Ronda Rousey set to defend her SmackDown Women’s Championship against surprising star at Royal Rumble - Reports

Ronda Rousey
Who's next in line to challenge The Baddest Woman on the Planet?

It appears that Ronda Rousey's challenger at WWE Royal Rumble has already been decided.

The Baddest Woman on the Planet chalked up another title defense at Survivor Series as she defeated Shotzi to retain her SmackDown Women's Championship. But with two months until the next premium live event, does WWE have a plan for what Rousey does next? A recent report suggests that there is already a plan in place.

According to Angel Aramboles of WrestlingNews.co, Ronda Rousey is scheduled to defend the SmackDown Women's Championship against Raquel Rodriguez at the 2023 WWE Royal Rumble.

Raquel Rodriguez was written off television on SmackDown last week after a vicious attack by Ronda Rousey and Shayna Baszler, where they slammed her arm in a crate and took her out of action. WWE stated that Rodriguez would be out for the next four to six weeks.

Who will be Ronda Rousey's opponent at WrestleMania 39?

The same report also goes on to state that Rousey is expected to go into WrestleMania as the SmackDown Women's Champion but doesn't state who her planned opponent will be.

But the WWE Universe has been very vocal over the last several days that Rousey should be dethroned by Becky Lynch at WrestleMania 39.

Lynch is the first woman to score a pinfall victory on Rousey, which took place back at WrestleMania 35 in a triple threat match with Charlotte Flair. This was the first time ever that the women were able to main event a WrestleMania.

Will Lynch win the 2023 Royal Rumble and go on to challenge Rousey at WrestleMania 39? We'll find out soon enough.

What do you make of this report? Do you think Raquel Rodriguez is the right choice to challenge Rousey at the 2023 Royal Rumble? Is Becky Lynch the only logical choice for her WrestleMania opponent? Let us know your thoughts by sounding off in the comments section below.

Quick Links