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WWE has announced a dual-brand battle royal for tonight's episode of RAW, where the women from both brands will face off to earn a shot at Asuka's Women's Championship.
During both of her reigns in 2020, Asuka has fended off many competitors, including Mickie James and Zelina Vega to retain the RAW Women's Championship. The announcement of a Battle Royal has come as somewhat of a surprise during the current WWE Draft.
Asuka has been of the shining stars of WWE's Pandemic Era programming. She is a strong fighting champion, although she has not had a lengthy feud over the title since she won it back from Sasha Banks.
Here are five women who could win the Battle Royal on RAW to determine Asuka's next challenger.
#5 Nikki Cross could win the Battle Royal on WWE RAW
Nikki Cross has been absent from WWE since just before Clash of Champions, where she was supposed to be facing Bayley. Cross could make her return to WWE television very soon, and what better way to do so than winning a shot at the RAW Women's Championship?
Like Asuka, Nikki Cross is a former two-time WWE Women's Tag Team Champion. The Kabuki Warriors dropped the titles to the team of Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross at WrestleMania 36. Since then, Asuka's tag team partner Kairi Sane has moved to Japan, and Nikki Cross has seemingly lost her tag team partner Alexa Bliss to The Fiend.
Nikki Cross is yet to win a singles championship in WWE, and she is more than ready to do so. She is a strong in-ring talent and has won fans over with her unique and loveable, albeit crazy persona since her main roster move.
A potential rivalry between Asuka and Nikki Cross is a very exciting prospect.
#4 Naomi could win the Battle Royal on WWE RAW
In the WWE Draft, Naomi was picked by RAW in the second round, possibly hinting that WWE could have big plans for in coming months. Naomi has been a fan favorite in WWE for some time now, but has been languishing on SmackDown with no clear direction for her character.
Fans have been calling for Naomi to get a chance at the Women's Championship for some time now, and the Battle Royal could be the perfect opportunity for this. Naomi hasn't had a chance at a title in WWE since her match against Bayley at Super ShowDown, where she put up a great fight, but lost to The Role Model because of her cheating ways.
Naomi is a very talented Superstar, and always puts on a great show in matches of this kind. She is notable for her daring spots in previous Royal Rumble matches, and tonight's battle royal may be no exception.
If Naomi did indeed win the Battle Royal, a rivalry between her and Asuka would be excellent to see. They are a unique pair of Superstars, and on the rare occasions that they have worked together, the team have wowed fans.
#3 Carmella could win the Battle Royal on WWE RAW
After a few months away from WWE, the return of Carmella has been much-hyped on television and social media. During her teaser vignettes, Carmella has hinted at a new, more serious direction with her character, dismissing her upbeat, babyface past with R-Truth.
Having Carmella win the Battle Royal and become a new competitor for the RAW Women's Championship would be a great way to establish her new persona and have her break out a strong competitor in the title scene in WWE. Before she went on a break from SmackDown, Carmella wasn't making as much of an impact as in previous years, and it would be great to see her come back strong and fighting.
Carmella and Asuka have previously had a rivalry over the SmackDown Women's Championship, where Carmella often used James Ellsworth to help her keep hold of the title. The dynamic between Carmella and Asuka is now very different, with Carmella being more of a focused character, in contrast to Asuka's upbeat personality.
Both Superstars are fierce in-ring competitors, and the pair could certainly deliver a great feud over the RAW Women's Championship.
#2 Bianca Belair could win the Battle Royal on WWE RAW
Bianca Belair has recently been drafted to SmackDown, but there is a strong chance that she could defeat her competitors for a shot at the RAW Women's Championship. Belair hasn't had a title shot since she moved from NXT to the main roster, which has been somewhat disappointing for fans. As a fan favorite, the WWE Universe has been clamoring for Belair to be in the title picture.
Over the past few weeks on RAW, Bianca Belair has been shown in a series of vignettes, illustrating why she has been dubbed the EST of WWE. The Superstar has been shown outperforming men in the gym, beating people in races, and outsmarting others in quizzes so far. Bianca Belair earning a shot at the RAW Women's Championship would be a great way to demonstrate her strength and power in WWE.
Bianca Belair has been admired for her prowess in the ring, as well as her unique look and impeccable promo work. Belair has already shown that she is a force to be reckoned with, and in this year's Royal Rumble, set a record for her amount of eliminations. She later defeated her foes on NXT in a Battle Royal to determine a challenger for then-NXT Women's Champion Rhea Ripley. Add to this the whisperings that Bianca Belair is due for a push in WWE, and it sounds as though she will be one to watch tonight.
#1 Peyton Royce could win the Battle Royal on WWE RAW
A few weeks ago on RAW, hearts were broken when The IIconics unexpectedly split following a stipulation match against The Riott Squad. The split was to supposedly establish Royce as a singles star in WWE. Since the split, fans have seen Peyton Royce throw Billie Kay in between Marina Shafir and Jessamyn Duke on RAW Underground, defeat Kay in a match and also face Asuka, which was interrupted by Zelina Vega.
The fact that the two faced off very recently maybe a hint at a future rivalry between the pair. The fact that it was interrupted by Vega may mean that WWE wants the rivalry between the two to boil on, without making either competitor look weak in the process.
In a similar vein to Bianca Belair, there has been much talk of Peyton Royce being in a for a huge singles push in the near future. Having Peyton Royce defeat the members of the RAW and SmackDown women's rosters in this high-stakes match could just be the way to establish her as a big star in WWE.
Peyton Royce has been praised recently for her vast improvements in the ring, and she has been known throughout her career for her brilliant promo skills, making her an excellent choice to carry a big storyline with Asuka over the RAW Women's Championship.
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