The first ever all women’s PPV for the WWE, Evolution, is this Sunday and we have a total of 8 matches on the card set for it. Unless they add a battle royal or some additional type of match for the NXT brand, it is safe to say we are not getting many more matches added to the card. With that being said, perhaps the most controversial match on this card is that of the Battle Royal that consists of RAW, Smackdown, and past legends who have competed in a WWE ring. The main controversy over this match is arguably warranted.
Besides the Last Woman Standing match between Smackdown Women’s Champion, Becky Lynch and her opponent Charlotte Flair, the rest of the Smackdown women’s roster has been thrown into this Battle Royal. With a seemingly lazy build up for this match along with putting 75% of the main roster in this match, it is hard to find any positive outlooks. However, the winner of this battle royal does get a chance at a Women’s Championship. With the future title opportunity looming, let’s assess some of the participants. Let’s speak on some that don’t really need the win, some who could use this win as a comeback, and see how some could benefit from a win as a push to the top.
Win Not Needed:
Nia Jax: Ms. Jax is an obvious winner on paper for this battle royal. She has the most “power,” minus maybe Tamina, and she is a prior champion. Jax being the powerhouse that she is could very well have the most eliminations in her arsenal, however, her winning is not really needed for her at the moment. Some may argue with the fact that she hasn’t been involved in a solid storyline since she lost her title back in June, which is true, but is that a good enough reason? She could easily be the most obvious winner, but she can also be pushed into a title position easily without this win.
Carmella: This one could be a toss-up. As much as everyone would love to see a dance break if the Princess of Staten Island were to win the Battle Royal, it is really not necessary for her at this point. She spent the majority of the last year holding the Money in the Bank briefcase and capitalizing on that by cashing in and holding the Smackdown Women’s Championship for 131 days. With her recent successes she did excel as a heel, and now that she is a babyface again, is a possible second title run in the cards for her now? The best answer to this might be who wins the Last Woman Standing match at Evolution. If Lynch retains then Carmella could very well be a good competitor for her, but if Flair wins it wouldn’t make much sense.
Asuka: I know, I know, I am probably going to get a lot of flack for adding her under the “win not needed” category, but it is true. It is damn true. Asuka, as much as she has dramatically dipped in on-screen appearances, matches, and from the title picture, let’s remember how long she was at the top. Granted, yes, I know she has never been champion on the main roster, but she doesn’t need a battle royal win to get her there at this point. She would be a good fit to go against either Flair or Lynch at this point. After her being the one left in the ring during the chaos that broke out with all the Smackdown participants this may be foreshadowing a win for her this Sunday. I may be one of the few, but I have enjoyed her step back from the spotlight and this is why. Once Asuka gets pushed to the title after this time away from it, it will rejuvenate her with the fans and make her win at that time a better success.
BREAKING: @McCoolMichelleL @Madusa_rocks @MorettiIvory @TheBarbieBlank @MariaLKanellis & #MollyHolly are the latest women to join the #BattleRoyal for a #WomensChampionship opportunity at #WWEEvolution! https://t.co/rk0ZkiOI7U pic.twitter.com/4qosWhVply
— WWE (@WWE) October 19, 2018
Comeback win: With this battle royal, there are several legends coming back into the ring, but there are at least two that I could see winning it in order to be brought right back into WWE.
Kelly Kelly: Kelly could possibly pull off a win from the Battle Royal to propel her back into the company that she left in 2012. There were many rumors last year of Kelly’s return and reported by Sportskeeda In February of last year it was mentioned that she was slated to take on the failed “Emmalina” gimmick. Rumors since then included that she was training at the WWE performance center and even made an appearance in the first-ever women’s Royal Rumble match earlier this year in January. The only downside towards Kelly winning for some people is that she does embodies the “Diva era” which WWE has tried very hard to get away from. Maybe though with Carmella self-identify as a “Diva” in the past and the Bella Twins who still don’t shy away from that term maybe we will see a future Divas vs Superstars feud in the future? Survivor Series?
Michelle McCool: A win for McCool could very well welcome her back into the WWE, and she certainly could hang in the title picture. Although the rumors may not be as heavy as the ones surrounding Kelly have been in the past, McCool definitely has more left in the tank. She returned earlier this year in the royal rumble match and was successful in eliminating the most women with a total of 5. Although there hasn’t been as much buzz on a McCool full return, Sportskeeda did report last year that Flair wanted a match with the former two time and inaugural Diva’s Champion. Could a surprise win at Evolution make this happen?
Win needed, Push to the Top:
Tamina: Tamina made her return from injury to in-ring action on October 15th, just in time to be put into this battle royal. Although most fans would much rather have a Nia Jax versus Tamina match at Evolution, I guess we will have to get as much as we can out of them being in this match together. Tamina has been with the company since 2010 and has not seen a one on one televised championship match since the Extreme Rules PPV back in 2014 against Paige. In her return match she teamed up with Dana Brooke in a losing effort against Nia Jax and Ember Moon. Tamina has been in many roles, predominantly an “enforcer” or “bodyguard” role, but has yet to be pushed as a solo wrestler with any championship wins. She was placed on RAW instead of returning to Smackdown so maybe there are plans for her in the near future other than being someones muscle. Could this be finally her time?
?? @DanaBrookeWWE is going to #WWEEvolution for one thing: to WIN a future #WomensChampionship opportunity! #RAW pic.twitter.com/LR70kUqdWp
— WWE Universe (@WWEUniverse) October 16, 2018
Dana Brooke: This is my personal pick to win and who I think needs it the most. Brooke has always frequently been associated with someone instead of standing out on her own. In NXT as well as her debut to the main roster, she was tag team partners with. Shortly thereafter she was coined as Charlotte Flair’s protege. Once there was no feud between her and Flair once their relationship dissolved, she was moved on to a manager role for Titus Worldwide. About a month ago she left Titus Worldwide but hasn’t capitalized much from that. On October 15th when she paired up with a returning Tamina, she was the last woman standing in the ring after her losing effort against Nia Jax and Ember Moon alluding that she was the one to beat at Evolution. Brooke has the athleticism and is good on the mic to where she could definitely be granted a push and this battle royal could ignite that.
Ember Moon: Lastly, Ember Moon is a pick in favor of who needs this win. She is a former NXT Women’s Champion and ever since she has been on the main roster she hasn’t been used to her potential. Even back in NXT it was a hope for many that Moon should have been the one to defeat Asuka’s winning streak, but that wasn’t the case. On the main roster she was involved in the Money in the Bank match to which Alexa Bliss won. Other then that she has been randomly placed in either multi-tag team matches or against no one who she truly has had a solid rivalry with. A win for her this Sunday could catapult her into the title scene and give her the much needed character development and a rivalry that hopefully will amount to her capturing a title.
Who do you think should win the battle royal to capture a future title opportunity? Is there anyone you hope does not win? Are you still looking forward to Evolution? Sound off in the comments below!!
