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In this new series, we take a look at the chances of the entrants in the 2019 Royal Rumble matches.
Last time, we covered the chances of The Rock.
This time, we cover our first female competitor, the longest reigning Divas Champion of all time, star of 'Total Divas' and 'Total Bellas', Nikki Bella.
In addition to being the longest reigning Divas Champion of all time, Nikki Bella is a two-time WWE Divas Champion. She won two WWE Slammy Awards for 'Diva of the Year' in 2013 and 2015. Rolling Stone magazine named her 'Diva of the Year' in 2015, and she won 'Choice Female Athlete' at the Teen Choice Awards in 2016. She main-evented the first ever all women WWE pay-per-view, 'Evolution'. The WWE also considers her to be one of the architects of the current 'Women's Evolution'.
As mentioned, she is also the star of not one, but two reality television shows. Her YouTube channel has 2,048,290 subscribers. She was a participant on season 25 of the hit television show, 'Dancing with the Stars', performing admirably. She was a celebrity judge at the 2013 'Miss USA' beauty pageant, launched her own clothing brand, as well as her own wine label. It is fair to say that Nikki Bella is fairly well known outside of wrestling.
Nikki Bella's Royal Rumble record thus far is excellent; she was the last competitor eliminated in the inaugural Royal Rumble match in 2018. Can she go one better and win the whole thing this year?
Let's find out.
The case for Nikki Bella winning the 2019 Women's Royal Rumble match
Nikki Bella is arguably WWE's most main-stream female superstar after Ronda Rousey. Her winning the 2019 women's Royal Rumble match would bring the most non-wrestling eye-balls to the WWE. She has a built-in, dedicated fan-base - her Bella Army.
She has the wrestling pedigree to back it up; Nikki has been a featured part of every show she has been on since at least 2014. She has the wrestling ability to back it up, and is a very accomplished wrestler who consistently improves upon her past performances. She will also be taken seriously by the audience as a main-event player due to her proven championship pedigree.
Nikki Bella is also likely to have an advantage in the match - the help of her twin sister, Brie Bella.
The WWE takes Nikki Bella very seriously, always presenting her as a star. There is a very simple reason for that: she is a star. And stars win big matches.
The case against Nikki Bella winning the 2019 Women's Royal Rumble match
Nikki Bella has not competed since WWE Evolution, more than two months ago. There is a very good reason for that - she is a part-time superstar due to health reasons. Bella underwent serious neck surgery in 2016, and at one point it was feared that her career was over.
Winning the 2019 Women's Royal Rumble match would mean a main-event full-time schedule until at least WrestleMania. It is possible that Nikki Bella is either unable, or unwilling to take on such a schedule.
It can also be argued that because she is such a big star, Nikki Bella does not need the Royal Rumble victory. Any programme that Nikki Bella is a part of will be a featured part of the show due to her star power. She does need to win the Royal Rumble match, she is already a star. Other participants in the match could use the boost that comes from winning more than she could.
Who will she challenge at WrestleMania 35?
A programme with Ronda Rousey would make a lot of sense - two main-stream stars, two decorated stars, two titans of women's sporting empowerment. That is why the WWE has already run this programme at WWE Evolution.
However, Nikki Bella vs. Asuka? That is a brand new matchup that makes a lot of sense for a lot of reasons.
The match itself would be a very very physical, hard-hitting affair due to both women's in-ring styles. Asuka has the necessary aura to counter Bella's star-power. More intriguingly, both women represent different eras, and different mindsets, at least in the minds of most fans.
Asuka is very much considered a superstar of the current 'Women's Evolution' era of the WWE. Her strong suits are her in-ring skills, and undoubted physical aura. She was hired due to her wrestling ability.
Due to no fault of her own, Nikki Bella is rather unfairly considered one of the poster-girls of WWE's 'Divas Era'. To her credit, she wears the title proudly, as she should. Nobody has worked harder than her, or improved more than her. Be that as it may, a lot of fans will still see it as a clash between two eras, giving the match a unique vibe.
This is also the Smackdown Women's Championship match with the most combined star-power. Any other combination is likely to be completely overshadowed by Ronda Rousey's RAW Women's Championship match.
This is the match to make.
The Verdict: Bella must be considered a strong contender to win this match. At the very least, she will have a very strong showing.
Agree? Disagree? Let us know in the comments.
