7 Ups & 4 Downs From WWE Royal Rumble 2023

3. Rhea Ripley Wins

Like with Cody, booking the obvious winner wasn't the wrong call in the women's match.

Going all the way from #1 to the finish made Rhea Ripley look great. Cole didn't mention the others who had achieved that feat, of course - there was no chance of a Chris Benoit mention on pay-per-view. This wasn't about the past though. No, it was about the future. More specifically, the future of the women's division.

Ripley had a stellar 2022 as part of Judgment Day. Pinpointing individual matches is tougher than you might think, but her character work and all-around star appeal improved by association with the group. That really made her the only choice heading into this match for many.

It's fair to say WWE suffered from booking two Rumbles on the same show again. Nothing new there when it comes to fan excitement, but Rhea was the right winner and can (hopefully) look forward to becoming the new face of Raw by beating Bianca Belair come 'Mania.