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On the December 18th edition of Monday Night Raw, Stephanie McMahon stated that the first-ever all-female Royal Rumble match would take place at the 2018 Royal Rumble pay-per-view.
This announcement came to the delight of all women of WWE and many fans who were happy to see the women get a chance to make further strides in WWE history, but this also caused scepticism amongst fans who had little to no faith in the company’s creative team.
While it is true that women of WWE have made history with first-time matches, stipulations and main events, the company has also had its fair share of disappointments including the layout of the first-ever women’s Hell in a Cell match and James Ellsworth securing the briefcase for the first women’s Money in the Bank Match. WWE’s track record with women’s wrestling got even worse this past month when both shows debuted factions with similar looks and similar tactics on the same week.
While many fans are hopeful and willing to see how this plays out, there are also plenty of people wondering if the WWE will find a way to malign the first-ever women’s Royal Rumble.
So, before any official match rules are announced, here are Five Ways the WWE can make the first-ever Women’s Royal Rumble the success it deserves and needs to be.
#5 Include NXT Roster
The number of women on the main roster has grown in recent years and is widely considered to have the most talent of any era of women’s wrestling in the WWE. However, the greatest number of possible competitors in the Royal Rumble match would be 20, excluding the champions and the inactive Nikki Bella.
WWE has yet to release information regarding NXT’s place in this Royal Rumble match, but if the WWE were considering including the NXT Women in this match, then they’re on the right track already.
WWE may attempt a 30-woman Royal Rumble next year and they’ll need at least 10 more women’s wrestlers if that is their goal. Including the women of NXT in that equation would be a perfect chance to showcase more women’s wrestlers while also teasing some future storylines.
NXT Champion Ember Moon having a faceoff with her former rival Asuka could be a big moment in the match as would having Bianca Belair go head to head with Sasha Banks.
There are a lot of memorable moments that can occur if the women of NXT are included in this historic match.
#4 Qualifying Matches
As previously stated, the number of women on the main roster is greater than it’s ever been. The company could have a situation were 30 women from Raw, SmackDown and NXT could compete in a Royal Rumble match, but that doesn’t mean they should.
While the rosters are bigger and more talented than they’ve ever been, one of the WWE’s biggest goals with this match should be to establish the prestige and the honour that comes with making history in women’s wrestling. To do this, WWE should only include their best athletes to prevent the match from being filled with wrestlers that fans aren’t invested in and to make sure the match reaches its potential. A great way to accomplish this would be to include qualifying matches on all three shows for the Royal Rumble.
Qualifying matches would not only add intrigue to the women’s matches on WWE programming but would get the message across that the women of WWE are earning a chance to make history versus everyone being included simply because they’re women.
The first Women’s Hell in a Cell match featured two of the best women’s wrestlers WWE had to offer and the first Women’s Royal Rumble should have qualifying matches to ensure that only the best are allowed a chance at glory.
#3 Use their Time Wisely
Women’s wrestling has often suffered from severe time constraints, but recent history has seen big changes in the division with the women of WWE receiving lengthy matches and even main events. However, the company should be careful of how much time they a lot for this match.
While the Women’s Royal Rumble match will likely be one of the longest women’s matches in WWE history, they’ll also have to keep in mind that the Men’s Royal Rumble is still the bigger match and will take the longest amount of time. Most of the previous Royal Rumble matches have lasted about an hour, but the Women’s Royal Rumble match probably shouldn’t go past 30 minutes.
Sitting through a single one-hour match can be tedious enough, but sitting through two would feel like overkill. The feeling of overkill was what many fans used to describe the 2016 Hell in a Cell pay-per-view, which featured three Hell in a Cell matches. The number of matches in this situation is different, but the dilemma remains the same.
WWE will need to find the perfect amount of time to ensure that the women get the match they deserve, but not to the point of hindering the pay-per-view.
Whether the WWE has to cut down the entrant time or reduce the number of entrants in the match, an overly long Women’s Royal Rumble would benefit no one.
#2 Interesting Returns
One of the biggest factors that adds to the interest of the Royal Rumble match are the returns fans get to see every year. Whether it’s a big-time star from a past era or a beloved midcarder, fans enjoy seeing former WWE wrestlers in the Rumble. With that in mind, the Women’s Royal Rumble should also feature some big returns.
WWE has employed a lot of women over the years and there are definitely big stars in women’s wrestling that the WWE can bring back for a special appearance. These returns don’t need to be long, but they’ll need just the right amount of time to let fans enjoy the moments.
Some of the biggest names that would make for some great returns in the Rumble match would be Trish Stratus, Lita, Awesome Kong (Kharma), Beth Phoenix and AJ Lee to name a few.
#1 A Deserved Winner
The structure of the match, the timetable and who they let participate will be big factors in making the women’s Royal Rumble feel important, but the match will feel like a waste if the wrong wrestler wins.
In recent years, WWE has had plenty of Royal Rumbles where the winners either didn’t need the accomplishment or received the honour too soon. Avoiding this mistake will be critical to their Royal Rumble match and will set the tone for any future Rumble matches to come.
Many fans have suggested that having Ronda Rousey debut in the WWE and win the match would be great, but that isn’t necessary because she’s already a star. Despite some big losses in the UFC, Rousey is still one of the biggest names when it comes to female athletes and will automatically come with a sense of credibility that other members of the roster don’t have. Giving Rousey the honour of winning the first women’s Royal Rumble would seem like overkill.
The women’s Royal Rumble should be used to establish a woman who is close to the championship picture but has yet to win the title. Of all the women on the roster, the three who stick out the most are Paige, Nia Jax and Asuka. Every other woman on the roster is either a former or current main roster champion, too new or not a big enough star.
Whoever ends up winning the match, hopefully, it’s a decision that WWE thinks through for the long-term growth of the Women’s Division rather than just a moment in time.
