Now that we're at the start of Royal Rumble season, I've had a few people ask me who I think will win the two battle royals. I thought that I'd publish a special post that will go live on Christmas morning with my current picks.
With the women's Rumble, regular readers are sure to know that I've been slightly going against the reports that WrestleMania 35 will feature a bout between Ronda Rousey and Becky Lynch. Instead, I have been hoping that the match will be a three-way with Charlotte Flair added into the mix.
My instinct has it being a triple threat because - in a way, I could see it being unfair to Charlotte Flair if the original WrestleMania 35 plan was for her and Ronda Rousey to wrestle in the main event.
Nia Jax accidentally forcing WWE to do Ronda Rousey .vs. Charlotte Flair at the Survivor Series instead of Rousey versus Lynch and then having the latter at Mania instead feels - to me - like Charlotte has been pushed out into the cold for something she had no control over.
On top of that, Flair not being in the first women's main event match in WrestleMania history would be another thing missing from her career achievements after being unable to compete in the first-ever women's Royal Rumble earlier this year because she was, at the time, holding the WWE Smackdown Women's Championship.
I really do think it should be a case of Becky Lynch being moved into the Mania main event rather than Charlotte being moved out to make room for Lynch.
As for the Royal Rumble match setting up WrestleMania - I've been on of those who have been betting on the match ending with joint-winners in Flair and Lynch.
If I were forced to pick either one - and then have the other person added to the Rousey match at a later point - I would have to go with the favourite. Only because I could see WWE sticking with part of the original plan by having Flair win the Rumble to set up the Rousey match.
If this was the original plan, of course.
The fans would also be more likely to be locked into a Road to WrestleMania storyline with Becky on the chase to be added into the match rather than they would Charlotte trying to force her way into the match.
That is, of course, if we don't get what I would prefer them do and have both Flair and Lynch share the Rumble win on January 27th.
As for the men's match - if it's going to be won by a challenger for the Universal Championship, then Seth Rollins MIGHT be the guy to win the Rumble.
I've mildly settled on Seth Rollins to win the Rumble due to the reports that have suggested Lesnar .vs. Rollins is one of the planned bouts for WrestleMania. One drawback with this idea is it would mean I am banking on Braun Strowman once again failing to win a match against Brock Lesnar as the pair are set to face each other in the Universal Championship match on the night of the Royal Rumble.
One thing worth considering - if Lesnar is still in possession of the Universal Championship after his match with Braun Strowman and he's not booked to wrestle on the Elimination Chamber PPV - is WWE might have to determine the challenger for the WWE Championship at the Royal Rumble and then have the Universal Championship contender set up by winning an Elimination Chamber match in February.
I have constantly harped on about John Cena winning a seventeenth world championship. There is no doubt that WWE will one day have Cena break this 'record' that the company has established. Until that day comes, John Cena will always be one of the names I look out for in Rumble, Elimination Chamber, Money in the Bank, 'Champion After' and any other betting markets with title implications.
John Cena challenging Daniel Bryan is a match I can absolutely see happening at Mania now that Bryan is a heel. It is also a draw for the viewers of shows like Total Divas and Total Bellas who may only know them from those shows.
I'll let this one out there - if I am wrong and John Cena is not chasing the title going into Mania, then my next guess will be the first Smackdown on Fox when it begins its run in the autumn of 2019.
On that note, I'll leave you with an at a glance look at my current picks.
Women's Royal Rumble
Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair joint-winners
Men's Royal Rumble
Seth Rollins
Men's Royal Rumble Dark Horse
John Cena
Best wishes for the festive period!
Tuesday 25 December 2018
21 comments:
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Have a good christmas Dave, and thanks for all your hard work.
ReplyDeleteJoint winners would be a ballsy move - not from a booking standpoint, but by actually pulling it off without botching.
Was just looking at the odds today and agree Cena at $21 is great value!
Thanks mate. Hope you're having a good one.
DeleteWhat do you think will be WWE title match if it isn't Cena vs Bryan ?
ReplyDeleteNothing is standing out to me.
DeleteAfter watching AJ - Vince segment, I've got a feeling AJ might be in WWE title match at Mania
DeleteNot against HHH?
DeleteBut i thought HHH vs Batista is the plan. AJ vs HHH is also possible
DeleteWhat do you think ?
I wrote after Smackdown 1,000 that they had teased Batista vs HHH in 2014 and nothing came out of it.
DeleteAJ vs Taker IMO is also possible. Especially if Taker isn't facing HBK or Cena
DeleteSo, you are predicting AJ vs HHH.
I'm not predicting anything because last night could have just been a one-off segment that won't result in anything.
DeleteI'd say AJ-Taker has more chance than HBK or Cena because I give the last two zero!
You might be right but Vince's segments are generally meant for long term storylines. Either way, it's interesting.
DeleteI was thinking following the SD segment with AJ & Vince that AJ could win the Rumble & go to RAW to face Lesnar as we didn't get it at Survivor Series?
ReplyDeleteThat would work against the report that it's Lesnar .vs. Rollins, though.
DeleteExactly.... i think AJ will be in a big non title match at WM 35 and i.don't think it will be against Orton. May be HHH or Taker or even HBK
DeleteWhen I was browsing my Twitter timeline within the last hour or so, I read one user come up with the theory that the segment with Vince was done because Styles still hasn't re-signed and might be a way to write him out for the moment.
DeleteThat actually would make sense if he still hasn't renewed.
To be honest another Triple Threat with Becky & Charlotte would by very annoying and Charlotte had enough Moments for herself.
ReplyDeleteBraun is going to beat Lesnar at the Rumble. Absolutely no way they have him lose again. McIntyre is going to win the Rumble and it’ll be Braun vs Drew for the Universal title at Mania. If lesnar vs Rollins happens at Mania it won’t be a championship match.
ReplyDeleteNormally, I would agree and say Strowman should not lose but I think that match ends with Lesnar retaining somehow.
DeleteIf Rollins .vs. Lesnar is at Mania, I would hazard a guess that Roman Reigns will be in Rollins' corner and the feelgood moment will be Rollins beating 'The Beast' for Reigns.
I can't see Braun losing clean to Lesnar again. My guess is DQ finish
ReplyDeleteWhat about Reigns returning at the rumble and winning?
ReplyDeleteIt would make one crazy return pop and great headlines "Cancer-free Reigns returns and wins the royal rumble".
That did cross my mind.
Delete