10 Best Matches From The First Five Years Of WWE’s Women’s Evolution
4. The Women's Royal Rumble (2018)
The inaugural Women's Royal Rumble is already ageing like a fine wine, having received significant plaudits at the time for was a broad victory for the division more than eventual winner Asuka. Judged more as a standalone match rather than a moment in the fullness of time, it stands up as a magnificent exhibition of the past, present and future of the North American women's scene.
A careful division of labour was required in order to ensure lack of drag early on, provided in earnest by strong runs from Becky Lynch and especially iron woman Sasha Banks. 'The Boss' transformed herself within the match from plucky babyface to kick*ss heel and back again thanks to various scrapes with the parade of game newcomers and nostalgia-friendly old faces she shared the ring with.
Still wearing the sheen of her iconic NXT run, yet again nobody was ready for Asuka as the 'Empress Of Tomorrow' blew through the field en route to a relatively comfortable victory. Predictable but perfectly so, it protected her treasured undefeated streak heading into the aforementioned eventual banger with Charlotte Flair. She was as deserving of the victory of the match was of finally existing.