What if Ember Moon wins the women’s Royal Rumble 2019?

The critics’ consensus is that NXT is great and, at least from a hardcore fan’s perspective, the best that WWE has had to offer over the last five years. If there’s one failing to the developmental system, it’s setting up talent for success on the main roster as so many special acts from NXT have floundered after they got their calls up.

Ember Moon has been a prime example of that dynamic. She grew into a star in NXT but since moving up to Raw has done next to nothing. She’s largely been protected but has also mostly been lost in the shuffle as the kind of star who doesn’t consistently get TV time, and whom most fans wouldn’t really notice was gone if she were released.

All of that could turn around if Moon were to win the women’s Royal Rumble 2019.

Moon is in no way a favorite to go over in the 30-women match. The scarcity of losses on her record and her history as an NXT Women’s Champion means that her winning wouldn’t be completely out of nowhere, though.

And what if Moon does win the Rumble? The odds are that she won’t stick around Raw to challenge Ronda Rousey, who has unfinished business with Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair. There’s a natural story to be told of Moon hopping to SmackDown to challenge Asuka, revisiting their stellar rivalry from NXT. Moon and Asuka are by all accounts friends in real life, and would surely work hard to carry over their NXT chemistry to the biggest stage available on the main roster.

Especially if Lynch or Flair were to properly move to Raw, Moon could get her chance for a proper featured run in the blue brand, reigning atop the women’s division as champion, or at least continuing to work strong matches opposite the Empress.