LIV MORGAN AND BIANCA BELAIR NOW JOINT FAVORITES TO WIN 2026 ROYAL RUMBLE
WWE hits Riyadh! Liv Morgan and Bianca Belair lead the betting odds as the 2026 Women's Royal Rumble takes over Saudi Arabia.
WWE Royal Rumble 2026 is coming up, and the women’s Royal Rumble is only in its ninth year—but you wouldn’t know it, looking at the lineup. The 30-woman battle royal feels as stacked as ever.
We’ve already got some big names confirmed, including former champions like Alexa Bliss and Asuka. And, you know how it goes—everyone’s waiting for those surprise returns. Last year, Charlotte Flair entered at No. 27, tossed out four people, and walked away with her second Royal Rumble win.
Honestly, Flair’s win didn’t really lead to much, but this time around, the field is wide open. That alone makes the women’s Rumble one of the most exciting matches on the card. With so many stars possibly coming back and no obvious challenger lined up for either main title, there’s no clear favourite.
Still, if you follow the backstage buzz and those little hints WWE likes to drop, you can start to see who’s got the best shot. Here are the five women everyone’s talking about as possible winners for 2026.
Charlotte Flair, looking back, Flair’s win in 2025 probably wasn’t the best move for her character. It didn’t do “The Queen” any favours, creatively speaking.
But she turned things around, thanks in part to an unexpected but really entertaining team-up with Alexa Bliss. Now, Flair’s one of the top stars in the division, so if she wins again—making it back-to-back and her third overall—it actually feels more earned this time.
Right now, she’s working in the tag division, but here’s the thing: there just aren’t a lot of clear challengers for Jade Cargill, the current SmackDown champ. Flair vs Cargill would be a legit dream match. If WWE can’t come up with something better, don’t be shocked if Flair wins another Rumble.
Becky Lynch, Some folks think Becky Lynch’s Intercontinental Championship win means she’s out of the world title picture for a while. Don’t count on it.
Raw’s Women’s World Champ, Stephanie Vaquer, looks set to hold onto her belt through WrestleMania. She needs someone credible to face, and Lynch is right there. She’s been doing great work, building up new talent like Maxxine Dupri and Lyra Valkyria.
A WrestleMania showdown with Lynch might be exactly what Vaquer needs to reach that next level. The Rumble win could set that up perfectly. Sure, there’s a chance someone like AJ Lee makes a surprise return and eliminates Lynch, but it makes a lot of sense for Lynch to go all the way and challenge Vaquer in Vegas.
Word is, Lynch was one of two big names WWE considered for a spot against Vaquer at WrestleMania 42.
Bianca Belair hasn’t wrestled since last year’s WrestleMania 42. She messed up her finger pretty badly, and it’s kept her out for months.
We haven’t heard much about a return, but she’s still one of the top betting favourites for the Rumble. People figure she’s probably close to being cleared, since she’s been gone so long.
Belair is a natural pick to challenge Vaquer, but honestly, she’d be an even better opponent for Cargill—her old tag partner. Cargill’s expected to keep her title through WrestleMania, so it just lines up: Belair comes back at the Rumble and wins the whole thing.
Rhea Ripley, as I said earlier, WWE considered two major names to face Vaquer at WrestleMania 42: Becky Lynch and Rhea Ripley.
Ripley might be the most popular woman in WWE right now. She’s a constant presence on Raw, and you can bet she’ll be front and centre at WrestleMania 42. Lately, she and Iyo Sky turned from rivals into tag champs, but apparently, WWE doesn’t plan for them to keep those belts all the way to WrestleMania.
That probably means Ripley and Sky will split up soon—maybe even during the Rumble, maybe a little later and on good terms. As much as their team has done for the tag division, both belong in singles competition.
Ripley’s clearly headed for a big match at WrestleMania, and another Royal Rumble win is the ticket to get her there.
WWE’s got big plans for Liv Morgan heading into WrestleMania 42. Honestly, it almost feels like a lock at this point—she just checks all the boxes for a Royal Rumble winner. She just came back; fans are wild about her, and she’s got the skills to back it up. Even though she’s technically a heel right now, crowds are cheering for her like she’s the hero, so a face turn might be right around the corner.
Plus, her Judgement Day group looks like it’s about to fall apart. If that happens and they handle it right, Morgan’s popularity could skyrocket even more. She’s already a key player in WWE’s women’s division, and making her the centre of attention seems like the smart move.
Fans have wanted her to win the Royal Rumble for a while now. She’s come close—runner-up twice—but this year feels different. This might finally be the year Liv Morgan gets her big win.
THE BACKSTAGE FAREWELL: WHY WWE STARS ARE SAYING GOODBYE TO LEGEND ASUKA
IYO SKY and Charlotte Flair lead tributes to Asuka as reports surface that the Empress of Tomorrow is stepping back from WWE.
