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Although the announcement was badly botched (there was no reason why the women should have stood there, their hostilities evaporated, and looking gooey), there's no denying that last night's reveal was a very big deal. It's hard to hide what this means for the women of the WWE, who were overjoyed.
As good as this can potentially be, there are some major concerns. As displayed last night in the botched announcement, WWE can easily ruin this, much as they did the first women's Money in the Bank match in June.
If WWE is wise, they'll maximise the strengths of this match while minimising the weaknesses. With that in mind, we need to look objectively at the pros and cons of a women's Royal Rumble.
Con: Two Rumbles in one night can be overkill
This was a logistical challenge that was always going to be present. It's hard to escape the truth that holding two Royal Rumble matches on the same night could be a recipe for fan burnout, even if the two matches bookend the pay-per-view.
This possibility could have been mitigated had they chosen to do the Rumbles on two separate nights but that would present additional problems.
How it's structured will be crucial. Will there be 20 participants? 25? 30? What will the intervals be between entrants? All of this will affect the time elapsed. Given the female roster, a Rumble around a half an hour might be the ideal length.
The action inside the ring will be important too. For the success of the match, WWE should centre it around the more talented ring workers racking up quick eliminations of some of the less talented ones. Otherwise, it could drag very badly.
Pro: A proper WrestleMania program
The major weakness in the women's division isn't their lack of participation in any particular match type. As always, the biggest problem is booking, and the women's division has suffered from very poor creative decisions for the past year. In late 2015-16, things looked to be heading in the right direction, but that momentum has been lost this year.
Nowhere is this more evident than WrestleMania itself. Last year's spectacle featured the highly praised triple threat match between Charlotte Flair, Becky Lynch, and Sasha Banks. This year's featured a fatal 4- way and a 6-pack challenge where no one really mattered.
A women's Royal Rumble has the potential to change that, setting up a proper WrestleMania program that actually feels like it matters.
Perhaps finally we could be in for a women's WrestleMania singles match for the first time since 2007... and one that lasts for longer than 3 minutes.
Con: Booking concerns
WWE hasn't done the best job during the past few Royal Rumbles, and given the already poor booking of the women's division and the notorious Philadelphia crowd, this is definitely a major concern. If WWE doesn't book this right, it could turn the pioneering bout into a total train wreck.
The formula for the Women's Royal Rumble should be a simple one. Asuka should win and challenge Alexa Bliss, or preferably Paige, for the RAW Women's Championship at WrestleMania. It's the only outcome that makes sense at this point.
There is a lot of speculation that Ronda Rousey could debut in this match and win it, but with the Philadelphia crowd, this is a dicey proposition and would certainly feel like force-feeding. The last thing this match needs is another Roman Reigns situation.
As of now, Asuka winning is obvious, but obvious isn't always bad. A surprise Becky Lynch victory to eventually take on a heel Charlotte at WrestleMania would also surely get a good reception, but that's an unlikely outcome at this point.
WWE must get the winner right. There's only one time to do a first match and the proper winner has practically fallen into their lap. It's hard to screw that up, but they certainly can.
Pro: NXT surprises and returning legends
Last night's announcement didn't go unnoticed by the women in NXT.
Might we see these or other NXT Superstars involved in the matchup? It surely would be a good idea to get them some exposure on one of WWE's biggest stages.
Not to be outdone, WWE's hall of fame women weren't silent either.
No Royal Rumble would be complete without some returning legends. Should Trish, Lita, or Alundra Blayze appear, Philly would certainly get loud, and it would add a lot of edge to the match, reducing the possibility of fan burnout with the two Rumbles.
Pro: Teases
A Royal Rumble is a great way to tease potential feuds and matches. This Rumble would be no exception. Should Ronda Rousey indeed appear, standoffs with Becky, Bayley, Sasha, and Asuka would guarantee an electric crowd. Asuka vs. Becky or Sasha would do the same. The list goes on.
The Royal Rumble match is so much fun partially because it's one of the few times during the year when RAW and SmackDown superstars clash with one another.
WWE must keep the match as entertaining and electric as possible to avoid the aforementioned fan burnout, and having a bunch of teases, often cross-branded, would be an excellent way to do that.
