WWE has announced a triple threat match for Smackdown Tuesday night. Becky Lynch, Charlotte Flair, and Carmella will meet in a #1 Contenders match. The winner will face Asuka for the Smackdown women’s championship at the Royal Rumble.

“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,” a WWE press release for the match reads.

The #1 contenders match also represents a return to the championship picture for Carmella, who held the title from last April to August. Carmella told media last month she plans to win back the title someday.

“I will become champion again,” Carmella said. “That’s for sure, but right now everyone has their moment and then you get back into the mix. I’m not in any rush, when it happens it’ll happen.”


With the winner of this match taking on Asuka at the Royal Rumble, the updated card looks like this:

Royal Rumble 2019 – January 27th, 2019

  • Women’s Royal Rumble match
  • Men’s Royal Rumble match
  • Smackdown Women’s Championship
    Asuka (c) vs (Winner of Carmella vs Charlotte Flair vs Becky Lynch)
  • WWE Championship
    Daniel Bryan (c) vs AJ Styles
  • Universal Championship
    Brock Lesnar (c) vs Braun Strowman
  • WWE Cruiserweight Championship Fatal 4-Way
    Buddy Murphy (c) vs Kalisto vs Akira Tozawa vs TBD