5 Last-minute predictions for the Women's Royal Rumble: Returns, Eliminations, Winner

Bianca Belair (left); Alexa Bliss (right)
Bianca Belair (left); Alexa Bliss (right)

The Royal Rumble is always the most anticipated WWE show of the year and 2021 is just like every other edition. There is no clear winner for either match and multiple Superstars could feasibly punch their ticket to WrestleMania by the end of the weekend. The 30-woman Royal Rumble Match is an intriguing prospect.

It generally does not get much of a build on RAW or SmackDown, possibly since less than half of the field has been announced. This only lends to excite the fans, with a lot of potential surprises that could be in store. Also, there are sure to be several high-profile spots that take place.

The Royal Rumble always promises some massive confrontations, comedic spots, and possible shock eliminations. It is WWE at its story-driven best. Anyway, this article is a last-minute attempt to predict some of the major plot points that could happen in the 2021 Women's Royal Rumble Match.

This includes surprise entrants, key eliminations, major moments, and of course, the winner. It is incredibly hard to predict a match like this, but here goes.


#5 Bianca Belair and Bayley are No. 1 and No. 2 in the Women's Royal Rumble Match

WWE was initially going to announce the first two entrants of the Women's Royal Rumble Match on the returning WWE Backstage show on FS1, but it seems as if plans have changed. Regardless of that, the best thing they could do from here is to start the 30-woman Rumble off hot.

The biggest non-title women's feud on RAW or SmackDown in the build to Royal Rumble has been between Bayley and Bianca Belair. Following their highly entertaining obstacle course segment last week, the two of them faced off tonight on SmackDown. Belair picked up the victory over Bayley and that may be the end of their feud, but they could yet have one more showdown.

They should both start the Royal Rumble Match as the first two entrants. Belair and Bayley remain among the better in-ring Superstars in the match, with both of them being solid contenders to go the distance and last the entire match. Having them continue fighting would add further gravitas to their feud.

WWE could put a bow on this feud by booking Bianca Belair and Bayley to last up to an hour each in the Royal Rumble. With both Superstars holding a win apiece over each other, The EST of WWE could eliminate The Role Model to end their feud on top.

#4 The biggest surprise return in the Women's Royal Rumble Match is...

Eva Marie. After months of speculation of her hanging around backstage, the former Diva Search winner could make her WWE return in the Royal Rumble.

Marie might not be the greatest wrestler in the women's division, but a character like hers might shine on Monday Night RAW if booked well. She has not been on WWE TV since the summer of 2016 - the first few episodes of post-brand split SmackDown Live.

With that being said, there are many other potential surprise returns that could materialize in the Women's Royal Rumble Match. However, do not expect either Becky Lynch or Ronda Rousey to be there. Their returns might end up happening closer to WrestleMania, if they even come back this year. Instead, we could see some main roster stars returning from injury and a variety of NXT entrants.

Lana and Chelsea Green feel like safe bets to return at Royal Rumble, with either of them being good fits to start a tag team with Eva Marie depending on what brand she ends up on, and whether she returns at all. Other absentees from RAW and SmackDown, like Naomi and Mickie James, could show up as well.

There may be quite a few surprise entrants from NXT in this year's Women's Royal Rumble Match. A couple of them seem like locks, with Rhea Ripley particularly likely to show up in the ThunderDome on Sunday. She has done everything possible on the Black and Gold brand and hasn't been seen since her brutal Last Woman Standing Match against Raquel Gonzalez at NXT New Year's Evil.

Among the others, Kacy Catanzaro could wow the world with her mind-boggling athleticism at Royal Rumble once again while the likes of Shotzi Blackheart and Candice LeRae may appear as well. Every NXT entrant should have some form of story in this match, especially Ripley. After all, this could very well be her official main roster debut.

