Rhea Ripley Wins Women’s Royal Rumble At No. 1

Rhea Ripley made history by winning the Royal Rumble from the No. 1 position. Ripley last eliminated Liv Morgan, who entered at No. 2. Ripley racked up the most solo eliminations (five). And both Ripley and Morgan broke Bianca Belair’s record as the longest-lasting Royal Rumble entrants at slightly over an hour.

The Royal Rumble was dominated by Bayley and Damage CTRL, which systematically eliminated several women as a unit. The dominant trio met its match when Becky Lynch entered at No. 15, running wild on Damage CTRL before Lynch was overpowered. Damage CTRL and Lynch were responsible for one another’s eliminations, until Liv Morgan shockingly eliminated Bayley. In a potential potential WrestleMania preview, Lynch brawled with Damage CTRL through the crowd.

Unlike the men’s Royal Rumble, which was light on surprise entrants, the women’s Royal Rumble was peppered by appearances from NXT stars, legends like Michelle McCool and returns like a revamped Asuka character. The surprises continued throughout the Rumble, as Nia Jax entered (prematurely) at No. 30.

The WWE Women’s Royal Rumble has been swallowed by the overarching hype for the San Antonio showcase. The Royal Rumble pay-per-view centered around Cody Rhodes’ comeback and Bloodline’s involvement with the event alongside Sami Zayn. Potential surprise returns of Attitude-Era stars like The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin also swung heat in the direction of the men’s Royal Rumble.

WWE only announced seven participant for the women’s Royal Rumble by Friday, however once SmackDown concluded, that number ballooned to 12. Women’s Royal Rumbles have been peppered with more surprises than most due to a thinner women’s roster, and even with women’s wrestling suddenly thriving under the Triple H Era, the 2023 Royal Rumble created several opportunities for these moments.

Based on booking alone, Ripley was the unquestioned favorite to win her first Royal Rumble. Ripley has not lost a singles match on TV since May. Ripley led the women’s field for most eliminations (-150) and the Royal Rumble winner (-200). Ripley was not only a favorite, she was basically a spoiler pick according to Vegas. The next greatest odds went to Charlotte Flair at +2000, who did not enter the Royal Rumble as the SmackDown women’s champion.

Rhea Ripley had been booked so strong in recent months, where she routinely competed with male Superstars, she even gained steam as a potential winner of the men’s Royal Rumble. By night’s end, Ripley still managed to make history by becoming the first woman to win the Royal Rumble at No. 1.

WWE seems to have had plans for Rhea Ripley vs. Bianca Belair (who retained against Alexa Bliss) at WrestleMania 39 for quite some time now. During a backstage segment on the November 7, 2022 broadcast of Raw, Ripley acknowledged Belair in a tense exchange.