5 early contenders to win the 2022 WWE Women's Royal Rumble Match

With the new RAW and SmackDown rosters setting in following Crown Jewel, we can begin to map out WWE's path for Royal Rumble and WrestleMania. Several female superstars will want to make their mark and win it all.

Royal Rumble 2022 will represent the return of crowds for the most exciting match of the year, with this year's event taking place in the WWE ThunderDome. It promises to be a cracker, as there are multiple possibilities over who may win the titular match.

WWE's women's division has grown in numbers, although it could be booked a lot better. The upside of the Royal Rumble is that a lot of underutilized talents can have a spotlight on them, especially if the top stars will be in Women's Championship matches at the event.

Even if both, Becky Lynch vs. Bianca Belair for the RAW Women's Title and Charlotte Flair vs. Sasha Banks for the SmackDown belt happen at Royal Rumble, the field is still stacked. As a result, the four of them have not been considered for this list.

With that in mind, these five names may be the top contenders to earn a WrestleMania title shot next January. Comment below with your pick to win the Women's Royal Rumble Match for 2022.

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#5 Paige can win the Royal Rumble if WWE clears her

First off, the wildcard pick to win the Royal Rumble.

Paige has continually teased an in-ring return on social media, with a few cryptic posts. And with other stars like Edge and Sting coming back from neck-related injuries, the former Divas Champion may have a shot at returning from retirement. It would be quite the moment.

Paige making a surprise return to win the Royal Rumble Match would go down very well among the fans. She'd instantly go into a big title match at WrestleMania, after missing a chunk of the "Women's Evolution" in WWE. The Anti-Diva wasn't around much from 2016 onwards until her premature retirement in 2018.

However, even without a shocking return from Paige, the company can wow the fans with some other great options to win the 2022 Women's Royal Rumble Match.

#4 Rhea Ripley will look to go one better from this year

Rhea Ripley had a dominant showing in this year's Royal Rumble Match, where she made her WWE main roster debut. The Nightmare eliminated seven superstars en route to a final two showdown with eventual winner, Bianca Belair.

She will want to go one step further in 2022 and win the Royal Rumble. Ripley has had a decent run on RAW, having won the Red brand's Women's Championship at WrestleMania. However, she has fallen down the card since losing it.

Once her tag team title reign with Nikki A.S.H. is over, she may go after Becky Lynch or Charlotte Flair. This could come via the Royal Rumble Match. Rhea Ripley may yet become a megastar on RAW or SmackDown, especially if she finally defeats The Queen.

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#3 Naomi's current WWE storyline might be setting her up for a Royal Rumble win

Currently, an underdog going up against the authority figure, Naomi's story might see her rise above Sonya Deville and win big. After years of disappointment, it seems like the time for the former SmackDown Women's Champion to rise once more.

Naomi can overcome every obstacle Deville throws in her way, eventually leading to a Royal Rumble win. Perhaps, she wins the 30-woman match to keep her spot on SmackDown. Having adopted the annual "Kofi Kingston spot" at the Rumble, Naomi can use her incredible flexibility to avoid elimination at all costs.

Also, some influence from her family can make things a bit easier. Roman Reigns could demand she gets a late number in the Royal Rumble Match, officially adding her to The Bloodline alongside her husband, Jimmy Uso.

#2 Liv Morgan would be the crowd favorite at the Royal Rumble

One of the outside picks to win the Royal Rumble in 2022, WWE fans have been behind Liv Morgan recently. The former Riott Squad member has worked relentlessly to improve in the ring, as we have seen when she is given time to wrestle.

Morgan has an underdog charm to her, which would make her the perfect shock winner next January. She can take on Becky Lynch for the RAW Women's Championship at WrestleMania and fulfill The Man's prediction about her last year.

It would be heartwarming to see Liv Morgan get the ball and run with it. Hopefully, WWE acts on the positive response to her and properly showcases the next top babyface star on RAW.

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#1 Bayley should win the Royal Rumble if she can return to WWE in time

Bayley suffered an ACL injury just before live crowds returned in July, which is pretty unfortunate. The timeline given for her recovery was six to nine months, which indicates a Royal Rumble return seems possible. If she is cleared by the end of January, Bayley has to win the Rumble.

She should do it as a babyface, especially since the fans have appreciated her stellar character work. The Role Model can become a much bigger star upon returning to WWE, with an organic return pop leading to a big win like with Triple H in 2002.

Bayley is yet to face Becky Lynch in a high-profile match, which would be the perfect destination for both women at WrestleMania 38. The returning star can win the Royal Rumble to set it up, potentially in the main event of Night One.

This would lead to one of the biggest pops in Royal Rumble history, at least on the women's side. If given the chance, the company must not squander it. Bayley is the perfect choice to win it all in 2022.