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WWE News: Triple Threat Match Announced with Winner Earning Smackdown Women’s Title Match at Royal Rumble

By John Canton • Published 6th January 2019
TJR Wrestling

This past week on Smackdown, there was a backstage segment with Asuka standing there holding the SD Women’s Title while Triple H talked to her. That led to Charlotte Flair, Carmella and Becky Lynch (all three of whom held the SD Women’s in 2018) showing up to make their case for a title match. Triple H said that they would think about it.

It comes as no surprise today that WWE has officially announced a match for Smackdown this Tuesday: Charlotte Flair vs. Becky Lynch vs. Carmella. The winner of that match gets a Smackdown Women’s Title match against Asuka at the Royal Rumble on January 27th.

Here’s what they put in the official announcement of the match on WWE.com today:

Charlotte Flair, Becky Lynch and Carmella all staked their claims as to why they would be most deserving to face off against SmackDown Women’s Champion Asuka at Royal Rumble last week. All three Superstars will now get their chance as they’ll square off in a Triple Threat Match this Tuesday night on SmackDown LIVE and the winner will move on to face Asuka for the title in Phoenix, Arizona on Jan. 27.

Charlotte and Becky both feel that they should be SmackDown Women’s Champion at this present moment and only are not because of Ronda Rousey’s interference in their match against Asuka at WWE TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs. Carmella, who reigned as SmackDown Women’s Champion for a staggering 130 days in 2018, has multiple victories over Flair, Lynch and Asuka, and believes that puts her right in line for another title opportunity.

All of this has been taken under consideration by the McMahon family, and now the three top challengers will collide this Tuesday night on the blue brand to prove who is most ready for Asuka next. Who will prevail? Find out this Tuesday night on SmackDown LIVE at 8/7 C on USA Network.

None of the women have commented on the match on social media yet, but Charlotte did reunite with her kendo stick “Ken” at a live event tonight.

TJR Thoughts: There are a couple of things that come to mind with this:

– Carmella is already in the Royal Rumble match as the 30th entrant after she won Mixed Match Challenge at TLC with R-Truth. Does that mean she would be out of the Rumble match if she wins this match on Smackdown? That is not known. It’s possible she could win this and be in both matches.

– I feel like Becky and Charlotte should both be in the Rumble match because it adds to the match in terms of star power. Most people are going to expect Becky to win the Rumble to set up the Rousey match.

– I can see WWE giving Charlotte the win here and only using her against Asuka at the Royal Rumble. If she fails to win the title, put her in the Rumble too. It’s happened before.

There are a lot of ways it can go and I like the uncertainty of it.

By the way, the graphic I used at the top is officially from WWE. I don’t know why Carmella’s eyes look weird in it, but it certainly made me look a few times wondering what’s wrong with it!