The impending Rumble season is worrying me.

[Snowman1]

Wrestlemania season. The season finale for WWE. The show with the biggest expectations and - we feel - the most time and effort putting into it all year.

I think WWE's been a lot better this year - well, Raw has - but in many ways it hasn't for the main-event scene. It was leaked a year in advance that Roman Reigns vs Brock Lesnar will main event Wrestlemania 34, but now it's being discussed that the other title match will be John Cena vs Jinder Mahal...

which leads to Brock Lesnar vs Finn Balor at Royal Rumble, which leads to several issues...
-No matter what, Lesnar has a 100% chance of winning this match. There hasn't been a match this predictable since Lesnar vs Undertaker (though we all know how that ended haha)
-Balor can show up to a Brock match as "the man" and leaving the match we'd all scratch our head and feel like it's stupid and makes no sense that he doesn't wear the paint
-Balor can show up as the Demon, and Brock will destroy Demon Balor via suplex city and 1-2 F-5's en route to Roman Reigns at Wrestlemania and that sounds like a true nightmare scenario

If the other match is AJ Styles vs Jinder Mahal, then we have hope... Now we're more than likely sure that Jinder is going into Wrestlemania as champion to give Cena his 17th title reign, and get the rub as "the best of all time" on the same show they try to coronate Roman Reigns again and...

Problem with that hope is, if that match is the one announced, then we'll go into the Royal Rumble match with the percentages something like...

Roman Reigns 70%
John Cena 25%
Shinsuke Nakamura 5%...

As fans get excited for Nakamura vs Styles at WM33 (which still could happen), and Nakamura becomes the next Daniel Bryan, the fans' choice fighting back against Roman Reigns and...

Even if they go in that route, looking at the show from the outside looking in as "Lesnar and Jinder defeat Balor and Styles so that way they put over John Cena as the greatest of all time AND coronate Roman Reigns and make him look strong yet again...

I'm not sure I'm ready for this guys. Help.

Sorry for the whine/rant thread, but hey, y'all know me. If this scenario doesn't actually play out, I'll be happy. WWE, just don't do this. Do better than this, I don't think that's asking for too much.

 

[Mr. Roman Empire]

I don't think Shinsuke will ever be over like DB was.

 

[Grievous 3D]

The idea of Lesnar vs. Balor makes me feel sick...simply because...
A). Balor is simply being fed to Lesnar on the way to Wrestlemania...
&
B). The "physical" difference between the two is too vast for me to
"suspend my disbelief" and enjoy an "actual" fight.

I am hopeful for Styles vs. Nakamura for the World title at Wrestlemania 34...
but just because it would make many (but not all) fans happy...doesn't mean
the WWE will set it up and go through with it.

I could honestly see them not booking it simply because it could overshadow
Lesnar vs. Reigns & the 3rd Reigns Wrestlemania Coronation attempt in 4 years.

I personally just want to see good wrestlers wrestling the best possible matches
they can...

No 25 minute long Triple H match, No Shane McMahon, No Stephanie McMahon...
just some great matches that have had a solid and intense build.

Say like...

RAW:
Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns for the Universal title...(Because the WWE is booking it)
Kalisto vs. Jack Gallagher for the Cruiserweight title...(or throw in 5 more and have this be a ladder match)
Ambrose/Rollins vs. The Revival (Injury pending) for the RAW tag titles...
The Miz vs. Finn Balor for the IC title...
Asuka vs. Sasha Banks for the RAW Women's title...
Braun Strowman vs. Samoa Joe in a street fight...
Bray Wyatt vs. Matt Hardy...(Broken or Not)...

SmackDown:
A.J Styles vs. Shinsuke Nakamura for the World title...
The Usos vs. Owens & Zayn for the SmackDown tag titles...
Baron Corbin vs. Jinder Mahal vs. Rusev vs. Randy Orton vs.
Big E vs. Kofi Kingston vs. Xavier Woods for the US title in a Ladder Match...
Charlotte vs. Becky Lynch for the SmackDown Women's title...(Carmella cash in)

Women's Battle Royal (RAW, SmackDown & NXT...Winner becomes No.1 contender for their brands title)
Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal...(Includes everyone else...even the Cruiserweights!)

That is a show I'd like to see...besides Lesnar vs. Reigns...
because I honestly don't care.

 

[Filet-o-Fish]

The only two matches I could honestly see happening are Lesnar vs Reigns which is awesome because the both of them had a great match at WM 31 and Reigns is arguably one of the best workers in WWE and Lesnar can be great when he wants to be. The other I see being Jinder vs Cena because we all know they'll give Cena the title to break Flair's record and what better place to do it than at WrestleMania. So this is why I believe that Cena will win the rumble giving him that one last run that he deserves after putting people over the last few years.

 

[Mike Thunder]

The only two matches I could honestly see happening are Lesnar vs Reigns which is awesome because the both of them had a great match at WM 31 and Reigns is arguably one of the best workers in WWE and Lesnar can be great when he wants to be. The other I see being Jinder vs Cena because we all know they'll give Cena the title to break Flair's record and what better place to do it than at WrestleMania. So this is why I believe that Cena will win the rumble giving him that one last run that he deserves after putting people over the last few years.

