The Royal Rumble has been a yearly tradition in WWE since 1988 and marks the beginning of the Road to WrestleMania. The Rumble match itself is a fan favorite, known for its unpredictability and excitement. However, it wasn’t until 2018 that women’s wrestling fans were able to fully share in that excitement with the introduction of the Women’s Royal Rumble match.
Since the inception of the Women’s Royal Rumble match, eight women’s Rumble matches have taken place, producing seven different winners, with one wrestler winning twice. Winning the Royal Rumble and earning a spot at WrestleMania has benefited most winners, as many go on to become Women’s Champion. However, this opportunity has not paid off for everyone, as a few Rumble winners have fallen short at the marquee event and lost their title matches.
Let’s go through the seven winners from the eight matches and see who, at the time of this writing, has benefited the most from a Royal Rumble win.
8. Ronda Rousey
It comes as little surprise to many fans that Ronda Rousey is widely regarded as the worst winner in the history of the women’s Royal Rumble. Her victory came in 2022, marking her return to the company for a second run. While it was presented as a “surprise” return, it was one that few people truly wanted—especially given how many active superstars at the time could have greatly benefited from winning the match.
Many women’s wrestling fans were hoping to see Sasha Banks win the match. Still, no matter who fans were rooting for, the atmosphere shifted dramatically when Rousey’s music hit. Her return didn’t need a Royal Rumble victory, particularly since the prize is a WrestleMania title opportunity. While Rousey did go on to WrestleMania, she ultimately fell short in her attempt to capture the SmackDown Women’s Championship from Charlotte Flair.
This win did nothing, not even for Rousey herself.
7. Charlotte Flair (2025)
Charlotte Flair is the only woman in history to win the Royal Rumble twice. Her second victory came in 2025 and, similar to Ronda Rousey, it marked a return. However, unlike Rousey’s surprise comeback, Flair’s return followed a year-long injury and was announced in advance. Unfortunately for Flair, in a year packed with major returns in 2025, her own comeback was easy to overlook, and the Royal Rumble victory itself didn’t leave much of a lasting impression. Beyond becoming the first woman to win the Rumble twice, the win lacked significance, especially since she went on to WrestleMania and failed to capture the title against Tiffany Stratton. In hindsight, this was a Rumble win that could have been better used to elevate someone else.
6. Charlotte Flair (2020)
I debated heavily about ranking Charlotte Flair’s Royal Rumble victories back to back, as neither win ultimately led to a positive or meaningful payoff. In this case, she chose to challenge then–NXT Women’s Champion Rhea Ripley. While the matchup itself was intriguing—given that Charlotte and Rhea were still relatively new opponents at the time—Flair defeating someone who was at the absolute peak of her run in NXT felt like an odd decision.
Although Flair unquestionably deserves accolades like a Royal Rumble win, it’s difficult to create a satisfying payoff for a talent who has already achieved so much. Her victory over Ripley at WrestleMania, followed years later by the loss to Tiffany Stratton at WrestleMania in 2025, ultimately did little to benefit her legacy. Charlotte’s Rumble win would have been far more impactful if it had been tied to a compelling storyline—perhaps facing an opponent she had never defeated before, or pursuing a rivalry with deeper personal or narrative significance.
It may not be likely that Flair wins a third Rumble in her career, but if by chance she does, hopefully it will be with a good payoff.
5. Asuka
This entry could have easily been ranked number one, but what followed Asuka’s victory ultimately prevents it from reaching that spot. Asuka became the first woman to ever win a Royal Rumble match, an achievement that alone warrants a high ranking. The inaugural women’s Rumble also took place at a time when the roster wasn’t as deep as it is today, which adds a strong sense of nostalgia when looking back at the competitors who entered. It was, without question, a memorable and historic moment.
For Asuka, however, the momentum stopped almost immediately after the win. She went on to challenge Charlotte Flair for the SmackDown Women’s Championship at WrestleMania, where she not only failed to capture the title but also suffered her first loss since joining WWE, ending her undefeated streak. While it was never realistic for Asuka to remain unbeaten forever, the decision still felt like a gut punch to her fans, turning what should have been a career-defining triumph into a moment with a disappointing payoff.
