Five WWE NXT women that should be in the Royal Rumble match

The NXT women’s roster is loaded with great talent, and they should be utilized at the Royal Rumble.

The WWE has been going in neutral with NXT for the longest time. But ever since Triple H gave Shawn Michaels the keys to the kingdom of NXT, the show has been going in a completely different direction. It’s finally starting to come together at the WWE Performance Center.

The NXT women on the roster have been doing wonders. They’re often some of the best performers on the show. But who should attend the Royal Rumble match in January?

The women’s roster has a lot of depth, but there are spots available. While I don’t expect anyone to win the Royal Rumble from NXT, big performances and final four appearances are a good barometer for success in a Rumble match. Here are my five choices for who should join the Royal Rumble:

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5) Sol Ruca

If we’re going to have fun with it, let’s get crazy with it. The 23-year-old is raw in the ring and still has tons to learn while in her time on NXT. However, Ruca has gone viral since her match on NXT Level up when she pulled off this incredible move during her match against Valentina Feroz.

The maneuver is not yet named, but I’m sure it will get a name after all the praise the young star has gotten. The Ontario, California native made a ton of buzz with fans all over the internet and, apparently, WWE officials are very happy about it themselves.

For that, WWE should reward her by giving her a spot in the 2022 Royal Rumble match. Just think about the massive pop if she pulls that move in front of 50,000 fans at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. It would be a smart play to capitalize on this buzz, then keep her momentum rolling on NXT Level Up as well as NXT on Tuesday nights.

4) Nikkita Lyons

There’s no doubt in my opinion that Nikkita Lyons is a STAR in the making. She’s extremely young at 23 years old and has lots of time to develop her in-ring work. The Las Vegas, Nevada native is already massively charismatic and has the “IT” factor.

Lyons’s is currently in a program with former tag team partner Zoey Stark. Stark bashed Lyons with the tag team title belt and turned her back on her best friend. The eventual boiling point and match should take place at the next NXT special, Vengeance Day, taking place on February 4th in Charlotte, North Carolina.

There’s no doubt she needs more time to develop her move set, but she’s on a great path to success in the near future. If the WWE wants to showcase their future at the Royal Rumble, Nikkita Lyons should be in it, because two to three years from now, we could be talking about her on a major program with the likes of Charlotte Flair or Becky Lynch.

3) Indi Hartwell

Let’s face it, Hartwell might be the “most ready” for the main roster. Hartwell has all the tools to not only make an impact in her debut but to be a threat to everyone as well. This could be the chance for her to make her formal call-up to the Raw brand, joining Candice LeRae, Johnny Gargano, and Dexter Lumis, reviving “The Way” stable.

The Way was some of the best content on NXT programming in recent memory. Not only did they put on great matches, but the storylines were some of the best showings on NXT TV. I still go back and watch some of their best segments to this day.

Hartwell pairing up with LeRae in the Royal Rumble seems like a slam dunk that could create a massive pop. An appearance by Dexter Lumis in the Women’s Rumble match saving Hartwell from potential elimination would be a great scene as well. All in all, the Melbourne, Australia native is too talented to be stuck on the NXT roster for much longer, as the time is now to pull the trigger.

2) Roxanne Perez

I know what you’re all about to say. “ But she’s the NXT Women’s Champion.” To which I say, does it matter?

Perez has garnered the most interest out of anyone on the NXT Women’s roster. In the year 2022, she won the ROH Women’s Championship, the NXT Women’s Tag Team Championship, the winner of NXT Women’s Breakout Tournament, the first-ever Iron Survivor Challenge winner, and the NXT Women’s Championship. Oh yes, she’s only 21 years old and the whole future is in her hands.

Perez has accomplished so much in her short time in the wrestling business. That type of work deserves a reward, so why not a showcase in the Royal Rumble match? I wouldn’t be at all surprised if she even lasted until the final four women in the Rumble match. Although, her main focus should be carrying the NXT women’s brand and the NXT Women’s Championship. And with boatloads of knowledge still to learn from her mentor Booker T, the sky is the limit for Perez.

1) Cora Jade

Jade was a former NXT Tag Team champion with Roxanne Perez and is an automatic slam dunk for a Royal Rumble appearance. If I have to believe Shawn Michaels is going to recommend a few NXT stars to show up during the Royal Rumble, Jade is probably going to be the number-one choice. She has a bit of that HBK-esque flair to her move set as well as her personality and promo ability.  The 21-year-old still has so much to prove, but she’s one of, if not the best wrestler on the current NXT roster in the women’s division.

Jade and Perez started out being a great tag team and shortly thereafter, Jade turned on Perez and formed a great rivalry with her former tag partner. I feel Perez and Jade will be talked about in the same sentence till the end of their careers. While both are great workers in the ring, one thing we can say about the Chicago, Illinois native is that she can play the babyface and heel personalities incredibly well.

A Royal Rumble appearance is most certainly on the way for Jade. She’s earned every bit of success in the short amount of time she’s been at NXT. Not only do I think she should be in the Royal Rumble match,  but I also think that she should be in it until the very end as one of the last four women in the match.

Did I miss anyone of your favorites? Which NXT women’s star do you think should be in the Royal Rumble match?