Even though Wrestlemania is considered the grandest stage of them all and arguably the biggest WWE event of the year, there’s a hefty chunk of fans that would argue the Royal Rumble event being their favorite PPV instead. As far as I’m concerned, it’s really a close call but whether first or second choice, there is little doubt this is one of the most exciting times of the year and one that I certainly look forward to, even if the build this time around was kind of lackluster.
That being said, let’s have a go at this year’s card, shall we?
First off, my understanding is we are looking at a two hour kick off show, just like WWE likes to do with the “Big 4” PPV’s anyway which in my opinion translates to overkill. To be perfectly honest, I ain’t going to be tuning in for it but will catch the highlights instead.
Rusev vs. Shinsuke Nakamura for the United States Championship
How ironic is it that this time last year Nakamura was winning the Royal Rumble match itself only to see him being part of the preshow a year later? Talk about a change of momentum…
Aside from that, the fact we didn’t even get to see Rusev for the past couple of weeks (unless I missed something) pretty much tells you all you need to know about the status of the US championship whilst Nakamura’s constant “fading” also speaks volumes. Simply put, I don’t see any reason for the title to change hands so Rusev to retain.
Fatal 4-way for the Cruiserweight Championship
To be perfectly honest, I haven’t watched 205 live in a very long time so needless to say I don’t really care about this. All I am going to say is that for the most part, whenever they tag these types of matches as “the odds are stacked against the champion”, the champion usually retains so I’m guessing Buddy Murphy retains.
On to the main show, I should first point out that card placement will be the key factor in order to try and predict certain things. For example, it’s a given fact that they will try to spread out the two Rumble matches themselves in order to prevent the fans from “burning out” if, say, they were to have them take place back to back.
Secondly, I think this time around it will be back to the men’s rumble match taking the main event spot after the women had that honor last year for obvious reasons. I also don’t think they will open with the woman’s rumble match so moving forward, I’m going to try and predict the order of each match as well:
The Bar vs. Miz and Shane McMahon for the SD Tag Team Championship
In my view, this seems perfect for a hot opener, more so being I feel there will be a title change as well. The Bar have had a long enough run to begin with, whilst I also believe it makes sense from a story line perspective to have Miz and Shane capture the gold. If indeed the plan eventually is for Miz to turn on Shane and them facing off at Wrestlemania, it only makes sense they win the tag straps here, have a short run and perhaps drop them about a month before Mania (Fastlane, Cockblock or whatever the PPV name prior to Mania), cause the decent and set up the match.
Asuka vs. Becky Lynch for the SD Women’s Championship
As noted above, match placement is a key factor and the way I see things, this match HAS to happen here and most importantly before the Woman’s Royal Rumble match only for the simple reason it ties in with what I think should happen afterwards.
Now, while I understand Becky is white hot and you don’t want her having to lose, Asuka should retain. She doesn’t necessarily have to win but at the end of the day, Asuka should be walking out of Chase Field still Smackdown Woman’s Champion so my theory is a somewhat dusty finish that both keeps Asuka champion whilst at the same time protecting Becky Lynch. I don’t think Ronda will be interfering (they played that card already at TLC), nor do I see Charlotte getting involved, but I wouldn’t count out on Nia Jax doing so, eventually costing Becky the match. Either that, or maybe Asuka sneaks in some iffy move to win; like, sort of cheating but not really type of thing.
Either way, I think the idea should be that Asuka should retain….
Woman’s Royal Rumble Match
...so Becky Lynch can then insert herself in the rumble match, eventually winning it to then challenge Ronda Rousey at Wrestlemania. This story line basically rights itself and has been pretty much brewing for quite some time now. Have a frustrated Becky enter the Rumble, have it come down to her and Nia Jax and have Becky get her revenge for her face being broken during that invasion angle prior to Survivor Series on RAW. Becky eliminating Nia to win the Rumble would definitely make for a good moment (let alone it would tie a loose end) whilst being the easiest way for the Man to challenge Ronda, don’t you think?