4. Rhea Ripley
The importance of Rhea Ripley’s Royal Rumble victory is sometimes understated, but it deserves far more recognition.
Ripley’s Royal Rumble victory felt perfectly timed. After finishing as the runner-up in 2021 and lasting 30 minutes to reach the final five in 2022, it seemed inevitable that she would eventually earn her WrestleMania moment by winning the Rumble. The lone drawback to her victory was WWE’s familiar issue of delivering a lackluster build for the women’s title. Ripley set her sights on SmackDown Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair, yet their shared history was barely explored or fully utilized.
Even with minimal buildup, Ripley’s Rumble win propelled her to WrestleMania, where she and Flair delivered what is widely considered one of the greatest women’s matches in WrestleMania history. Ripley emerged victorious, capturing the SmackDown Women’s Championship, solidifying her status as a true main-event star, and completing her journey to becoming a Grand Slam Champion.
While some may argue that Ripley would have broken through regardless of this Rumble win, her booking the previous year tells a different story. In 2021, she defeated Asuka at WrestleMania to win the Raw Women’s Championship without the momentum of a Rumble victory, and that title win ultimately became forgettable. The Royal Rumble win—and the decisive victory over Charlotte Flair—was exactly what Ripley needed to truly cement her legacy.
3. Bayley
Bayley is someone else who has won the Rumble which some may think didn’t need it to get her to WrestleMania. However, her lack of singles matches on the biggest stage of them all would beg to differ. Much like Ripley, Bayley’s win in the Rumble would go on to have a match of the year at WrestleMania with IYO SKY.
Throughout 2022 and into 2024, Bayley led Damage CTRL. With this came a lot of gold and accomplishments for the stable..that is besides Bayley. Bayley had not won any championship while leading Damage CTRL, but everyone else did. It wasn’t until Bayley won the Rumble and faced her former friend SKY that she captured the Women’s World Title.
This was another example of a lot of history to build from towards Mania, and WWE dropped the ball. The payoff was the match itself which did elevate Bayley from a long road of losses.
2. Becky Lynch
The 2019 Royal Rumble match is rarely regarded as one of the greats. Notably, its winner, Becky Lynch, wasn’t even planned to compete, she entered as a replacement for the already injured Lana, who was taken out by Nia Jax on the entrance ramp.
At this point it feels repetitive to say, but it was yet another oddly handled road to WrestleMania following Lynch’s win. She was even pulled from the match at one moment and replaced by Charlotte Flair, who then went on to take the title from Asuka before Mania. This turned the entire situation into a convoluted affair.
The payoff remains the most significant factor among the top four winners on this list. While Lynch’s road to WrestleMania was strange to say the least, she ultimately shared in the historic moment of becoming one of three women, alongside Charlotte Flair and Ronda Rousey, to main event a WrestleMania for the first time. She capped it off by winning the Triple Threat in a Winner Takes All match, emerging as a double champion.
1. Bianca Belair
No one has benefited more from a Royal Rumble victory than Bianca Belair. In 2021, she made history as the first, and still only, Black woman to win the Rumble and second Black person to win behind The Rock. Unfortunately, the moment took place without a live audience due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Bianca Belair emerged as a rising star from NXT in 2020, the year prior to her Royal Rumble victory. Her main-roster start was gradual, largely due to the absence of live crowds and limited opportunities to fully showcase her abilities. That trajectory shifted dramatically after she won the Royal Rumble and headed into WrestleMania 37.
Belair challenged Sasha Banks for the SmackDown Women’s Championship in Tampa, Florida, in front of a returning live audience. The match closed out Night One of WrestleMania, marking just the second time in history that women had main-evented the biggest event of the year. Belair won the match, and became the SmackDown Women’s Champion, cementing her as a top star. Despite losing the title in quick fashion at SummerSlam several months later, Belair has stayed at the top of the division since and is currently a Triple Crown Champion.
This Royal Rumble win was the best execution of who should win this event.
Who is taking the win in 2026?
Come back to Diva Dirt on January 31, this Saturday, to discuss the Royal Rumble live!