Charlotte Flair wins WWE women’s Royal Rumble match

Charlotte Flair is the winner of WWE’s third-ever women’s Royal Rumble match.

Charlotte entered tonight’s women’s Royal Rumble as entrant number 17 and won the match by last eliminating Shayna Baszler. She joins Asuka and Becky Lynch as the only wrestlers to have won a women’s Royal Rumble.

In her post-match interview, Charlotte said that — whether people wanted her to win or lose — she reminded everyone that this is her division.

Charlotte didn’t reveal which title she’s going to challenge for at WrestleMania 36. In storyline, the Royal Rumble winner can choose to challenge for either the Raw or SmackDown Women’s Championship.

Lynch is the current Raw Women’s Champion and Bayley is the current SmackDown Women’s Champion.

It appeared that the Rumble match had come down to Baszler and Beth Phoenix after Phoenix eliminated Natalya, but Charlotte returned after having been thrown through the middle rope. Baszler eliminated Phoenix and tried to throw Charlotte out of the ring, but Charlotte held on and eliminated Baszler.

Baszler eliminated eight wrestlers after entering at number 30. Bianca Belair also had eight eliminations during the match.

In addition to Baszler and Belair, NXT’s Mercedes Martinez, Candice LeRae, Mia Yim, Dakota Kai,  Chelsea Green, Xia Li, Shotzi Blackheart, and Tegan Nox and NXT UK’s Toni Storm were in the women’s Royal Rumble. Naomi returned in the match, and Molly Holly (as Mighty Molly), Kelly Kelly, and Santino (as Santina Marella) were among the other entrants.