5 WWE stars who can be the Iron Woman in the 2025 Women's Royal Rumble Match

Rhea Ripley and Liv Morgan started the 2023 Royal Rumble and were the final two combatants. They set the tone for what it means to be the Iron Woman in a 'Rumble Match.

Bayley and Naomi had lengthy runs of over an hour last year after entering second and third respectively. The Role Model ended up outlasting her friend to win the match. Many stars could fill that role in the 2025 Women's Royal Rumble.

Lyra Valkyria would have been perfect for the role had she not won the Women's Intercontinental Championship. She could still have a good showing at this year's edition.

The next five WWE stars can be the Iron Woman in the 2025 Women's Royal Rumble Match:

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#5. Zoey Stark needs a big showing

Zoey Stark has opposed Damage CTRL over the last six months alongside the Pure Fusion Collective. While the babyface stable came out on top in most of their showdowns, Stark has been the standout in her faction.

She wowed the crowd with a springboard missile dropkick on the latest episode of RAW when she and Shayna Baszler faced IYO SKY and Dakota Kai.

All Stark needs is that one signature performance and she could get the backing of the fans. Filling the Iron Woman spot in the Royal Rumble would help achieve that.

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#4. WWE will want to feature Bianca Belair heavily

The EST of WWE was on nearly every PLE in 2024. Despite not holding a singles championship, Belair became the face of the women's division. She filled the void with both Charlotte Flair (injury) and Becky Lynch (contract expired) away from action. Belair lasted for 47:46 last year despite not winning.

Since she's holding tag team gold, they'll likely have her enter early and last until the end. If the "Who attacked Jade Cargill?" saga finally gets some news, that could also play into her 'Rumble tenure.

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#3. Dakota Kai is slowly moving up the ranks

Dakota Kai came up short on becoming the first Women's Intercontinental Champion. (Image Credit: WWE.com).

While she hasn’t experienced the rise in popularity her teammate IYO SKY has, Dakota Kai has also risen up the ranks as a face on RAW. She made it to the final of the Women’s Intercontinental Championship Tournament.

She could be a dark horse to win the 'Rumble, but her chances aren't as high as SKY. If she’s not going to win, Kai could start at one of the first five spots and last well into the 20s.

Having a long, respectable run would show that Kai is slowly moving up the hierarchy of the women’s division.

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#2. Roxanne Perez is bound for the main roster

Roxanne Perez has been on the periphery of the main roster for the last year. Her recent appearances with Bayley are leading to a tag team match on next week's episode of NXT.

The Prodigy will team with Cora Jade against Bayley and NXT Women's Champion Giulia. The next logical step after that would be to have a face-off in the Royal Rumble.

This will be Perez's third 'Rumble match in a row, and having a long run would give her some credibility against the multi-champion Bayley. If she wasn’t ready for the main roster, they would likely not be showing her in the crowd on RAW and SmackDown lately.

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#1. IYO SKY could win the Royal Rumble

IYO SKY enters the 2025 Women’s Royal Rumble as one of the favorites to win. Outside of the former WWE Women's Champion, most of the other favorites are former winners like Charlotte Flair, Becky Lynch, or Bianca Belair.

Since she’s gained some traction as a top face on RAW over the last six months, having a lengthy run from start to finish would help SKY's case as a top babyface.

Not winning the Women's Intercontinental Championship could have been a sign that big things are in for The Genius of the Sky in early 2025. If she isn’t slated to win, she could come in early and be one of the final four.