On the flipside, there’s a second scenario I could possibly see. Long story short, take everything mentioned above up until the point that Becky eliminates Nia, only this time it’s not the final elimination. In this scenario, it would be the second to last elimination, thus all boiling down to Becky and Charlotte. Who wins in this case, you might ask?
Keeping in mind that Charlotte did not participate in last year’s first ever Woman’s Royal Rumble, many believe WWE may want to give her the big moment here. We all know they love Charlotte backstage so, makes sense, right?
Well, what if…both won? What if WWE decided to recreate the Lex Luger/Bret Hart moment from back in the day with both eliminating each other and both hitting the floor at the same time? Granted, this is more of an extreme scenario, however it could tie in the events that took place at TLC between Charlotte and Ronda alongside the story line between Becky and Ronda. To be perfectly honest, I’d much rather see Becky versus Ronda one on one but if they were to go with a triple threat including Charlotte, I guess I’d be okay with it as well.
Lastly, if I were to go with a third option, a dark horse if you will, I’d be looking at Ember Moon, a gal I feel has been underutilized ever since she got called up to the main roster. As we all know, the Rumble can be used to really make or break someone and in this case, if WWE were to use this match for a hard push to a newer face, I think Ember Moon is a great candidate. Come to think of it, she could then challenge Asuka for Mania and give us another classic like those during their respective time at NXT.
As a side note, I would love for Victoria to be one of the surprise entrants this year, someone we didn’t get to see last year. I do remember a report some few months ago talking about Victoria not being allowed to go backstage when she attempted to do so but unless there’s some bad blood we are not aware of, I’d really like to see here make an appearance.
AJ Styles vs. Daniel Bryan for the WWE Championship
Keeping this short, I see no reason why Daniel Bryan doesn’t retain his title here. He’s been basically on fire with this new character and I can’t see why you’d mess with something that doesn’t need to be fixed.
As for AJ, they can easily protect him with an iffy finish (back to the balls perhaps?) plus I’m fairly confident he’s counting down his days on the blue brand. Oh, wait, no, I’m not implying he’s going to leave for AEW (that’s just ridiculous) but more so basing this on the very well known fact that Vince wants AJ Styles on RAW…
Ronda Rousey vs. Sasha Banks for the RAW Woman’s Championship
They say payback is a bitch so if Charlotte or Becky were to interfere here and cost Ronda the match, it wouldn’t come as a surprise, however whether it’s Ronda vs. Becky at Mania or Ronda vs. Becky vs. Charlotte in a triple threat, the title has to be on the line so I find it hard to see any other outcome other than Ronda retaining against Sasha Banks.
Just to throw this out there, I feel that the end game should be Becky Lynch headlining Wrestlemania (with or without Charlotte) and beat Ronda Rousey. I think Becky will then win, move to RAW, thus helping the transition of Ronda moving over to Smackdown, something that FOX pretty much…demands to happen.
Brock Lesnar vs. Fin Balor for the WWE Universal Championship
First question that comes to mind, will we see the paint? In other words, will Balor come out as the Demon or will he show up as regular, smiley Balor?
Well, the Demon versus the Beast could do wonders from a marketing perspective (not to mention the believability of the matter) however I think that if that were to be the case, they’d be all over it already. Granted, they could still do it (despite Balor basically shutting down the idea in a recent interview) but I am going to assume it won’t happen.
Now, generally speaking this should be an easy call (even a lock) and perhaps the outcome will indeed be what most are predicting, thus Brock retaining. However, for whatever reason, I’m feeling kind of funky about this one. I don’t know, there’s just something about this story line that has got me thinking, especially with Vince somewhat involved and this “I don’t believe in you” angle.
