickie Guerrero, Jacqueline, Molly Holly, Beth Phoenix and Trish Stratus among others. Actually, that was just the first one in 2018; the 2019 installment didn’t have any nostalgia pops, but shush.
Lita also entered the first women’s Rumble, and the time could well be right for her to come back and try again. If she does, she’ll likely be taken more seriously as a potential winner this time; Trish Stratus has already enjoyed a retirement angle, and Lita, at 44, could feasibly enjoy one final main event run before formally retiring. Don’t write off one final feel-good run and title push.
6. Lacey Evans
Lacey Evans has been pushed hard in recent months, going up against Becky Lynch in an overly long feud before her switch to Smackdown in the 2019 Draft. Since then, she’s also competed against Natalya in the first ever women’s wrestling match to take place in Saudi Arabia; WWE like her and trust her, and she has to be very close to finally getting the inevitable title run, despite not being completely polished between the ropes yet. Unless she’s in a women’s title match elsewhere on the card she’s a guarantee to enter the Royal Rumble, and her grating heel persona would be a certainty to garner decent heat if she was booked to win.
5. Kairi Sane
The other half of the Women’s Tag Team Champions alongside Asuka, Kairi Sane has enjoyed a steady if unspectacular start to life on the main roster. That unassuming start could be about to be left in the past, though, as a Royal Rumble win would announce Sane as a megastar, especially if she retains her much more interesting heel persona.
Regardless of who of the two the company turn babyface, a program against Asuka following a Royal Rumble win could be in the works, and would almost certainly provide a phenomenal set of matches. Kairi will enter the Royal Rumble, and when she does, she’ll be one of the heavy favorites to win the match.
4. Sasha Banks
Since her long overdue return to WWE programming in August, Sasha Banks has mostly been booked as the huge deal she should have been from the start. Her friendship with Bayley can’t last forever, and although it would regrettably require turning one of them babyface (Bayley has only just turned turned to the dark side and Banks is infinitely more interesting as a heel), a new program between the two would be a massive deal.
With Bayley going strong as Smackdown Women’s Champion, the time seems perfect for Sasha to enter and win the women’s Royal Rumble before turning on her friend in the build-up to WrestleMania.
3. Shayna Baszler
Shayna Baszler has practically been NXT Women’s Champion since the dawn of time itself; aside from a brief 71-day interlude from Kairi Sane, she’s held the strap for close to a year and a half.
Her time at the top of the NXT women’s division can’t go on forever though, as much as she’s being booked to display solid evidence to the contrary, and the Royal Rumble would be the perfect time to start her brand new megapush, be that aimed at regaining the NXT Women’s Championship or targeting either Raw or Smackdown‘s equivalent, should WWE decide that they really are the “main roster” after all.
Baszler’s MMA background fits well with the style that WWE are obsessed with right now, and she’s proven herself to be very good indeed in the ring. Almost guaranteed to be in the final four competitors left in the Royal Rumble.
2. Charlotte Flair
If the legends are true, nobody in the world is more than 15 feet away from a member of WWE Creative midway through suggesting a Charlotte Flair title win. Since her introduction to the main roster in 2015, Flair is a 10-time champion, having held the now defunct Diva’s Championship once, the Raw Women’s Championship four times and the Smackdown Women’s Championship five times.
She’s been champion so many times Big E has started making a meme out of it to amuse himself on live TV. Given WWE’s obvious adoration of her and her almost unmatched skill between the ropes, it’s a surprise there’s been two women’s Royal Rumble matches already without Charlotte winning one, and nobody would be even remotely shocked if that run ends in 2020. There’s only one woman realistically more likely a winner …
1. Ronda Rousey
Having enjoyed one of the most critically acclaimed rookie years in WWE history, Ronda Rousey is currently taking time away from a company she absolutely doesn’t need in order to start a family. That doesn’t necessarily mean that WWE won’t think that they need Rousey, however, and as horribly predictable a result as it may be, Rousey winning the Royal Rumble to go after Becky Lynch and the Raw Women’s Championship, thereby reversing the storyline they told last year, would be a huge deal and could easily headline WrestleMania.
If Rousey isn’t pregnant by the time the Rumble comes to town, expect WWE to throw as much money at her as it takes for her to agree to return, and if she does return, there’s no chance on earth Ronda Rousey enters the Royal Rumble without winning it.
If she enters, she wins, full stop.