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On Saturday, January 27th, WWE will present the 37th edition of the Royal Rumble Premium Live Event, with the winner of the men's and women's contests earning a title shot at WrestleMania 40 in April.
Last year, Rhea Ripley made history as she won the match from the number one position, with her lasting a record one hour, one minute, and eight seconds in the ring.
This victory propelled her to face Charlotte for the then SmackDown Women's title which she won. Since then she has dominantly held the gold.
With many women looking to put on a show in Florida later this month, we are going to take a look at 4 WWE stars who could potentially break Ripley's record spent in the ring at the 2024 Royal Rumble.
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#4 - Bayley earns her role model status
One performer who has already declared herself for the Women's Royal Rumble match is Bayley.
The member of Damage CTRL has held many championships over the years and has won many big matches, however, she has yet to win a Royal Rumble match.
Speaking on a recent episode of SmackDown, Bayley stated that she will go for Rhea Ripley when she wins on January 27th.
"Because now is the time for Damage CTRL to hold all the gold. And that starts with the most dangerous tag team in the division, The Kabuki Warriors, winning the WWE Women's Tag Team titles. And me entering the 2024 Royal Rumble, winning, and taking Rhea Ripley's championship. And finally my dream will become a reality." (H/T f4wonline)
Despite saying that she will go for Ripley many feel that Bayley is being slowly kicked out of the faction she created, as Asuka, Dakota Kai, Kairi Sane and the WWE Women's Champion IYO SKY have recently alienated her in recent months. This could, therefore, lead to Bayley challenging SKY at Mania.
#3 - The EST of WWE breaks records once again
One performer who knows all about winning the Royal Rumble match is Bianca Belair. The EST of WWE won the contest in 2021, with her time of 56 minutes and 52 seconds being a record until Ripley smashed it 2 years later.
Speaking to Sports Illustrated in 2021, Belair spoke about how it felt to win the iconic match even though she won it in an empty arena due to the pandemic.
"I would have loved people to be in the crowd, but it didn’t feel odd at all,” Belair says. “I was so in the moment—the pyro, the WrestleMania sign, climbing the ropes—it felt like I was in front of thousands of people. Then to go backstage and to hear from the girls I was in the ring with, that was amazing. They were so supportive, and I’m so grateful to have the chance to work with them." (H/T Sports Illustrated)
If Belair does indeed break Rhea's record at the Rumble she may also look to take the gold off of her as well, with many having wanted to see her and Ripley face off at Mania for many years now.
#2 - A storm arrives in WWE
In September of last year, the former TBS Champion and AEW star Jade Cargill shocked the world as she signed for World Wrestling Entertainment.
Despite the fact that she has yet to compete in a match, the 31-year-old has already established herself as a top name, with her having squared off backstage with big stars like Charlotte Flair and Becky Lynch.
After signing for WWE, Jade Cargill gave a small teaser into what fans can expect to see from her in the company whilst speaking to Sports Illustrated:
"That means I have even more to prove,” said Cargill. “I’m going to show there is no one like me. I’ve proved everybody wrong my entire life. That’s been my journey–I’m undeniable. Always bet on Jade. If people still don’t like me, I bet you they still tune in." (H/T Sports Illustrated)
With the Rumble being one of the biggest shows of the year, where better for Cargill to make her in-ring WWE debut than at the show that kicks off the road to WrestleMania.
#1 - Bank on Mone
A top name that many fans are yearning to see back in World Wrestling Entertainment is Mercedes Mone (a.k.a Sasha Banks). The former RAW and SmackDown Women's Champion left the company in 2022 due to the dissatisfaction she had towards her booking as a tag team champion.
However, with Triple H now in charge of creative decisions, many have felt that she might be swayed to make her return.
Over the years many top names have made a surprise return or debut in the Royal Rumble match which has then propelled them onto further stardom. With a legion of supporters behind her, many will be hoping that Banks returns to WWE on January 27th to make a big mark in the Royal Rumble.