And then, there’s this minor detail. For the most part, when it comes to the go home shows prior to a PPV that Brock will participate, one of Paul Heymann’s usual go to catch phrases while promoting the match and talking about how his client, Brrrrock Lllllesnar will win is “this isn’t a prediction, it’s a spoiler”. However, if you noticed, he didn’t use this line this time around. Granted, it’s a minor thing and perhaps a case in which maybe he didn’t want to sound repetitive but then again, could it be a tell for things to come?
Furthermore, up until a few months ago, Fin Balor was…just there on RAW whereas lately they’ve booked him strong and have had him winning week in, week out. This, of course, could mean nothing and just a case of Brock’s opponent needing to look strong but what if...?
On the other hamd, looking at this long term, Brock retaining and holding the title till Mania makes more sense and more of a Vince thing to do but if the idea is to really give the fans what they want, I would not be surprised whatsoever if a title change occurred. However, I’m going to stick with Brock Lesnar to retain.
I guess the one and only thing keeping me from predicting Fin Balor to win here is all those times Seth Rollins took a stab against Brock Lesnar in various promos, almost teasing the eventual match up. And when they tease shit, they don’t do it for the sake of doing it so…
Men’s Royal Rumble Match
…that is why I’m sensing Seth Rollins will be your 2019 Royal Rumble winner, thus setting up a match at Mania with Brock Lesnar.
I’m sure I am not the only one that has come to this conclusion and I certainly ain’t discovering America all of a sudden. The thing is, given what we’ve seen all these months, it’s what makes the most sense and though predictable, it isn’t necessarily a bad thing. I could even go as far as to say that I can picture Seth slaying the beast at Mania, holding the title and then talking about how “this is (also) for Roman”.
As far as surprises are concerned and despite the various reports out there, I don’t see the Rock showing up, neither Batista. Undertaker could be an idea if they would want to use the Rumble as a way to set up Taker’s next match at Mania, then again I feel they’d be advertising him already, more so given the fact of the low ticket sales. Kane? Meh, maybe…
A more realistic option would be Bray Wyatt whilst I could also see the number 30 spot being freed up for someone else other than R-Truth, simply because R-Truth will enter the…woman’s rumble instead. Perhaps Wyatt at number 30?
All in all and regardless of the outcome of each match, this should be a good show. It's the freakin Royal Rumble aftr all, how could they go wrong, right? Right?
That being said, let’s have a go at this year’s card, shall we?
First off, my understanding is we are looking at a two hour kick off show, just like WWE likes to do with the “Big 4” PPV’s anyway which in my opinion translates to overkill. To be perfectly honest, I ain’t going to be tuning in for it but will catch the highlights instead.
Rusev vs. Shinsuke Nakamura for the United States Championship
How ironic is it that this time last year Nakamura was winning the Royal Rumble match itself only to see him being part of the preshow a year later? Talk about a change of momentum…
Aside from that, the fact we didn’t even get to see Rusev for the past couple of weeks (unless I missed something) pretty much tells you all you need to know about the status of the US championship whilst Nakamura’s constant “fading” also speaks volumes. Simply put, I don’t see any reason for the title to change hands so Rusev to retain.
Fatal 4-way for the Cruiserweight Championship
To be perfectly honest, I haven’t watched 205 live in a very long time so needless to say I don’t really care about this. All I am going to say is that for the most part, whenever they tag these types of matches as “the odds are stacked against the champion”, the champion usually retains so I’m guessing Buddy Murphy retains.
On to the main show, I should first point out that card placement will be the key factor in order to try and predict certain things. For example, it’s a given fact that they will try to spread out the two Rumble matches themselves in order to prevent the fans from “burning out” if, say, they were to have them take place back to back.
Secondly, I think this time around it will be back to the men’s rumble match taking the main event spot after the women had that honor last year for obvious reasons. I also don’t think they will open with the woman’s rumble match so moving forward, I’m going to try and predict the order of each match as well:
The Bar vs. Miz and Shane McMahon for the SD Tag Team Championship
In my view, this seems perfect for a hot opener, more so being I feel there will be a title change as well. The Bar have had a long enough run to begin with, whilst I also believe it makes sense from a story line perspective to have Miz and Shane capture the gold. If indeed the plan eventually is for Miz to turn on Shane and them facing off at Wrestlemania, it only makes sense they win the tag straps here, have a short run and perhaps drop them about a month before Mania (Fastlane, Cockblock or whatever the PPV name prior to Mania), cause the decent and set up the match.
