NFL
By Keith Richards
2025’s edition of the WWE Royal Rumble is now complete! With the Royal Rumble now complete, that special season is upon us. We are now on the Road to Wrestlemania! The Royal Rumble is the first stop on the Road to Wrestlemania because of the implications of the PLE winners. In both the men’s and women’s divisions, the winner of the Royal Rumble gets to choose their champion to face at Wrestlemania.
In the 2025 Women’s Royal Rumble edition, your winner is the Queen, Charlotte Flair. Charlotte made her anticipated return and outlasted the field for her second Royal Rumble victory. Now what? Who will Charlotte pick to face at Wrestlemania 41? What does that mean for the other champion? Who was the standout performer?
That’s what we’re here to discuss! Here are my three takeaways from the 2025 Women’s Royal Rumble!
Charlotte’s Champion – Tiffy or Rhea?
Her suspected target was already known when Charlotte Flair declared for the Royal Rumble. At Wrestlemania 39, Charlotte faced Rhea Ripley, and the proverbial torch was passed. However, there is another opportunity for the Queen to pass the torch. That is, of course, assuming she is ready to pass that final torch.
When it comes to Charlotte’s champion, it’s Tiffy Time! About a month ago, Tiffany Stratton cashed in her Tiffy in the Bank contract to become the WWE Women’s Champion. Charlotte may face Rhea one last time, but I think it’s unlikely. The only reason you have Charlotte win the Royal Rumble is to face Tiffany Stratton. It’s one of the most famous wrestling tropes. The past meets the present. Is the present ready to prevail?
The only problem is that Flair is not ready to be “the past.” In her promo video package before the Rumble, Charlotte stated, “‘Charlott Flair. She’s selfish.’ They say I’m greedy why wouldn’t I be? I have worked my ass off this past year to get to where I am now. I’ve heard the whispers; I’ve heard the stories. Guess what? They’re all true.”
Flair continues, “There’s a reason why it’s lonely at the top. I don’t need to make friends. I’ve had one goal since I started, and guess what? I’ve reached that goal. I stayed on top for ten years, and I’m not going to let this last year define me. I am fortunate, I am blessed, but I am also the history-making, groundbreaking, never scared, always prepared, self-made, always paid, the woman of WWE.”
Not sure about you, but that doesn’t sound to me to be a woman ready to pass that last torch. For Tiffy, it’s proving time. Paul Levesque put his faith in Stratton by making her the WWE Women’s Champion. The storyline between Tiffy and Nia Jax worked well. However, did the story work because of Stratton? Or did the story work because of Nia Jax?
If Flair picks Stratton, picking her Friday night on Smackdown is the best route. That way, Charlotte can make stops at Raw and NXT but make the decision we all think she should make at the last stop. In addition, it gives The Queen and Tiffy two months to build for Wrestlemania 41. Lastly, it will provide a month to build for the Elimination Chamber, where Rhea’s Wrestlemania challenger will likely be decided. Ironically, that leads directly to our next takeaway from the Women’s Royal Rumble.
Who will Rhea face at Wrestlemania 41?
Suppose Charlotte Flair does choose Stratton; that leaves Women’s World Champion Rhea Ripley without a number one contender. With two months until the showcase of the immortals, there is plenty of time to find one for the Eradicator. Rhea’s Wrestlemania challenger will be decided at Elimination Chamber in a month if the past is any indicator.
The question is, who is Rhea’s best opponent? If the feud with Liv is over, there is no shortage of quality opponents for a great match. I feel the best choice is Iyo Sky. However, I only think that is the best option if the plan is to crown Iyo. Sky is too good to lose another championship match. Rhea is one of the best draws of the Women’s division.
Still, the same can be said of Iyo Sky. Iyo is one of the best in-ring performers in WWE. Not just the Women’s division. ALL of WWE. The groundwork is already there for an Iyo–Rhea match. However, if the desire is to push for new talent, there is someone else Ripley may face. Her name is Jordynne Grace.
The former TNA champ made her second consecutive appearance at the Royal Rumble. This time, however, Jordynne appeared as an officially signed WWE talent. Jordynne Grace entered the Rumble at number 19. Immediately, Grace put on a power show by delivering a devastating Death Valley Driver to Piper Niven. It’s not that she pulled the move off. It’s that she did it with ease.
The appeal for a Ripley-Grace match is power vs. power. Rhea Ripley is arguably the most powerful woman in WWE. Jordynne Grace is another powerful woman who could supplant Ripley as the most powerful woman in WWE. Yet, even with the allure of Jordynne vs. Rhea, another woman is waiting in the shadows. That woman is The Man.
Reportedly, Becky Lynch signed a new contract with WWE before the WWE Netflix debut. However, we have not seen Lynch on Raw. Many thought Becky would be a surprise entrant into the Royal Rumble. We did not see her there either. So…where is the Man? We don’t know. There are no reports that give a definitive timetable for her return.
With that in mind, what better time for The Man to return than to throw her name in for Elimination Chamber? Lynch still shows on the WWE roster as a Raw talent. Much like Iyo Sky, Becky has enough of a history with the Eradicator that it’s an easy transition for a Wrestlemania match.
The options for an opponent for Rhea Ripley are endless. However, there’s one last takeaway from the Rumble to discuss, and that is the breakout star of the Women’s Rumble.
The Prodigy Shines
Former NXT Women’s Champion Roxanne Perez entered the Women’s Royal Rumble as entrant number three. Perez then proved that she earned the nickname The Prodigy. Roxanne was not only the Iron Woman of the match. She also set the record for the longest time in the Women’s Royal Rumble at one hour, seven minutes, and 47 seconds.
This year was Roxanne’s second consecutive Rumble appearance. Her only elimination this year was Giulia, to whom Perez lost the title. As of now, The Prodigy still shows a member of the NXT roster, but we all wonder how long she will stay there. Like myself, many feel that Perez is ready for the main roster.
Courtesy/WWE
In the Royal Rumble, Roxanne Perez showed that no moment was too big for her. Will she be in contention for one of the big titles immediately? No, but she doesn’t need to be. Roxanne Perez is a talent that doesn’t need the main title to shine. She’s someone who just needs TV time to excel. Not to mention, there are now two mid-card titles Roxanne can compete for as well. While I do no doubt Perez could still shine in a crowded NXT Women’s division, she has nothing else to prove there. It’s time to give her the bump to the main roster.
There is still much to figure out on the Road to Wrestlemania for the Women’s division. With the Royal Rumble done, Elimination Chamber is the next stop. Team NBS will be here for the journey. Up next? The three biggest takeaways from the Men’s Royal Rumble.
