Natalya earns No. 30 spot for Women's Royal Rumble on WWE Backstage Special 

By Matthew Serocki
Modified Jan 31, 2021 08:06 IST
Two veterans battled it out for No. 30.
Two veterans battled it out for No. 30.

WWE switched things up with the Royal Rumble this year. Instead of announcing the lucky Superstar that will enter the Women's Royal Rumble at No. 30, WWE decided to have a match for the honor.

On WWE Backstage's Royal Rumble Special, Natalya defeated Tamina to earn the right to enter the Women's Royal Rumble match last.

It's been a while since we've seen WWE Backstage with the trio of Paige, Booker T, and Renee Young. WWE has approached this Royal Rumble differently than others, as Edge also announced his involvement on the go-home RAW.

And instead of saving a big return like Braun Strowman's for the battle royal, the Monster Among Men returned on the go-home SmackDown to remind the WWE Universe that he is always a threat.

For this year, WWE announced earlier in the week that WWE Backstage was returning for a Royal Rumble Special. On the special, particular spots in each Royal Rumble contest would be revealed.

The match was short as Nattie picked up the win via a roll-up. The win does give her the advantage of entering the melee last. If she is in the title plans heading into WrestleMania season, then she has the best opportunity to earn a shot by being the final entrant.

Will knowing the last entrant in Royal Rumble beforehand spoil things?

One of the biggest sticking points of the Royal Rumble match has been who enters when and if the last spot is a big name or a debuting/returning star.

By having a match the day before to essentially announce the 30th entrant, will that take away some of the lusters on Royal Rumble day? Even though she won the coveted 30th spot during the WWE Backstage special, none of the panelists picked Natalya to win the Women's Royal Rumble match. Will she make them regret not picking her?

It all depends on who WWE decides to push in the match and give a title shot to at the Show of Shows. If someone like Bayley or Charlotte Flair was in the match, then the stakes would have been raised all the higher.

But since Natalya and Tamina are not necessarily booked on the same level of two of Four Horsewomen of NXT, the result is likely a showcase for two of the longest tenured women in all of WWE.

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