Betting Odds for Women's Royal Rumble May Have Tipped WWE's Hand

Even though Ronda Rousey has yet to sign a WWE contract, oddsmakers are still keen on her not just joining the company, but winning the Royal Rumble.

Now that WWE established that there will be a first-ever Women's Royal Rumble, we can officially move on to the second stage of excitement: speculation. To enable our forecasting, Sportskeeda released betting odds, further supplying a breeding ground for fan's theories regarding January 28th event. Most interesting though it that Vegas has already pegged Rousey as the early favorite.

Ronda Rousey -111

Asuka +200

Nia Jax +500

Becky Lynch +750

Paige +750

Nikki Bella +1000

Bayley +1200

Charlotte Flair +1200

Ruby Riott +1200

Sasha Banks +1200

Alexa Bliss +1500

Carmella +1500

Shayna Baszler +2000

Stephanie McMahon +2000

Just last week, both Rousey's camp and Triple H himself denied that the two sides were even talking to one another. However, by Vegas anointing her as the Rumble's likeliest winner, there may be part of the story that is being kept under wraps. Perhaps some big Ronda Rousey news is on the way.

Asuka being given the second-best odds is no surprise, as she's dominated the Women's divisions since debuting in October. The same goes for Nia Jax, who in theory, would have the little problem overpowering the entire field. Paige and Becky Lynch fall in line next, but a peculiar fact is that oddsmakers consider SmackDown Champion, Charlotte Flair and Sasha Banks equal long shots to win. While Charlotte may not even participate (being a champion may disqualify her), it's peculiar to see Banks, such a popular star, being a mathematic afterthought.

These odds are destined the change drastically over the next few weeks. However, if Rousey does arrive in WWE, her winning Rumble will likely be a formality. Given her UFC background, her marketable personality, and pop culture relevance, Rousey joining the WWE could be nothing short of a coup for Vince McMahon and CO.

We'll keep you updated on this story develops.