Asuka vs. Becky Lynch for the SD Women’s Championship
As noted above, match placement is a key factor and the way I see things, this match HAS to happen here and most importantly before the Woman’s Royal Rumble match only for the simple reason it ties in with what I think should happen afterwards.
Now, while I understand Becky is white hot and you don’t want her having to lose, Asuka should retain. She doesn’t necessarily have to win but at the end of the day, Asuka should be walking out of Chase Field still Smackdown Woman’s Champion so my theory is a somewhat dusty finish that both keeps Asuka champion whilst at the same time protecting Becky Lynch. I don’t think Ronda will be interfering (they played that card already at TLC), nor do I see Charlotte getting involved, but I wouldn’t count out on Nia Jax doing so, eventually costing Becky the match. Either that, or maybe Asuka sneaks in some iffy move to win; like, sort of cheating but not really type of thing.
Either way, I think the idea should be that Asuka should retain….
Woman’s Royal Rumble Match
...so Becky Lynch can then insert herself in the rumble match, eventually winning it to then challenge Ronda Rousey at Wrestlemania. This story line basically rights itself and has been pretty much brewing for quite some time now. Have a frustrated Becky enter the Rumble, have it come down to her and Nia Jax and have Becky get her revenge for her face being broken during that invasion angle prior to Survivor Series on RAW. Becky eliminating Nia to win the Rumble would definitely make for a good moment (let alone it would tie a loose end) whilst being the easiest way for the Man to challenge Ronda, don’t you think?
On the flipside, there’s a second scenario I could possibly see. Long story short, take everything mentioned above up until the point that Becky eliminates Nia, only this time it’s not the final elimination. In this scenario, it would be the second to last elimination, thus all boiling down to Becky and Charlotte. Who wins in this case, you might ask?
Keeping in mind that Charlotte did not participate in last year’s first ever Woman’s Royal Rumble, many believe WWE may want to give her the big moment here. We all know they love Charlotte backstage so, makes sense, right?
Well, what if…both won? What if WWE decided to recreate the Lex Luger/Bret Hart moment from back in the day with both eliminating each other and both hitting the floor at the same time? Granted, this is more of an extreme scenario, however it could tie in the events that took place at TLC between Charlotte and Ronda alongside the story line between Becky and Ronda. To be perfectly honest, I’d much rather see Becky versus Ronda one on one but if they were to go with a triple threat including Charlotte, I guess I’d be okay with it as well.
Lastly, if I were to go with a third option, a dark horse if you will, I’d be looking at Ember Moon, a gal I feel has been underutilized ever since she got called up to the main roster. As we all know, the Rumble can be used to really make or break someone and in this case, if WWE were to use this match for a hard push to a newer face, I think Ember Moon is a great candidate. Come to think of it, she could then challenge Asuka for Mania and give us another classic like those during their respective time at NXT.
As a side note, I would love for Victoria to be one of the surprise entrants this year, someone we didn’t get to see last year. I do remember a report some few months ago talking about Victoria not being allowed to go backstage when she attempted to do so but unless there’s some bad blood we are not aware of, I’d really like to see here make an appearance.
AJ Styles vs. Daniel Bryan for the WWE Championship
Keeping this short, I see no reason why Daniel Bryan doesn’t retain his title here. He’s been basically on fire with this new character and I can’t see why you’d mess with something that doesn’t need to be fixed.
