Every Rumble, for the men and the women’s matches, tends to include a few blasts from the past. Which legends could we see in WWE Royal Rumble 2020?
With WWE Royal Rumble 2020 airing next Sunday on the Network, it certainly is not too late to predict a few legends who may show up during the Women’s Rumble. Let’s dive straight into this one by talking about a talented athlete who won both the Women’s Championship and the Divas Championship in her prime.
Layla
We have already seen her pal, Michelle McCool, make an appearance in the Royal Rumble (holding the record for most eliminations in Women’s Rumble history at that). I think we can all agree that it is about time that Layla gets one last hurrah of her own. If not for a Laycool reunion, then just to see her in a WWE ring one more time.
This was something that many fans campaigned for about this time last year after WWE first produced and unveiled the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships. Fans wanted to see Laycool make a grab for the belts and in the midst of it all, in a since deleted tweet, Layla expressed her own interest in returning to the squared circle for one more match.
Since one last Laycool match or even one last singles match for Layla seems unlikely at this point in time, it does not hurt to give her that desired one more match with a spot in the Royal Rumble. Who knows? Maybe if her friend makes an appearance as well, we could possibly see a Laycool reunion during the match.
Beth Phoenix
Around this time last year, Beth Phoenix returned to the ring after a seven year absence (save for a Rumble 2018 cameo) and managed to exceed expectations. Not only did she impress critics well enough to get a WrestleMania Women’s Tag Team Championship title match, but she continued wrestling on WWE’s house show circuit for about a month after what was assumed to be her one last match.
Since then, the Hall of Famer has quietly stepped away from the ring again, this time to focus on transitioning into an equally impressive commentary job over at NXT. Keeping that in mind, there is a good chance that she may be at the Rumble anyway, assuming we should expect to see an NXT commentary booth for the PPV sitting beside the Raw and SmackDown commentary tables, since all three brands will be recognized in the big match.
Don’t be surprised if the clock strikes down from the number 10 to the number one and we hear The Glamazon’s theme music right before she makes a B-line from the commentary table to the ring.
Besides, she needs to ring it all to finally get us that Beth Phoenix vs. Becky Lynch match, right?
Maryse
Is it too soon to call Maryse a legend? Eh, I don’t think so. I understand why some readers may disagree, but taking a gander at her career highlights should tell anyone everything they need to know about why Maryse is a future Hall of Famer.
During the Divas Era, in a time where opportunities for the women’s division were scarce, Maryse was frequently featured in major WWE storylines while also becoming a two time champion. One of those reigns sat at an awfully impression 216 days.
Then, after walking away from the ring for years, was able to return to the WWE Universe to revitalize The Miz’s career. The power couple not only became a consistently entertaining act on television, but were able to transition their wrestling chemistry to the reality show world for a hit tv show on USA Network.
Without turning this into a tribute article, Maryse has accomplished a lot in her career. Perhaps the only thing she has yet to do that is worth scratching off her bucket list is participate in a Royal Rumble match. Maybe this year is the year she finally does just that, especially since the new season of Miz & Mrs. premieres three days after this year’s Rumble.
Victoria
When we talk about wrestlers who should join the WWE Hall of Fame every year, one name that always gets brought up is Victoria. If you wanna talk about career highlights deserving of a Hall of Fame nomination, it is practically criminal to think that Victoria has yet to be inducted.
At a time in WWE when matches were far too short for the women and the company tended to focus more on flaunting the beauty of their female competitors rather than highlighting their actual in-ring skill, Victoria made a name for herself as one of the best all around wrestlers that the roster had to offer at the time.
Her feuds and matches with the likes of Trish Stratus, Mickie James and Michelle McCool (just to name a few) were entertaining enough to show audiences that the women’s division was worth more than just the “bathroom break” stigma that many women’s matches had at the time.
So, in many ways, Victoria was a major contributor for what we would later know as the Women’s Evolution in WWE. Assuming that a Hall of Fame induction is inevitable for her, then a Royal Rumble spot may be a good way to re-introduce her to the WWE Universe after she hadn’t stepped in the company’s ring in over 10 years.
Jazz
This former Women’s Champion has not competed for the WWE in almost 15 years, but since leaving, she has been a force to be reckoned with on the independent scene. While she was already considered a standout performer during her initial WWE run in the early 2000’s (which included a WrestleMania win over Trish Stratus), it is now being argued that Jazz is currently and surprisingly reaching the prime of her career at age 46.
The most notable part of her post-WWE career has been when she won the NWA Women’s Championship in 2016. She held on to that belt for the next 948 days. Unfortunately, her historic reign with the prestigious ten pounds of gold ended prematurely in April 2019 when she was forced to vacate the title due to personal and medical reasons.
However, these past few months has seen her go even harder in the ring than she has ever done before. This included an appearance at AEW’s All Out PPV and a memorable outing during Pro-Wrestling EVE’s SHE-1 tournament this summer.
It’s hard not to respect and admire the work ethic that Jazz is on right now. Her hard work and dedication deserves to be seen on a major platform. Specifically, a return to the WWE. If not one last run, then the least they can do is give her a memorable spot in the Women’s Rumble.