The Royal Rumble is less than two months away! The exciting event will see the return of the women’s rumble, which started in 2018. The women’s rumble certainly has its highs and lows, but there’s no denying the impact it had on the overall product. Thus far, there have been six women who have won the Royal Rumble. 

This list will count down the worst to best winners from years past. I won’t just take into account the win itself. But how the winner was treated following the big night and whether the opportunity elevated said wrestler. There’s been plenty of men’s Royal Rumble winners and a good portion of them were never elevated into something truly meaningful. The same applies to some of the women who have won the big one. Let’s start with the worst entry on the list.

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6. Ronda Rousey

The win itself was fine as it was a genuine surprise that the former WWE Women’s Champion made her return. But Rousey got off to a bad start. You can tell that the boos in her first run got the better of her because Rousey’s attitude wasn’t particularly likable. Granted, Rousey left as a heel in 2019, but WWE was clearly setting her up as a babyface. Still, Rousey’s attitude is a minor problem in a sea full of them. 

Becky Lynch was the WWE RAW Women’s Champion. This was the perfect opportunity to finally deliver the Rousey/Lynch feud that fans had been clamoring for. The dynamic was more interesting this time since the latter was in the heel position. Lynch can bring the best out of anyone because her charisma and incredible mic skills are top-notch. She would’ve been the perfect dance partner for the former MMA star, who desperately needed someone to carry her promo-wise. 

Instead, her return feud was with Charlotte Flair, a dead character who was extremely cold at this time. Their entire feud felt lifeless and Ronda Rousey’s momentum suffered because of it. Though Rousey won following their Backlash encounter, she was heavily damaged at this point. The thin Smackdown roster didn’t make her situation better. Rousey never got back the heat that she had in her first stint as the booking following her big win did so much more harm than good. 

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5. Charlotte Flair

This is the most pointless rumble win on the list, but it did have so much potential. I like the move to have Flair challenge for the NXT Women’s title. Her and Rhea Ripley had an excellent match at WrestleMania 36. The hope was that Flair would eventually put over Ripley once she dropped the belt. Or at the very least, she helps the NXT Women’s division with her presence in the developmental brand. She didn’t. She beat Ripley again the following month and didn’t particularly wrestle much on NXT. Even worse, when she did drop the belt in a Triple Threat match, Ripley took the pin once again. It took the current Women’s World Champion a long time to recover after being buried by Flair’s run. Her venture down in NXT served no purpose other than ratings, making her rumble win pointless overall. 

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4. Asuka

This one breaks my heart. Again. WWE was doing an excellent job building up the undefeated streak of Asuka. Sure, it would’ve been predictable for her to go on to WrestleMania and beat Flair for the belt, but Asuka’s first loss should’ve meant something. 

Flair didn’t need the win because she’s an established name. But, there was something interesting that the company could’ve done with Asuka following such a huge loss. They didn’t. She was pushed to the side after WrestleMania and then jobbed to Carmella a few months later. Asuka has been able to bounce back since that shocking loss, but this was a missed opportunity on a massive scale. Asuka’s win at WrestleMania would’ve cemented her as a star. Plus, her first official loss could’ve created a new star. This loss was a misguided attempt to trick the masses. The win didn’t do Flair any favors and it damaged Asuka’s name for a brief period. 

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3. Rhea Ripley

Rhea Ripley is a star! But that happened before she won the rumble. Her win was predictable, but it wasn’t a bad thing by any means. Ripley went on to have a fantastic match against Flair at WrestleMania and she continues to excel on WWE programming. Her big win was necessary because there was no denying just how much growth she had done in 2022. Her title reign isn’t particularly the best, but that’s because no one feels like a genuine threat at the moment. Still, Rhea is rightfully on top of the mountain and it’ll be exciting to see who she faces at WrestleMania in 2024. Should she make it with the belt, of course. 

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2. Becky Lynch

Again, predictable, but there was no other name hotter than Becky Lynch in 2019. Her three-way rivalry with Flair and Rousey was flimsy, though that go-home angle before WrestleMania 35 was tremendous. The match itself wasn’t anything to write home about, but Becky Lynch was able to carry the division forward because she’s just so darn good. Her mic skills are off the charts and her wrestling ability only seems to get better as time goes on. Her title reign was good, filled with great matches, and strong promos, though “The Man” schtick was getting a bit tiresome towards the end. Nevertheless, Becky’s win did wonders for the division as she was able to carry it forward. 

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1. Bianca Belair

Bianca Belair’s win was a nice surprise. Belair (and Ripley) introduced a new wave of women in the current generation and the former WWE Smackdown Women’s Champion has proven that she rightfully deserved her spot in the main event. Though Belair lacked a strong feud throughout her title reign, she managed to stand toe-to-toe with some of the best names on the roster. Blair's reign consists of notable bangers including her title win against Sasha Banks. 

Belair was a welcome and fresh face in a division that was growing a bit stale due to the same names securing the top spot. Her win stands as the best because it was unpredictable, her post-match reaction felt genuine, and Bianca has become a massive star that has elevated the entire roster.