5 Predictions for WWE Evolution

On July 23rd of this year, WWE Chief Brand Officer and on-air Raw Commissioner Stephanie McMahon made an earth-shattering announcement: later in the year, the very first all-women's pay-per-view will take place and it will be called WWE Evolution. Some argue that this was done to make up for the two trips to the kingdom of Saudi Arabia, as it has been made known that women are not allowed to compete there. Others argue that having an all-women's pay-per-view will not sell well as interest in women's wrestling has dwindled.

Regardless of how anyone feels, this is easily one of the most important pay-per-views in the company's history. It will not only gauge the interest in women's wrestling in the WWE currently but will set the bar for how far it will go in the future. With all this said, the card looks positively stacked with talent. So without any further ado, let's take a look at some of the biggest matches on the card.

#5 Ember Moon will win the Women's Battle Royal

Since debuting on the main roster after WrestleMania this year, Ember Moon has been in a precarious position. She hasn't been on the main roster long enough to be considered an outright waste of talent, but you could certainly argue that she hasn't been getting the love that she deserves.

Aside from a few key victories here and there, the former NXT Women's Champion has been fairly stagnant. Ember is in need of something to send her forward into the title picture, or at least in contention, and picking up a major victory on this important stage will be just the catalyst.

Now, you could argue that someone like Asuka is more deserving, as she has been floundering since her WrestleMania loss to Charlotte and is in desperate need to find her relevance, but she at least has had her time. Moon has yet to reach for that imaginary brass ring and by winning this royal rumble, she can stake her claim as the next contender for the Raw Women's Championship.

#4 Toni Storm will win the Mae Young Classic

Aussie Aussie Aussie! Oi Oi Oi!

This Australian phenom had a marvelous showing in last year's Mae Young Classic, only to come up short in the semi-finals against the eventual winner and current NXT Women's Champion Kairi Sane. Now she is back and is looking to leave a huge mark by establishing her legacy on the biggest stage for women's wrestling in history. Her path to greatness will be treacherous, as she'll be taking on Io Shirai, a phenom in her own right, in the finals.

I'm honestly expecting this match to steal the show, as both women have proved that they create greatness wherever they go, be it Stardom, Lucha Underground or in NXT. While the easy pick would be for Io Shirai to win, as she is arguably the bigger star of the two, having Toni Storm lift the trophy at the end of the night would add more legitimacy to the NXT UK Women's division. If the whole point of this night is to elevate women's wrestling, then Storm would be the more obvious pick.

#3 Kairi Sane will retain the NXT Women's Championship

A heated rivalry that has been a year in the making

Following up on the Mae Young Classic, we have the two finalists from last year's competition, this time competing for the NXT Women's title. Kairi Sane got the better of Shayna Baszler on that night, and would also get the best of her once again to win the title back in August. One would think that she would score the hattrick on Sunday, but it is never that easy. Shayna is desperate to regain her title and is willing to do anything and everything to see things through.

That being said, I do see Kairi Sane coming through with the victory, as a main roster call-up is certainly in Shayna's future. Now that Ronda Rousey has established herself on Monday Night Raw, her old running buddy would join her in her ongoing battle with the Bella Twins. Meanwhile, Kairi Sane will continue to steer the ship that is the NXT Women's Division with a smile on her face.

#2 Becky Lynch will retain the Smackdown Women's Championship

One of the violent and captivating feuds on WWE television continues at WWE Evolution, and once again the gold is on the line. Becky Lynch has been able to slither out from the jaws of defeat in her last two bouts with Charlotte, but one can assume that this feud could finally come to a head this Sunday.

Just when you think things couldn't get more personal and intense, these two keep upping the ante. When they're not calling each other on social media or taking cheap shots backstage, they're spearing one another through LED boards or jumping one another at the WWE Performance Center. The animosity here is incredible, and the fans are eating it up.

Becky continues to be booked as the heel here, but I don't expect this to last much longer as fan support for the Irish-born Lass Kicker continues to mount week by week. The possibility of a double-turn in the future grows as well, and we could see just that this Sunday as Becky Lynch disposes of her traitorous former friend once and for all.

#1 Ronda Rousey will retain the RAW Women's Championship via DQ

Anyone who says that they didn't see the Bellas' betrayal of Ronda Rousey coming from a mile away is either a fool or a liar. WWE needed two big names to headline this historic pay-per-view, and it doesn't get any bigger than these two: one a worldwide personality and the face of an entire generation women in WWE, the other a modern sports icon, both legends in their own right. Credit to the both of them, however, as they have done everything in their power to make it known just how much they hate one another.

Am I expecting an epic clash between two warriors that could go down in history as one of the best main events in WWE history? Absolutely not. As good as they both are, Nikki Bella has only recently gotten back to full-time competition and Ronda is still a novice. I am, however, expecting a fairly entertaining back-and-forth bout, one that should end as ambiguously as possible.

This is a money feud and should continue for a long time. Having one woman defeat the other convincingly would sell short just how momentous this could be for the worldwide appeal of professional wrestling. All eyes will be on the WWE for the foreseeable future, and these two could very well be within sight. The least they can do is give the people a show.