5 NXT Superstars that should appear in the Women's Royal Rumble

There are currently nine confirmed entrants in the 2020 Women's Royal Rumble match. The nine women who confirmed that they will be competing in this match are Charlotte Flair, Alexa Bliss, Nikki Cross, Sarah Logan, Natalya, Dana Brooke, Carmella, Mandy Rose, and Sonya Deville. It is reasonable to assume that all of the other women on Raw and Smackdown besides Asuka and Lacey Evans (who are challenging for the Raw and SmackDown Women's Championships at Royal Rumble) will participate in this match.

This list of other women on the roster include Billie Kay, Kairi Sane, Lana, Liv Morgan, Peyton Royce, Zelina Vega, Sasha Banks, and Tamina. There are still thirteen spots left to fill. While some of these spots can go to returning superstars and legends, there are also a number of talented female superstars from NXT and NXT UK that can compete in this match as well.

#5 Kacy Catanzaro

Kacy Catanzaro signed with WWE in 2018.

Kacy Catanzaro made her main roster debut in the 2019 Women's Royal Rumble match. She had previously had a breakout performance in the 2019 Mae Young Classic with a strong match against Rhea Ripley in the second round. She managed to avoid elimination with an impressive display of athleticism and acrobatic skill before later being tossed out by Rhea Ripley.

She then took a break from wrestling to reconsider her future in the business after suffering a back injury. Many thought that she was retiring and that she had quit wrestling altogether. Kacy Catanzaro was then a surprise entrant in a battle royal to determine the number one contender to the NXT Women's Championship and managed to save herself from being eliminated once again with help from her tag team partner Kayden Carter before Io Shirai crushed her championship aspirations.

Now that Kacy Catanzaro has returned to WWE, she should be a surprise entrant in the 2020 Women's Royal Rumble match. Her Kofi Kingston moment last year stole the show, and it should become an annual tradition for her to avoid elimination in impressive fashion.

#4: Io Shirai

Io Shirai has become the ace of the NXT women's division.

Io Shirai was another surprise entrant from NXT in the women's royal rumble last year. She came to the rescue of her tag team partner (at the time) and laid out the Riott Squad. The Genius of the Sky lasted for more than ten minutes before being eliminated by Nia Jax. Since then, she has turned heel after failing to win the NXT Women's Championship on multiple occasions.

As a heel, Io Shirai has become one of the premier performers in all of NXT with a number of impressive performances against Mia Yim and Candice LeRae. She is one of the best wrestlers in the world and deserves a spot in the Royal Rumble match. There could be a number of dream encounters between Io Shirai and Charlotte Flair, Sasha Banks, and her old tag team partner Kairi Sane. There is also the potential for this to lead to her being called up to the main roster full time (so that she could get a raise as it has been rumored that she is unhappy in NXT).

#3 Toni Storm

Many people thought that Toni Storm would be a surprise entrant in last year's women's royal rumble.

Toni Storm has had a busy past few months. She made her return to NXT UK for the first time since she lost the NXT UK Women's Championship to Kay Lee Ray, represented NXT at Survivor Series, made her NXT TV debut, and was part of a triple threat match also including Kay Lee Ray and Piper Niven for the NXT UK Women's Championship at NXT UK Takeover: Blackpool II (she was unsuccessful).

She will be in Houston, Texas, for Royal Rumble because she will be challenging Rhea Ripley for the NXT Women's Championship the night before Royal Rumble at Worlds Collide. Toni Storm is one of the most popular performers from the United Kingdom. She should have the opportunity to show off all of her skills in the women's royal rumble match against superstars like Io Shirai, Nikki Cross, Charlotte Flair, and Sasha Banks. After an impressive performance at Royal Rumble, Toni Storm can move to the NXT brand where she could flourish.

#2 Kay Lee Ray

Kay Lee Ray has reigned as NXT UK Women's Champion for more than 100 days.

Kay Lee Ray shockingly defeated Toni Storm to become NXT UK Women's Champion at NXT UK Takeover: Cardiff. She has been a dominant champion since then, with a number of non-title victories over superstars like Tegan Nox, Xia Brookside, and Dakota Kai. She also managed to retain her championship in a triple threat match against Piper Niven and Toni Storm at NXT UK Takeover: Blackpool II.

Kay Lee Ray also makes regular appearances on NXT as she was part of Team Shayna Baszler in the women's war games match at NXT Takeover: War Games III and recently participated in a six-woman tag team match alongside Bianca Belair and Io Shirai against NXT Women's Champion Rhea Ripley, Candice LeRae, and Toni Storm.

As champion, she should be chosen to represent her brand NXT UK in the match. She will also be in the area because she will be facing Mia Yim the night before at Worlds Collide. She should be given a chance to reignite her pre-WWE rivalry with Nikki Cross and continue her current rivalry with Toni Storm.

#1 Shayna Baszler

Shayna Baszler has been a part of NXT since the Mae Young Classic.

Shayna Baszler was the NXT Women's Champion for the majority of 2019. She defeated superstars such as Bianca Belair, Kairi Sane, Io Shirai, Mia Yim, and Candice LeRae, before finally losing the title to Rhea Ripley. After losing the title, she failed to get a rematch against Rhea Ripley after she was eliminated in a battle royal by Shotzi Blackheart.

When she was NXT Women's Champion, she represented NXT in the main event of Survivor Series. In the buildup to that match, she confronted all four of WWE's horsewomen on Monday Night Raw and SmackDown Live. Shayna Baszler managed to get the victory at Survivor Series by making Bayley tap out to the Kirafuda Clutch. After the match, she was attacked and put through the announce table by Becky Lynch, who was frustrated that she lost the match without being pinned or submitted. Because Shayna Baszler has unfinished business with Becky Lynch, it would make sense for her to participate in the women's royal rumble to get revenge. It would also be interesting to see her square off with Charlotte Flair, Sasha Banks, her old rival Kairi Sane, and possibly a returning Ronda Rousey.