Cena would also tie Stone Cold's record of 3 Royal Rumble wins (2008, 2013 and 2018, which would also mean Cena would have won a Rumble once every 5 years since 2008).

 

[Mr. Roman Empire]

I see them going with Cena winning the Rumble this year. It's so lame cuz Orton won last year, HHH won the year before that. But with Cena, he won't get nearly as intense of a response as Reigns would so I think WWE will play it safe. Shit, they will probably have Cena eliminate Reigns last just so he will get a big baby face response. It's a shame, cuz if WWE has any balls they would just let Reigns win that shit.

 

[¡Tranquilo!]

I think Styles could win the rumble, Roman or Cena winning the Rumble again would make zero sense. Roman doesn't need the Rumble to justify a championship match at WM.

 

[Mr. Roman Empire]

I think Styles could win the rumble, Roman or Cena winning the Rumble again would make zero sense. Roman doesn't need the Rumble to justify a championship match at WM.

I mean with the decision to let Orton win the Royal Rumble last year, I have low expectations for the result this year. Orton winning the Royal Rumble was so dumb. All for him to bury Bray Wyatts 1 month title reign...then to hand it off to Jinder...now look where were at

 

[¡Tranquilo!]

I mean with the decision to let Orton win the Royal Rumble last year, I have low expectations for the result this year. Orton winning the Royal Rumble was so dumb. All for him to bury Bray Wyatts 1 month title reign...then to hand it off to Jinder...now look where were at

True, if they want Roman in the main event again without the fans going ape shit I think Styles Vs. anyone for the WWE championship would be a good consolation prize.

 

[The Gipper]

Finn Balor vs Brock Lesnar?.....Overrated vs Overrated. I don't want to see that match.

 

[Nikki Nitro]

Lesnar would just beat Balor without a doubt

 

[Solid Snake]

The Rumble is my favorite PPV and always has been. It just sucks that the last few years it has not been too great. I still enjoy it but the end results have kind of ruined it for me in a sense. If they really have Roman win it again... They will never get him over as a face. AJ makes the most sense right now to have win it. The only reason I would be fine with Cena winning is if they do a heel turn with him.

 

[Rosie]

I think every single Rumble since 2013 has been rough for the actual match. The undercards have had classics or hidden gems. Such as Bray vs Bryan, Rollins vs Cena vs Brock and Styles vs Cena. But let me see the actual Rumbe matches.

2013: Cena predictably won to set up Twice in a Life-time.

2014: People were crazy for Bryan, and he wasn't even included in the match and instead Batista won.

2015: Roman

2016: obvious storyline with Roman

2017: Roman #30

So what was one of the biggest events of the year has been killed by booking...

 

[alexb]

Let me try and chime in with my two cents:

- Lesnar vs. Reigns is a done deal, whether we like or not so unless something really extraordinary happens that would cause a change of plan (say, God forbid, a serious injury), whether we like it or not, we're going to have to deal with it...

- The idea, prior to the above, is for Balor to indeed have a title shot cause, let's not forget, he never did lose the belt in the first place and is still owed one. Survivor Series was initially the thought but according to some latest rumors going around, they may opt to save this particular match up for the Royal Rumble.

- Jinder Mahal WILL NOT hold the championship all the way to Wrestlemania. Now, it's not like I have some insider info on the matter but I am extremely confident in making this bold statement for the simple reason I can't see both major championships on both brands being "dragged" like this. As soon as the India tour is done, you can be certain that Jinder is dropping the belt
within weeks, if not even days. It's just how WWE operates. Look at New Day for instance. While on RAW, they went the distance with them until they eventually broke the record and...then what happened? As soon as the record was conquered, they immediately dropped them belts.

I understand this isn't exactly the same situation but, in a way, it is...

- AJ vs. Nakamura WILL happen. So long as they teased it - which they did already - it's done. They never tease shit they will eventually not be able to deliver. My only question, and this is more so if the title is on the line, how they do it, meaning who would be going in as champion and who goes over at Mania. That's a really big debate right there....unleIss they do it for the US title instead, thus opening the spot for Cena to become a record 17th time champion at Mania....but this is too big of a match to be wasted with just the secondary belt on the line...

This one is really tough to call only because you have Cena in the midst of things. If it wasn't for Cena being around, I'd personally have Nakamura win the Rumble, AJ beat Jinder and there's your proper Wrestlemania match.

- Roman Reigns WILL NOT win the Royal Rumble...Said it before, I'll say it again: WWE can be really stupid at times but they ain't THAT stupid do pull such a move back in Philly of all places. As a matter of fact, it's not like Reigns needs to win the Rumble in order to get the shot against Lesnar and, correct me if I'm wrong, RAW have the Elimination Chamber this time around so...there you go...

 

[InSaNe]

Why does this thread exist now...? We are 3 months away from either a rumble and WM season. Too early for this, IMHO.