Rhea Ripley must win the 2023 Royal Rumble

The countdown to the Royal Rumble has started. One of the most important WWE events of the year is a little less than two months away. Fans are excited, and debates are running rampant about who should win the crowning achievement. There are several names in contention, but one stands out among the rest and that individual is Rhea Ripley.

Ripley has enjoyed some of the best booking available in the women’s division in the past few months. In fact, she’s been well-protected for most of her time in the WWE – except for her initial run on the main roster where she was fed to Charlotte Flair. It was her presence that was one of the driving forces behind the rebuilding of Judgement Day, which helped not only her position on the roster but that of Finn Balor and Damian Priest as well. Ripley is one of the few legit names in the women’s division that can break through to another level of stardom.

And the women’s division needs star power. Becky Lynch and Bianca Belair stand on their own pedestals above the rest of the ladies on the roster. Flair is soon to return, which will give them another name that can power a marquee. Ronda Rousey is struggling in her SmackDown Championship run and Bayley’s booking since her return has left many debating about whether she’s “buried” or not. Topping Ripley’s current run with a rumble victory is a necessary step to give this division another name it can build upon for the future.

For all intents and purposes, winning a Royal Rumble should be a launching point of an individual’s career. Unfortunately, that isn’t always the case. Compare Asuka’s victory to that of Belair’s. Asuka’s win was immediately overshadowed by Rousey and she has yet to get the main roster championship run that many feel she deserves. Belair, on the other hand, took her 2021 victory and used that to put on one of the best stints as a WWE Champion in recent memory. A victory for Ripley must reflect the latter.

The other two names that many are mentioning as potential victors of the women’s Royal Rumble are Lynch and Flair. While both are stars and easily attract attention, neither needs this victory at this point in their career. Lynch and Flair can walk from behind the curtain and demand a main event slot at any moment. They, along with Sasha Banks and Bayley, have amassed so much success as members of the Four Horsewomen that they should be considered “made women.” In the same way fans always see Brock Lesnar as a main event threat, each of these ladies is held in the same regard. They do not need a “star-making moment” to launch them into the main event at this point. Although she’s close, Ripley still needs that moment and 2023 would be the perfect year to give it to her.

The run-up to WrestleMania season has started. This is one of the most exciting times of the year and with new leadership in place, fans are tuned in to see what WWE presents. The women’s Royal Rumble is a moment that should make a new star for the future and Rhea Ripley is right there as someone ready to take the moment and run with it.