Bianca Belair had a Royal Rumble performance that put her at a superstar level

The 2020 Women’s Royal Rumble promised to have plenty of surprises with so few wrestlers officially announced for the 30-woman match, and Bianca Belair was the first surprise of the night.

Bianca Belair will face NXT Women’s Champion Rhea Ripley at TakeOver: Portland next month after winning a No. 1 Contender’s Battle Royal, so she certainly has experience winning highly competitive battle royals in WWE.

But the Royal Rumble? That’s a different stage. Belair made a surprise appearance inside the Women’s Rumble match, entering at No 2. And who was No. 1? “The Goddess” Alexa Bliss.

Belair and Bliss traded moves for a few minutes before “Mighty” Molly Holly appeared at No. 3 for the second straight surprise of what promised to be yet another thrilling Women’s Rumble match. Molly Holly received rousing “You Still Got It” chants from the Minute Maid Park crowd.

Meanwhile, Belair was shining early in the Rumble, as she and Molly Holly formed a temporary alliance against the tag team of Alexa and Nikki Cross, who entered at No. 4. Belair even hit the KOD (Kiss of Death) on Bliss.

But the alliance didn’t last long, as she eliminated Molly Holly after briefly using her hair as a whip. Belair went on to eliminate Cross, Dana Brooke, a returning Tamina, fellow NXT superstar Candice LeRae, and both Sonya Deville and Mandy Rose of Fire and Desire. Talk about an incredible, star-making performance! A record seven eliminations!

Bliss and Belair started the match together, and they teased an awesome feud together on the outside on the apron, putting everyone on the edge of their seats…

And Belair stood alone in the ring after eliminating Bliss!

But guess who was next as the No. 17 entrant?

Charlotte Flair herself. A woman who has reached the summit of WWE, main evented WrestleMania, and praised Belair as the future superstar she is. What a showdown!

Better yet, Naomi made her return in this year’s Rumble, and fans got to see Belair hold her own against BOTH legends!

And when Beth Phoenix’s music hit? Well, the ring was suddenly filled with four incredible wrestlers putting it all on the line!

The EST ended up getting eliminated by Charlotte, and there’s no shame in that. She would have love to hit double-digit eliminations, but lasting well over 30 minutes into the Rumble is no short feet. It was a truly incredible performance, and she’ll be back for revenge on Charlotte one day.

Her performance in Houston was one for the ages. Belair is a special wrestler, as anyone who has watched her live can attest. She’s already a superstar, and her night at the Rumble cemented this.

UPDATE: Shayna Baszler also recorded her eighth elimination later in the Rumble match.