3 Possible reasons why Zoey Stark won the battle royal to face Rhea Ripley at WWE Survivor Series

Zoey Stark is finally meeting Rhea Ripley one-on-one at WWE Survivor Series. The former NXT Women’s Tag Team Champion will challenge Mami for the Women’s World Championship at the upcoming Premium Live Event in Chicago.

Stark earned her shot at Ripley’s world title by winning the battle royal on WWE RAW tonight. The 29-year-old star last eliminated Shayna Baszler with a spinning DDT on the apron. The challenger then confronted the champion during a backstage segment.

The pair had met in their Fatal Five-way match at Crown Jewel 2023. With that being said, let’s take a look at three possible reasons as to why Zoey Stark is facing Rhea Ripley at WWE Survivor Series:

#3. WWE wants to establish Zoey Stark as singles competitor

Zoey Stark has always been great inside the ropes. She had a solid run in Triple H’s version of NXT, where she captured the women’s tag titles alongside IYO SKY. She was also involved in a title program with Mandy Rose but failed to beat her for the NXT Women’s Championship.

Stark made her main roster debut on May 8 in a match against Nikki Cross. She soon entered into an alliance with Trish Stratus but turned face at Payback. By giving her a title match at WWE Survivor Series, Triple H could wish to establish Stark as a singles star.

#2. The pair won’t feud past WWE Survivor Series

Zoey Stark hit Rhea Ripley with her Z-360 finisher but couldn’t capitalize on her momentum at Crown Jewel 2023. The Eradicator recovered and planted Stark with an avalanche riptide. She then pinned Shayna Baszler for the win.

It is possible that Zoey Stark could be a one-time feud for Rhea Ripley till The Eradicator eventually moves on to a long-term opponent like Shayna Baszler or Raquel Rodriguez.

The Queen of Spades might be next in line for the title shot because she was the last person to be eliminated in the battle royal.

#1. To set up Rhea Ripley vs. Becky Lynch

WWE has dropped major teases for Rhea Ripley versus Becky Lynch in the past. Both bumped into each other on multiple occasions. The Man has also called out Mami for not being a fighting champion on an episode of WWE RAW.

Becky Lynch was supposed to compete in the battle royal tonight on RAW but was taken out by Xia Li before she could enter the ring. Lynch also has a history with Stark, and the whole angle can potentially lead to the eventual Ripley versus Lynch somewhere down the line.

Fans can check out the live results of WWE RAW here.