You may have noticed that women are being given more time every week on Raw in recent months. They are also giving them more time to hype up their WrestleMania matches and this year will feature the first one on one women’s match in several years. The last time there was a singles match at WrestleMania was the Lumberjill Match at WrestleMania 23 between Melina and Ashley. That match had most of the female roster around the ring. If you want to exclude gimmick matches then Trish Stratus vs. Mickie James at WrestleMania 22 for the Women’s Championship was the last singles match that featured women. Last year’s show featured Bayley defeating Charlotte Flair, Nia Jax and Sasha Banks in a Triple Threat Match for the Raw Women’s Championship.
This year’s show is special for the women because, for the first time, there will be at least four matches featuring women:
– Charlotte Flair vs. Asuka for the Smackdown Women’s Championship
– Alexa Bliss vs. Nia Jax for the Raw Women’s Championship
– Ronda Rousey and Kurt Angle vs. Stephanie McMahon and Triple H
– The WrestleMania Women’s Battle Royal
If WWE adds Bayley vs. Sasha Banks then there would be five matches on the card that feature women. This year feels different and for good reason. WWE knows that they can get tons of press now that Ronda Rousey is under contract so the plan is to do everything to build up the women’s division more than ever before.
As of this writing, the plan is for Asuka to win the Smackdown Women’s Championship WrestleMania and her streak will continue into next year. There are tentative plans for Asuka to defend the title against Ronda Rousey. If Asuka is protected and they do a good job at keeping Rousey special then Rousey vs. Asuka could be the main event at next year’s show. We’re a long way away from Mania 35 in NY/NJ but there are definitely plans in the direction of Asuka vs. Rousey. It’s also a match they could do at SummerSlam but it seems like it would make more sense to hold it off as a Mania “dream match.”
Click here for the updated WrestleMania card + rumored matches.
Catch up on some of the trending news stories from the past 24 hours by clicking below:
- There is some good news on a potential Daniel Bryan in-ring return at WrestleMania
- SPOILER: WrestleMania magazine reveals who is next to go into the WWE Hall Of Fame
- PHOTO: Brian Christopher badly beaten and unrecognizable after violent altercation with ex-TNA star
- Latest news on Dean Ambrose’s injury
- Backstage news on how people in WWE are reacting to Ronda Rousey
