10 WrestleMania 38 Card Predictions After Royal Rumble 2022

3. SmackDown Women's Championship: Charlotte Flair (c) vs. Ronda Rousey

Charlotte Flair Ronda Rousey
WWE

A boring pick, this, as it is based on recent reporting. Dave Meltzer reported before Royal Rumble 2022 that Rousey vs. Flair was on the cards for WrestleMania. Rousey then won the Rumble, eliminating Flair last, before Fightful Select reported that Charlotte had been pitching a feud with Ronda for months.

It isn't as immediately eye-catching as Rousey vs. Lynch, but it's the smarter call. Doing Rousey vs. Flair here preserves the Becky match for another year. If Rousey wins at 38 and holds the SmackDown belt all year, turning heel along the way, it could lead to a big, money-spinning payoff at 39, when 'The Man' comes back around as a babyface in a potential main event.

Besides, Rousey and Flair's previous singles match was sensational. A nasty, attritional fight went down at Survivor Series 2018, where Rousey outdid Charlotte via disqualification. That it wasn't pretty worked to its benefit. The match felt rugged and real, which isn't something you can say about a lot of matches shot through WWE's ultra-glossy lens.

Running it back in 2022 is interesting, given the way both of their careers have changed since then. Don't bet against it being great, though.

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Channel Manager
Channel Manager

Andy has been with WhatCulture for eight years and is currently WhatCulture's Wrestling Channel Manager. 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.