Women and WrestleMania moments have not always gone hand in hand. Looking at and predicting WrestleMania 39 women’s matches, though, has an added layer this year, declaring a new Miss WrestleMania. There are 18 women featured at WrestleMania 39, and several could earn that honor. Throughout WWE history, women were relegated to gimmick matches or celebrity segments if they were lucky. These segments included the original Miss WrestleMania battle royal at WrestleMania 25, ultimately won by a man. WWE clearly and effectively played the role for a laugh, but Shawn Michaels never had to win the honor of Mr. WrestleMania, and the company took it far more seriously. Luckily, fans of women’s wrestling will have ample opportunity to see some of the top stars mix it up and right that historic wrong.
Analyzing the Women’s Matches at WrestleMania 39
The Women’s Tag Team Showcase
The latest addition to the card and an attempt to give WrestleMania exposure to more of the roster, WWE announced a Men’s and Women’s Tag Team Showcase. When predicting WrestleMania 39 women’s matches, the Women’s Showcase is the most difficult. This is in part because it hasn’t been fully revealed who is in the match. The team of Raquel Rodriquez and Liv Morgan was the first official team announced. Ronda Rousey and Shayna Baszler have been running the tag team scene on Smackdown and entered the match officially this week along with Natalya and Shotzi, also from the blue brand. Although it is not confirmed, viewers of weekly TV on the road to WrestleMania can probably guess which Raw team will join them. Chelsea Green and Carmella (or a replacement Piper Niven) have been featured heavily on Raw and would help to balance out the heel-and-face dynamic.
The first team has qualified for the Women's Fatal 4-Way Tag Team Match at WrestleMania!@YaOnlyLivvOnce @RaquelWWE #SmackDown pic.twitter.com/4lX9CHSUmO
— WWE on FOX (@WWEonFOX) March 18, 2023
If the teams shake out how they are expected to, three of the four competitors feature high-profile stars who could win a showcase match at WrestleMania. However, only one of the teams has a superstar that has quickly built a WrestleMania reputation: the duo of Ronda Rousey and Shayna Baszler. Some fans are currently low on Ronda Rousey, but she seems interested in this team and its success. Furthermore, Rousey is still a major signing for WWE. Her presence in WWE sent the women’s revolution into hyper speed and is a significant reason why the women’s division was able to run a main event at WrestleMania 35. The safe bet is that Rhonda and Shayna are set to win at Mania and go on to win the Tag Titles in the coming months.
Prediction: Shayna Baszler and Ronda Rousey enter and win the Showcase match.
Rhea Ripley vs. Charlotte Flair (Smackdown Women’s Championship)
Rhea Ripley has had a complicated WrestleMania career. Her only win thus far was at WrestleMania 37 for the Raw tag team championship. However, she has been a featured part of the show since WrestleMania 36, where she got a marquee match against that year’s Royal Rumble winner Charlotte Flair as an NXT superstar. She was arguably her most popular when she lost her NXT title to Charlotte until now. As a member and, frankly, de facto leader of Judgment Day, After winning the Royal Rumble in 2023, she is red hot again. This time she is set to face off against Charlotte, with Flair defending her title this time.
Charlotte Flair has a far less complicated WrestleMania lineage. While it is fair to question why Flair receives more opportunities than many of her coworkers, denying that she maximizes those opportunities yearly would be unfair. Charlotte has had a Mania title match every year since WrestleMania 32 and has delivered good to excellent matches each time. She is not only one of the most decorated women wrestlers in WWE history, she also always has a featured role at WrestleMania.
For as talented as Charlotte is, this is Rhea Ripleys moment. While it is always hard to go on predicting a WrestleMania 39 women’s match loss for Flair, Ripley has been undeniable. Ripley had yet to find herself and make her run as Raw Women’s champion lackluster, even if the match at WrestleMania 37 was solid. This time around, Rhea has already gotten over with the fans. WWE and Ripley know what works, and adding a title to a working formula is likely to result in an entertaining reign.
Prediction: Rhea Ripley wins the Smackdown Women’s Championship
Damage CTRL vs. Becky Lynch, Lita, and Trish Stratus
WrestleMania is known for integrating stars from outside the company or from years gone by, and this year Trish Stratus and Lita are involved for that exact reason. The former rivals are teaming together alongside Lita’s tag team championship partner Becky Lynch to face off with Bayley’s Damage CTRL faction. This match features everything, two living legends, two up-and-coming stars with Damage CTRL’s Iyo Sky and Dakota Kai, and two of the best in WWE right now. The match is oozing star power and skill. To date, it is one of the best exhibitions of WWE women’s wrestling past, present, and future.
While Trish and Lita are legends, they competed in an era that did not have many Mania moments for women. Bayley and Becky, though, are two of the most talented wrestlers in WWE history and have proven that on the “grandest stage of them all” more than once. Both have impressed in wins and losses at WrestleMania and will likely lead their teams to another great match. However, Damage CTRL did its job, bringing three talented performers back to the main roster. The trio of Becky, Lita, and Trish has more intrigue as the newer team and has endless possibilities for what comes next. So while “The Man” may not get a main event this year, she is probably getting another win.
Prediction: Becky Lynch, Lita, and Trish Stratus beat Damage CTRL
Asuka vs. Bianca Belair (Raw Women’s Championship)
The final women’s match is between Asuka and Bianca Belair. This match may be the most interesting among WWE fans, with both superstars being universally well-liked. Asuka returned with a darker edge, and the uber-talented striker is starting to resonate with fans who had written her off before she left. On the flip side, the champion Bianca has been on top for about a year now, and her star may actually be waning. Despite being on different trajectories, both will meet at SoFi Stadium to a crowd ready and willing to watch two of the most prolific superstars in WrestleMania history face off.
Bianca joins a select list of active women on the roster to main event a WrestleMania. The company itself seems invested in the idea that Belair is destined to be a Mania attraction, even with limited appearances. She is undefeated in her main roster WrestleMania appearances to cap it all off. By comparison, Asuka has not won one of her WrestleMania appearances but has had a stand-out performance each time with stars Charlotte and Rhea Ripley. With fans choosing to cheer for both competitors, it is hard to pick who should win. A loss for Belair can be a restart to try and keep fans’ attention. Also, Asuka’s return feels like it needs to end with a championship. However, Bianca has her “streak” to protect and is typically portrayed as the big shot at WrestleMania. She can always drop the title at Backlash in one of the show’s signature rematches.
Prediction: Bianca Belair retains the Raw Women’s Championship
A Miss WrestleMania Moment
Crowning a Mr or Miss WrestleMania, or at least one that isn’t Santino Marella, is probably subjective. Fans can make a solid case for Charlotte, Bayley, Ronda, Becky, Bianca, or Asuka as the most stand-out performer in Mania history. Likewise, predicting WrestleMania 39 women’s matches is hard this year. Everyone featured feels like they belong in these spots. Ultimately though, the story of Bianca Belair overall is most intriguing. Bianca has been a massive draw on recent Mania cards. Her main roster streak could be the closest the company comes to organically mimicking the Undertaker, another name synonymous with WrestleMania. Even if she loses, though, Bianca’s history with the show gives her plenty of credibility as Miss WrestleMania.
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