What happens when being the best just isn't enough? Everyone knows what it's like to give your best to a certain goal and it falls short. A person may apply for a job that seems perfectly tailored to them, only to receive an email that says, "We regret to inform you that we have moved in another direction." A woman could study for the bar exam multiple times, and still not pass it. A man could change his diet around and still not make his goal weight. Now what happens when being the EST of WWE isn't enough?
Over the past four years, Bianca Belair has risen from being a recruit with a Southeastern Conference (SEC) background to a standard bearer for excellence in WWE's women's division. After multiple championship wins, glass-breaking accomplishments and stellar in-ring performances, the Tennessee native seems to have hit a rough patch after losing both of her tag team partners due to animosity towards each other and losing her undefeated WrestleMania singles record in a Triple threat match against Rhea Ripley and Iyo Sky. She also broke two of her fingers in that match, which has kept her out of action for months. How does anyone bounce back from that much loss? Sometimes, it takes shadow work. Other times, it takes self-evaluation. But in Bianca's case, it may take going back to the beginning of her main-roster glory. Let's explore the factors that will fuel the star's second Women's Royal Rumble win.
Bianca Belair will be focused on success
One major reason why our EST will win the Women's Royal Rumble next year is because she could be on a journey to recenter herself and her goals. Since May of 2024, Belair had been in the Women's Tag Team title picture with a new-to-WWE Jade Cargill and the unhinged veteran Naomi. Though both championship reigns brought glory to the Big Three's resume and gave opportunity to various tag teams, it took the EST's eye off of the ball when it came to herself from a singles star perspective. For instance, during the inaugural Women's United States Championship tournament on SmackDown in 2024, Belair abandoned her first-round match against Chelsea Green and Bea Priestly (FKA Blair Davenport) after it was revealed that Cargill was attacked backstage. Then on the road to WrestleMania this year, she was sidetracked by Naomi's erratic attempts to rekindle their friendship. It could be argued that these factors defeated her before Ripley and Sky ever could.
2026 could be a fresh start for Bianca in the sense that she can be her own best friend. She sought power through community until it fell apart. Now she can refocus on channeling her power from within to reach the top of the mountain. Without baggage and pain from her past, Belair could enter Riyadh, Saudi Arabia with a renewed sense of purpose.
Bianca Belair will face her issues with Jade Cargill
Another benefit to Bianca Belair winning the Women's Royal Rumble would be her having a direct road to addressing the tension between her and WWE Women's Champion Jade Cargill. Since Naomi revealed herself to be Jade's attacker, there has been an uneasy tension between Belair and the resident Storm. Cargill even stated in an interview with Cathy Kelley in March that she did not know how "she could trust anyone" after seeing Bianca hold the Women's Tag Team Championships with her unhinged assailant. It can be argued that the Big Three's rupture mixed with Jade's singles career ambitions drove her to the point of darkness that we are currently seeing. The rise of Darth Jade could cause Belair to appeal to the better half of her friend and let her know that she can reach her goals by remaining on the side of good like she did. But could that work with this version of the former longest-reigning AEW TBS Champion?
Today's Jade is not interested in friendships or partnerships backstage. She wants domination and fear from every woman who steps to her. That self-centered mindset will ultimately clash with an EST that wants to reach the top of the women's division again. The Storm would probably love nothing more than to topple Belair to prove that she is truly the future of WWE's women's division. If Bianca wins next year's Royal Rumble, she will have to decide which champion to face and if it is Jade Cargill, it will be a battle of alpha women who were once allies. Belair will also have to decide if her sister's soul is more of a priority than her continued success as a superstar.
Jade Cargill vs Bianca Belair would be a huge WrestleMania main event
The final reason that Bianca Belair will win next year's Women's Royal Rumble lies within one of her deepest motivations: being a beacon of representation. If she chooses to face Jade Cargill for the Women's Championship at WrestleMania, she could have the chance to main event the biggest event of the year aside another Black woman. One cannot forget how Belair stood tall and proved herself against the multi-time champion and pioneer Mercedes Moné (FKA Sasha Banks) in 2021. In a stellar showcase of their brilliance, both women broke a glass ceiling and inspired generations of Black women in wrestling to see themselves in an industry that has not always appreciated them. But in the case of a possible match between Belair and Cargill, the roles would be reversed. Bianca would essentially stand in the role of a veteran that has been tried in the fire, and Jade would be the hungry upstart looking to knock The EST off in an effort to be on top. It would also serve as a continuous feud that could be revisited once Naomi returns and recovers from having her first child. The saga of the Big Three has the potential to live just as long as the Bloodline saga if the right energy is put behind it.
As fans are craving for more opportunities to see women of color in narratives that serve them well and position them as equal to their opposite counterparts, Belair versus Cargill would be a perfect steppingstone to improved representation in WWE. Belair famously quoted that "representation is not a request, it's a requirement," and seeing The EST rise again at the Women's Royal Rumble and main-event WrestleMania with Jade Cargill would solidify that sentiment. Bianca has already proven that she can rise above tough circumstances, so there is no doubt that after her hand is healed, she will toss away all doubt over the top rope and reverse her luck in Las Vegas by betting on herself.