As for AJ, they can easily protect him with an iffy finish (back to the balls perhaps?) plus I’m fairly confident he’s counting down his days on the blue brand. Oh, wait, no, I’m not implying he’s going to leave for AEW (that’s just ridiculous) but more so basing this on the very well known fact that Vince wants AJ Styles on RAW…
Ronda Rousey vs. Sasha Banks for the RAW Woman’s Championship
They say payback is a bitch so if Charlotte or Becky were to interfere here and cost Ronda the match, it wouldn’t come as a surprise, however whether it’s Ronda vs. Becky at Mania or Ronda vs. Becky vs. Charlotte in a triple threat, the title has to be on the line so I find it hard to see any other outcome other than Ronda retaining against Sasha Banks.
Just to throw this out there, I feel that the end game should be Becky Lynch headlining Wrestlemania (with or without Charlotte) and beat Ronda Rousey. I think Becky will then win, move to RAW, thus helping the transition of Ronda moving over to Smackdown, something that FOX pretty much…demands to happen.
Brock Lesnar vs. Fin Balor for the WWE Universal Championship
First question that comes to mind, will we see the paint? In other words, will Balor come out as the Demon or will he show up as regular, smiley Balor?
Well, the Demon versus the Beast could do wonders from a marketing perspective (not to mention the believability of the matter) however I think that if that were to be the case, they’d be all over it already. Granted, they could still do it (despite Balor basically shutting down the idea in a recent interview) but I am going to assume it won’t happen.
Now, generally speaking this should be an easy call (even a lock) and perhaps the outcome will indeed be what most are predicting, thus Brock retaining. However, for whatever reason, I’m feeling kind of funky about this one. I don’t know, there’s just something about this story line that has got me thinking, especially with Vince somewhat involved and this “I don’t believe in you” angle.
And then, there’s this minor detail. For the most part, when it comes to the go home shows prior to a PPV that Brock will participate, one of Paul Heymann’s usual go to catch phrases while promoting the match and talking about how his client, Brrrrock Lllllesnar will win is “this isn’t a prediction, it’s a spoiler”. However, if you noticed, he didn’t use this line this time around. Granted, it’s a minor thing and perhaps a case in which maybe he didn’t want to sound repetitive but then again, could it be a tell for things to come?
Furthermore, up until a few months ago, Fin Balor was…just there on RAW whereas lately they’ve booked him strong and have had him winning week in, week out. This, of course, could mean nothing and just a case of Brock’s opponent needing to look strong but what if...?
On the other hamd, looking at this long term, Brock retaining and holding the title till Mania makes more sense and more of a Vince thing to do but if the idea is to really give the fans what they want, I would not be surprised whatsoever if a title change occurred. However, I’m going to stick with Brock Lesnar to retain.
I guess the one and only thing keeping me from predicting Fin Balor to win here is all those times Seth Rollins took a stab against Brock Lesnar in various promos, almost teasing the eventual match up. And when they tease shit, they don’t do it for the sake of doing it so…
Men’s Royal Rumble Match
…that is why I’m sensing Seth Rollins will be your 2019 Royal Rumble winner, thus setting up a match at Mania with Brock Lesnar.
I’m sure I am not the only one that has come to this conclusion and I certainly ain’t discovering America all of a sudden. The thing is, given what we’ve seen all these months, it’s what makes the most sense and though predictable, it isn’t necessarily a bad thing. I could even go as far as to say that I can picture Seth slaying the beast at Mania, holding the title and then talking about how “this is (also) for Roman”.
As far as surprises are concerned and despite the various reports out there, I don’t see the Rock showing up, neither Batista. Undertaker could be an idea if they would want to use the Rumble as a way to set up Taker’s next match at Mania, then again I feel they’d be advertising him already, more so given the fact of the low ticket sales. Kane? Meh, maybe…
A more realistic option would be Bray Wyatt whilst I could also see the number 30 spot being freed up for someone else other than R-Truth, simply because R-Truth will enter the…woman’s rumble instead. Perhaps Wyatt at number 30?
All in all and regardless of the outcome of each match, this should be a good show. It's the freakin Royal Rumble aftr all, how could they go wrong, right? Right?