Dave Meltzer from the Wrestling Observer reported that Asuka was saying her goodbyes backstage, and right now, people are calling her "semi-retired". What that actually means is still up in the air. Nobody really knows if Asuka plans to stick around WWE for occasional special matches or if she’ll head back to Japan and keep wrestling there.
“The story I heard is that she is semi-retired,” Meltzer explained, according to WrestlePurists. “I haven’t really gotten an exact definition of 'semi-retired', but I guess people were wishing her farewell backstage.”
He also said, “I don’t know if she’s wrestling in Japan; I don’t know if she’ll do things here and there, but semi-retired is what I was told.”
Asuka’s journey with WWE started in 2015, kicking off in NXT. She wasn’t just another face; she became the longest-reigning NXT Women’s Champion ever, holding that title for 510 days, and went on an unreal 914-day winning streak. Over the years, she racked up five WWE Women’s World Championships and five WWE Women’s Tag Team titles and picked up big accolades like Money in the Bank and the Royal Rumble.
WWE even ranked her as the fifth greatest female Superstar of all time, just behind Trish Stratus, Charlotte Flair, Becky Lynch, and Chyna, according to Fightful.
After WWE Backlash, IYO SKY posted an emotional message to Asuka on X (formerly Twitter) after defeating her at the event. She wrote about how much it meant to share the ring and learn from Asuka, calling it an “irreplaceable treasure", and thanked Asuka for everything. That post, along with the photos she shared, only fuelled more talk about Asuka’s possible retirement.
SKY, who’s become one of the most popular and respected wrestlers on the WWE roster over the last couple of years, isn’t alone in showing love for Asuka. After the backlash, stars like Bayley, Natalya, and Charlotte Flair also thanked Asuka for everything she’s done for the business. At 44, Asuka’s impact is impossible to ignore.
BEYOND GUNTHER: ANALYZING THE FOUR POWERHOUSES DESTINED TO LEAD WWE RAW NEXT YEAR
Discover the four WWE superstars, including Bron Breakker and Jacob Fatu, ready to lead Monday Night Raw into a post-Gunther era.
For the last few years, WWE Raw has pretty much belonged to Gunther. He dominated by sticking to his guns, hard work, no-nonsense wrestling, and that old-school fire. When his music hits, you can feel the tone shift. It’s hard to find that kind of presence. You don’t just swap him out and expect things to stay the same.
But that’s the thing about Raw. It never just sits still. The show keeps turning over stories' twists, rosters shuffle, and sooner or later, new faces get their shot. If there ever comes a time to find someone new to lead the red brand, there are four guys who look ready to take over. Each brings something different to the table, and you’d feel it right away.
Jacob Fatu could steal the spotlight.
Jacob Fatu’s the first name that jumps out. When he hits the ring, you notice. He just has that look, as he belongs in the big moments. The guy’s got a rare mix of speed and brute power; other heavyweights struggle to keep up.
Lately, he’s been right in the thick of things, getting involved with some of the top storylines on Raw and even rubbing shoulders with Roman Reigns. That’s not by accident; management doesn’t give you those spots unless they see something real. It means they’re thinking long-term with Fatu.
What makes him stand out is the energy. He’s this controlled, dangerous wrecking ball, but he knows when to push and when to hold back. If Raw needs a new anchor, someone to build around in title matches and feuds, Fatu slides into that role and makes it feel natural.
He’s not a finished product yet, and that’s a good thing. There’s room for him to grow, tell deeper stories, and really connect with the crowd. He’s got that spark fans latch onto because he never looks fake or forced.
Oba Femi brings something new.
Then there’s Oba Femi. For a new guy, he commands respect. From the jump, he’s looked like a real contender, strong in the ring, confident on the mic, and totally believable even against the veterans.
What sets Femi apart is his calm. A lot of new stars go for flash, but he’s got real presence. He can stand toe-to-toe with anyone in the locker room, which is huge if you’re thinking about someone fresh at the top.
Give him a real push and let him be his own kind of dominant. Don’t make him copy Gunther; let him be the force that shakes things up. If WWE puts energy into him, fans will feel it. They tend to back new stars who earn it.
Bron Breakker is the natural choice.
Number one, though? That’s Bron Breakker. He just checks all the boxes: famous family, athletic as hell, and already tested in big matches. If you want someone ready right now, it’s him.
He’s shown he can handle main event pressure. He hits hard, he moves quickly, and he’s comfortable being the centre of attention. When he’s on TV, the pace just picks up. People pay attention.
And people already know him. They’ve seen him grind through NXT and now main roster battles. That history helps. If he ends up carrying Raw after Gunther, it’ll feel right.
Replacing someone like Gunther won’t be easy. People will compare. Expectations will be sky-high. But Breakker has the charisma, the intensity, and the experience to pull it off.
In the end, Raw works best when it changes without losing its soul. Whether it’s Fatu’s wild energy, Femi’s fresh vibe, or Breakker’s complete package, these guys are ready for the spotlight.
When the time comes to pass the torch, Raw won’t shrink. It’ll just reinvent itself once again with these names leading the charge.
