What if Ronda Rousey faces Charlotte at Evolution?

WWE’s Evolution PPV is being marketed as the WrestleMania of women’s wrestling. The fact that we’re getting an all-female show from the biggest wrestling company in the world is, in and of itself a big deal. It’s a little problematic to suggest women need their own separate ‘Mania, and can’t have more equitable exposure during the actual ‘Mania show, but nonetheless, WWE may well be setting the stage for one of its most special shows in a long time.

If WWE is going to go all out to truly make this a showcase event, there’s simply no bigger match they can book than Ronda Rousey vs. Charlotte Flair. Rousey is bar none the biggest female star ever attached to WWE. Meanwhile, Flair is one of the best talents on the roster, a big name in her own right, and the most consistently pushed over the last three years.

As if all that weren’t enough, there’s the logical enough booking of the Raw Women’s Champion vs. the SmackDown Women’s Champion if each holds onto her title into the fall. So what can fans expect if this match does get booked?

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#5 They’ll lock up the main event spot

It's hard to imagine a match that would close the show over Rousey-Flair.

The odds are that either Ronda Rousey or Charlotte Flair will close out the Evolution show in the main event. Rousey is the top mainstream star WWE has and a solid talent, and Flair is the biggest traditional star on the women’s roster and arguably the most dependable hand for a high profile match.

If the women are booked against each other? Not only should the match itself and the program leading up to it be quite good, but there’s really no match that could compete with its star power, even calling back top stars from yesteryear.

On top of these two major players themselves, theirs the prospect of WWE leveraging Ric Flair in promos to draw even more attention to the matchup, selling even casual fans who haven’t followed WWE faithfully in a while to tune in to The Baddest Woman on the Planet battling The Nature Boy’s daughter.

#4 More grappling

Charlotte Flair could allow Ronda Rousey to get more technical than we've seen so far.

In her initial outings, Ronda Rousey has shown a fine ability to combine her very legitimate judo, jiu-jitsu, and striking game into the worked context of professional wrestling. It’s noteworthy, too, that she’s managed this transition from real fighting into sports entertainment opposite a series of opponents such as Stephanie McMahon, Nia Jax, Alicia Fox, and Alexa Bliss.

While one should not take anything away from the women Rousey has been up against so far, it’s nonetheless true that McMahon and Bliss, in particular, are known far more for their personality and talking skills than their abilities on the mat.

Meanwhile, Jax was a believable foil because of her size advantage over the Rowdy one. Flair would offer Rousey her first opponent with a legitimate mat game and complete package of in-ring skills to put on the grappling classic that Rousey’s legitimate skills may well make her capable of.

#3 Rousey Wins

Ronda Rousey would probably be booked to defeat Charlotte Flair.

If anyone were to be booked to beat Ronda Rousey at this stage of her WWE career, especially without the benefit of significant outside interference, it would have to be Charlotte Flair. She’s an established, talented star whom WWE has largely booked on top of her division, besides which she comes from a wrestling family and thus won’t be expected to leave WWE anytime soon.

However, Ronda Rousey came to WWE as a huge deal based on her MMA career. She immediately delivered in terms of buzz and in terms of quality of performance in the ring. She has been booked as an indomitable force thus far in her WWE tenure and, just two months removed from winning her first championship gold in WWE, the company is not going to book her to lose a match.

While Charlotte would have to be considered a favorite against just about any other prospective opponent, if she faces Rousey at Evolution, there’s little question the Rowdy one goes over.

#2 Charlotte wins the Women’s Royal Rumble

Charlotte Flair's comeback story could well include winning the second women's Royal Rumble.

If Charlotte Flair is matched up against Ronda Rousey at Evolution, it’s hard to imagine her walking out the victor. Rousey is justifiably and believably being booked as an unbeatable force right now. But what would be in store for Flair?

WWE may well have her drop her SmackDown Women’s Championship as well to hot challenger Becky Lynch, or to the still uncrowned Empress Asuka. In doing so, WWE could tell a reasonable story of Flair losing it all, and fighting to come back from her multiple career setbacks just in time for WrestleMania.

A key step in that progression? Charlotte Flair was the biggest active name in women’s wrestling who didn’t compete in the inaugural women’s Royal Rumble match. Based on last year’s success and WWE’s ongoing celebration of female talent, there’s little question there will be another women’s Rumble, and there’d be no more fitting choice to win that second go-round than The Queen.

#1 A WrestleMania Rematch

The Rousey-Flair story could continue at WrestleMania 35.

Ronda Rousey vs. Charlotte Flair is way too much of a marquee match for WWE to run it just once. Just the same, while Rousey still feels like a special attraction, and while Flair is still very much in her prime, WWE shouldn’t be in too much of a hurry to book them together over and over. Rather, this should be kept a spotlighted showdown between two top stars in the business. It’s a rematch that should be saved for WrestleMania.

After Rousey wins the first encounter, and particularly if Flair wins the Royal Rumble to allow her to name her WrestleMania opponent, this rematch could come together nicely, and it would be a fine feather in Charlotte’s cap to have not only ended Asuka’s undefeated streak at WrestleMania 34, but to dethrone Rousey as champion at WrestleMania 35. Throw in the rumored Horsewomen vs. Horsewomen match at Survivor Series, in which these two would also be at odds, and the rivalry could build nicely over a half year stretch.