While WWE will hype up the first anniversary of RAW on Netflix, the 2026 Royal Rumble is the next big PLE on the live-event schedule.It's more than a month away, but the Royal Rumble is arguably one of the most-anticipated shows of the year.Jade Cargill is the current WWE Women's Champion, and officials haven't done much to give her a challenge since winning the title. Stephanie Vaquer has faced Raquel Rodriguez and Nikki Bella in her three title defenses.Provided that La Primera and The Storm are still champions at the end of January 2026, the next five WWE women are front-runners to win the 2026 Royal Rumble.#5. IYO SKY is a former WWE and Women's World ChampionSKY defended the Women's World Championship against Rhea Ripley and Bianca Belair at WrestleMania 41. She was a favorite to win the 2025 Rumble, but since she was slated to beat Mami after the event, she didn't come away with a victory.She's currently embroiled in a tag team title feud with the Kabuki Warriors and former champions Alexa Bliss and Charlotte Flair.Whether or not they take the titles from the Japanese stars, The Genius of the Sky will enter the 2026 Royal Rumble as a favorite to win.#4. Becky Lynch joins her biggest rival in the record booksFlair became the first woman to win two Rumble contests in 2025. Would officials have a second woman follow suit this year?Lynch is one of the biggest female stars ever, so it wouldn't be a stretch to have her win a second Rumble. Plenty of other stars could use the win, but bookers don't think that way.Factor in that she'll need a new feud after she's done with Maxine Dupri and the Women's Intercontinental title, and The Man winning is a strong possibility. She hasn't feuded with Vaquer or Cargill yet, either.#3. Rhea Ripley earns another WrestleMania shotRhea Ripley is one of WWE's biggest stars, evidenced by how much she appears on SmackDown as well as RAW. That treatment isn't afforded to every performer.While she whined her way into the Women's World Championship match last year, bookers will want Mami prominently featured once WrestleMania 42 rolls around.She's already captured one victory in a Royal Rumble, but that won't stop her from winning another one before her career is over. Fans love her no matter what she says or does, so Ripley is certainly a favorite.#2. Bianca Belair returns to WWE in the 2026 Royal RumbleBelair and Flair earned title shots at WrestleMania by virtue of winning the Elimination Chamber and Rumble matches this year.Neither should win title shots yet again, but that won't stop officials due to the story told with Belair over the last two years. Her one-time friend, Cargill, holds the WWE Women's title.They still have lingering issues stemming from the dissolution of their friendship with Naomi. The EST hasn't returned from a broken finger yet, so she could come back as a surprise entrant in 2026.Cargill keeps asking for real competition, and the storyline has always been heading toward a one-on-one clash between the two alphas.#1. Liv Morgan returns to the title fold View this post on Instagram Instagram PostIt's nice when stars who aren't always in the title scene win the Royal Rumble. Having a dedicated veteran who's put others over to win one, like Bayley, is always great to see.Morgan has already won major gold a few times over the last four years, but hasn't won a Royal Rumble. She returned at Survivor Series: WarGames to back up Dirty Dom against John Cena.There has been some tension teased among the Judgment Day, so there could be a shift in group dynamics in early 2026. Due to her popularity even as a heel, Morgan is one of the front-runners to outlast 29 other women in Saudi Arabia.