#3 Rhea Ripley and Charlotte Flair have a face-off at WWE Royal Rumble

Carrying on from the potential surprises that could transpire in the Women's Royal Rumble Match, Rhea Ripley's appearance would generate a lot of interest. Also in the Rumble is Charlotte Flair, who won it last year and went on to defeat Ripley for the NXT Women's Championship at WrestleMania 36.

There is some unfinished business between the pair and an intense face-off could be likely to happen at Royal Rumble. Flair and Ripley will surely have another singles match in the near future, this time with the younger star winning. They could have a moment to themselves at the Rumble, with one of them possibly eliminating the other.

While that would be one of the more significant moments in this match, we could see several of them throughout the Women's Royal Rumble. Here are a couple of other possible elimination spots that could happen during the 30-woman match.

Billie Kay will likely get involved in some shenanigans with Liv Morgan and Ruby Riott, possibly causing them to get eliminated. The former IIconic could also realistically break the record for the fastest elimination in a Women's Royal Rumble Match. Maybe it is Peyton Royce who eliminates her.

Another possible elimination spot features Shayna Baszler and Nia Jax, who could very well enter the Royal Rumble as the new WWE Women's Tag Team Champions. They teased some slight dissension on RAW and could end up being the cause of each of their eliminations from the match.

Perhaps, the returning Lana might have a small hand in eliminating either Jax or Baszler. She does need to get her revenge on the two big bullies for taking her out of a big title match.

#2 Alexa Bliss enters the Royal Rumble three times under all of her different characters

Well, this is a bold prediction. Something like this has only ever happened once in a Royal Rumble Match, when Mick Foley entered the 1998 match as Cactus Jack, Mankind, and Dude Love. Alexa Bliss has been undergoing a metamorphosis and has snapped between characters on RAW.

During her match with Asuka this week, Bliss was the Firefly Fun House version of herself before turning into her original character and looking confused at what was happening. Finally, she became her darker self. The female version of The Fiend. Bliss could get even darker at the Royal Rumble.

However, the fact that she played all three characters during one match may telegraph Little Miss Bliss appearing as all of them in the Women's Royal Rumble Match. She could enter early on as the host of Alexa's Playground before getting eliminated, before re-appearing at around No. 18 or 19 as the original Alexa Bliss - the character she had been playing for the past few years.

After her second elimination, fans would likely figure out what is happening. However, that would not make the darker Alexa Bliss' emergence, as one of the final entrants of the Royal Rumble, any less cool. In fact, she could be even darker and truly absorb all of The Fiend's powers.

This instantly makes Alexa Bliss one of the favorites to win the 2021 Women's Royal Rumble Match. But will she?

#1 Bianca Belair wins the 2021 Women's Royal Rumble Match

No, Alexa Bliss does not win the Women's Royal Rumble Match. That distinction will likely go to Bianca Belair, who will have gone wire-to-wire to win it after being there from the beginning. There will be fierce competition from Bliss, as well as from the likes of Charlotte Flair and Rhea Ripley. Her three appearances during the match still might not be enough to win the Royal Rumble.

As a standalone match, Bliss could be very dangerous and end up winning the Rumble. However, it doesn't seem like she will be in the RAW Women's Championship picture come WrestleMania. It seems like Charlotte Flair will be in that spot, facing either Asuka, Ripley, or possibly both at The Show of Shows.

If that is the case, WWE should book a SmackDown Superstar to win the Women's Royal Rumble Match. It is in their best interests to ensure that Charlotte Flair does not win her second straight Royal Rumble. Therefore, Belair may end up winning by default. She has gathered enough momentum in recent weeks to be a worthy winner.

A match between Belair and Sasha Banks for the SmackDown Women's Championship at WrestleMania 37 would be fantastic, with the Royal Rumble being the perfect way to get there. The EST of WWE did eliminate eight Superstars in last year's Rumble Match after entering at No.2.

Bianca Belair could start the match once again and break her own elimination record, before lasting around an hour as the iron woman and winning the 2021 Royal Rumble Match.

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