Mick Foley endorses WWE NXT Superstar to win the Royal Rumble
WWE Legend Mick Foley is still an avid viewer of the current product and often discusses modern stars whose work he enjoys on his social media pages. A recent example of this is SmackDown Superstar Bianca Belair, who he praised for her recent work on the Blue Brand of WWE.
Tonight, the WWE Hall of Famer made a case for a former NXT Women's Champion to win the 2021 Royal Rumble. The Superstar in question is Rhea Ripley, who is reported to be moving to the main roster of WWE very soon.
On his Facebook page, Mick Foley penned an essay on his thoughts on the Royal Rumble. In his post, Foley noted that Belair would also make a great winner. He also claimed that the 2020 winner, Charlotte Flair, is one of the "Superstars of a generation."
In his pitch for Rhea Ripley to win the Royal Rumble, Foley said:
"Ripley’s loss at last year’s Mania gives her a built-in storyline - and one I think fans will readily get behind - especially if Charlotte were to wrest away the WWE RAW title from current champion Asuka. Asuka is a great champion, but I just don’t see a WrestleMania matchup that has the potential of Flair vs Ripley."
Foley continued by discussing how he would book the road to WrestleMania for Rhea Ripley.
"A Raw women’s title shakeup leading to a Flair victory at February’s Elimination Chamber PPV would put her on a collision course with Ripley in a Mania rematch that I believe most wrestling fans would love to see. While I do believe the big money is on a single showdown with Ripley and Charlotte, a three-way match up with Flair, Asuka and Ripley is also a potential Mania show-stealer. In the event such a shakeup is not in the cards, a Ripley win at the Rumble could still lead to a WrestleMania barnburner with WWE SmackDown women’s champion Sasha Banks."
Mick Foley highlights the potential for Rhea Ripley on WWE's main roster
Heaping praise on the former NXT Women's Champion, Mick Foley also reflected on Rhea Ripley's status as a star on the brand, and how she may not be as well known as current members of the main roster.
"Rhea Ripley is still something of an unknown quantity, a secret weapon ready to once again shine on the ground a stage of them all. This time, I hope WWE will choose to strap that figurative rocket onto her back and see if they can launch her into that next dimension. "
Mick Foley also pitched potential match-ups for Rhea Ripley's future in WWE, naming women from across all of the current rosters.
"With her athletic prowess, unique look and evasive “it factor” Ripley has the potential for rivalries with any number of Raw or SmackDown Superstars - Charlotte, Asuka, Bayley, Banks, Natalya, Lacey Evans, Alexa Bliss, Nia Jax, Bianca Belair, Naomi, Sonya Deville - or revisited rivalries with her past NXT foes. Add to that perhaps, the biggest potential rivalry of all - a returning Becky Lynch, and I believe the sky is the limit for Rhea Ripley, should she win the 2021 Royal Rumble. I just hope WWE won’t ask for their rocket back in mid-flight."
Which WWE NXT star do you feel is most likely to win either of the Royal Rumble matches this year? Sound off in the comments.