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The Women's Royal Rumble match celebrated its fifth anniversary this year. Since debuting in 2018, the match has given fans a lot of good memories and the winners have gone on to have several noteworthy WrestleMania moments.
The following article lists the first five winners and ranks them based on what the match meant for their WrestleMania presence and beyond. As is customary, there will be a lot of debate and opinions among the wrestling fans.
However, the majority of fans should agree that the match has been a welcome addition to the yearly event and a solid starting point on the road to WrestleMania.
#5 2018 Women's Royal Rumble Winner, Asuka
In 2018, Asuka was a ready-made star. Coming off of an impressive undefeated streak and an unprecedented 510-day run as NXT Women's Champion, she was poised to make a big impact on the main roster.
When she won the inaugural event, fans were very excited at the possibilities that awaited her at WrestleMania 34. She ended up selecting WWE SmackDown Women's Champion Charlotte Flair and on paper, that appeared to be a highly intriguing match.
The match didn't come off as well as it could have and the creative team decided to put Charlotte over. Unfortunately for Asuka, she looked inferior in the loss and it took about two years to re-establish her as a main event player. Additionally, in losing, she never rose back up to the level she was in NXT.
For this reason, she is ranked last on the list of winners. However, the Japanese superstar is set to return from injury very soon. With time away and the emergence of some new talent in the Women's division, there is an opportunity for her to have a fresh start with some new matches and feuds.
Fans know what Asuka can do in the ring and it will be up to the creative team to book her appropriately.
#4 2022 Royal Rumble Winner, Ronda Rousey
Ronda Rousey returned at the 2022 Women's Royal Rumble to a favourable fan reaction. The Rowdy One went on to win the match, and the stage is set for a showdown against WWE RAW Women's Champion Becky Lynch. This is a confrontation many fans have been looking forward to for quite some time.
While this is the most popular match, there are conflicting reports around who Rousey will challenge. Several reports indicate that it could be Charlotte Flair, which would be a letdown. However, if the plan is to try to keep Rousey as a babyface and Lynch as a heel, the creative team may feel that the best way to do this is to keep them apart for now.
Charlotte is clearly defined as a heel so there's more of a chance of the fans cheering for Rousey if they meet inside the squared circle.
Rousey received the second-to-last ranking as the match did nothing to establish any new stars and was solely a platform for her WrestleMania journey.
#3 2020 Royal Rumble Winner, Charlotte Flair
This ranking may divide opinion as it also didn't result in anything major. The reason her Royal Rumble win is in the top three is that it at least tried to make a new star in Rhea Ripley, who was positioned as major attraction in NXT.
The result was an epic failure for a number of reasons. Firstly, the match between Flair and Ripley for the NXT Women's Championship at WrestleMania 36 was held without fans in attendance due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Secondly, the creative team once again decided to put Charlotte over, which derailed any momentum Ripley had at that point.
They never found a way to help her regain it before she suffered an injury later that year.
Charlotte is still one of the top attractions in a women's division that is in dire need of new stars. It is imperative that she be used to make new talent while she is in a position to do so.
#2 2021 Royal Rumble Winner, Bianca Belair
While the latter half of 2021 fell a bit flat for Bianca Belair, her Royal Rumble win last year prompted a career highlight when she had the match of the night at WrestleMania 37 against Sasha Banks.
Although the creative team unraveled a lot of her momentum with a quick loss to Becky Lynch at SummerSlam in 2021, her stock has remained high enough that she's still a top player on the RAW brand and should have a prominent role at WrestleMania.
It is unlikely she will return to the level she was when she faced Banks, but her 2021 Royal Rumble win should set her up for success for years to come.
#1 2019 Royal Rumble Winner, Becky Lynch
In 2019, Becky Lynch was at the top of her game. She was the most popular superstar in WWE and her Rumble win set the stage for women to headline WrestleMania for the very first time.
While the match didn't come off as well as it might have due to overbooking and its placement on the card, Lynch walking out as double Champion was one of the highlights of the year.
She's back as a heel and walks out to a mixed crowd reaction. But her run in 2019, which started with a Royal Rumble win, has firmly established her as a main event player in the company.
A WWE Hall of Famer called out AEW fans HERE
