On the 15thApril 2024 episode of Raw, Rhea Ripley was forced to vacate the WWE Women’s World Championship due to a shoulder injury she suffered from the backstage attack of Liv Morgan the week prior. WWE then announced later in the night that they will crown a new champion in next week’s edition of Raw but are yet to reveal what the match type will be and who will be competing for the gold. Here are four pathways they could take:
Battle Royal
A classic over-the-top-rope battle royal could be one way to crown the next WWE Women’s World Champion. This would enable the entire Raw women’s division to participate for the chance to be Rhea Ripley’s successor, rather than a select number of superstars. Potentially a chance for a mid-carder to enter the main event scene.
2. Gauntlet Match
A gauntlet match to determine the next champ is an option for WWE, as they have often used this match type to crown the #1 Contender on numerous occasions. This would consist of five superstars chosen by Raw General Manager Adam Pearce and a series of continuous one-on-one matches would occur until the final match in this series, with the winner being announced as the Women’s World Champion. The Gauntlet match type was last used when deciding on Gunther’s WrestleMania opponent with Sami Zayn emerging victorious.
3) Fatal-4-Way
A Fatal-4-way is the most likely choice to crown the next world champion on Raw next week. The likely participants in this match would be Liv Morgan, Nia Jax, Shayna Baszler, and Zoey Stark. However, WWE always has a trick up their sleeve and there could be a surprise return in store.
4) Ladder Match
This one is highly unlikely on a random episode of Raw but a ladder match to determine the next champion would be an interesting option. This was more likely to occur at a Premium Live Event (PLE), but due to there being a new champion next week, makes it very unlikely. In an ideal world, the WWE could have had qualifying matches and then have a ladder match for the title at Backlash in two weeks.
It is still unclear what match will take place on Raw next week, but we will see a NEW WWE Women’s Champion on next week’s episode. You can watch Raw in the United Kingdom via TNT Sports at 1am Tuesday Morning.
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