Ronda Rousey Vs. Sasha Banks Confirmed For WWE Royal Rumble 2019

A huge first-time bout for WWE's first pay-per-view of the year.

Ronda Rousey Sasha Banks Royal Rumble
WWE.com

Last night's WWE Raw brought a fresh new opponent for Women's Champion Ronda Rousey, who'll defend her championship against Sasha Banks at 27 January's Royal Rumble pay-per-view.

Rousey was a guest on Alexa Bliss' new Moment Of Bliss interview segment. 'Rowdy' claimed she wanted a bout against Banks, as she admires her, drawing Nia Jax and 'The Boss' from the back, leading to a number one contender's match between the two title hopefuls.

A back-and-forth power vs. speed battle followed, though Banks vs. Jax was marred by a couple of notable botches and muted crowd reactions. Regardless, the fan favourite scored the victory in the end. A sloppy apron headscissor takedown eventually led to Sasha tapping Nia out with the Bank Statement, after tag partner Bayley had negated Tamina's threat on the outside.

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Rousey vs. Banks is a potentially mouthwatering clash between two of the women's division's biggest stars. There'd been talk of a rematch between Ronda and Survivor Series opponent Charlotte Flair on the Rumble card, but few will complain about this first-time ever clash, as sudden as Sasha's elevation was.

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It's been a long, long time since 'The Boss' had a memorable PPV singles match. Let's hope 27 January delivers.

Channel Manager
Channel Manager

Andy has been with WhatCulture for six years and is currently WhatCulture's Senior Wrestling Reporter. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.