Tonight, WWE presents an absolutely stacked Premium Live Event, the 35th annual Royal Rumble. The event comes to use LIVE from The Dome at America’s Center in St. Louis, Missouri.
Before we dive into the predictions, let’s take a quick glance at the card.
- – Men’s Royal Rumble match (Entrants: Omos, Randy Orton, Riddle, Otis, Chad Gable, Dolph Ziggler, Robert Roode, Kevin Owens, Big E, AJ Styles, Damian Priest, Johnny Knoxville, Sami Zayn, Kofi Kingston, Happy Corbin, Madcap Moss, Sheamus, Angelo Dawkins, Montez Ford, Rey Mysterio, Dominik Mysterio, Austin Theory, Shinsuke Nakamura, Rick Boogs, Ricochet, five wrestlers TBA)
- – Women’s Royal Rumble match (Entrants: Charlotte Flair, Rhea Ripley, Nikki ASH, Brie Bella, Nikki Bella, Shotzi, Natalya, Michelle McCool, Dana Brooke, Carmella, Queen Zelina, Mickie James, Tamina, Kelly Kelly, Aliyah, Summer Rae, Naomi, Shayna Baszler, Lita, Bianca Belair, Liv Morgan, Sasha Banks, Sonya Deville, seven wrestlers TBA).
- – Brock Lesnar vs. Bobby Lashley for the WWE Championship
- – Roman Reigns vs. Seth Rollins for the WWE Universal Championship (Jimmy Uso and Jey Uso are barred from ringside)
- – Becky Lynch vs. Doudrop for the Raw Women’s Championship
- – Edge and Beth Phoenix vs. The Miz and Maryse in a mixed tag match
A pretty impressive card. So, let’s get to the predictions.
WWE Championship Match: Brock Lesnar (c) vs. Bobby Lashley
This is a dream match many of us thought we’d never see, the Beast versus the Almighty.
For decades, Bobby Lashley has heard the comparisons to Lesnar and even been called a Brock Lesnar wannabe. Both men were amateur wrestlers, both have dominating pro-wrestlers, both have been MMA fighters, and they even have the same initials.
It’s truly the clash of the titans tonight when Lesnar and Lashley collide, one-on-one, for the WWE Championship.
Now I like Bobby, and he was great as WWE Champion, but I can’t see Brock Lesnar of all people being a transitional champion. If they wanted Bobby as champion, he could have just as well won the Fatal 5-Way at Day 1.
All logic here says Brock Lesnar retains, and that’s what I’m going with. Now will Lesnar retain AND enter the Rumble and win it? We shall see.
Winner: Brock Lesnar
WWE Universal Championship Match: Roman Reigns (c) vs. Seth Rollins
We’ve heard a lot about The Shield on WWE programming leading up to this match. That’s both been cool, and also depressing because it has somehow been over seven years since Rollins turned on Reigns and Ambrose. Where the hell did the time go?
This is a match we’ve seen before, and it has always been good. This time, it feels a little different. Both men have been doing excellent character work, and Roman is finally the top guy WWE spent so long trying to make him be.
While the build has been fun, and the match itself should be great, I don’t think the outcome is in question.
Roman has held the Universal Championship since August 30, 2020… that’s 516 days. An impressive reign that isn’t going to end on the Road to WrestleMania.
Winner: Roman Reigns
WWE RAW Women’s Championship Match: Becky Lynch (c) vs. Doudrop
I like both ladies and think this should be a fun match.
WWE has done a mostly good job of building Doudrop, and her against Becky is certainly an intriguing and fresh match-up.
Unfortunately, with two Royal Rumble matches eating up about an hour of time a piece, I don’t see this match getting the time that the two ladies deserve. Nor the time to make it be as good of a match as it could be without restraints.
Still, it should be good but will likely have a cheap, dirty finish with Becky retaining and Doudrop looking good but being cheated. Basically, what we saw with Liv Morgan.
I’m torn though, because as much as I think the above sentence happens, I could also easily see Doudrop winning and Becky entering and winning the Rumble match.
Winner: Becky Lynch
Edge and Beth Phoenix vs. Miz and Maryse
The opposite of the women’s title match, this one will likely get more time than it really deserves.
I like all four of the individuals in the match, and the two married couples makes for a fun intergender match-up, but the outcome here is pretty much a foregone conclusion.
I see no way Edge and Beth Phoenix lose this one. Should be decent, and hopefully won’t overstay its welcome.
Winners: Edge and Beth Phoenix.
30 Man Royal Rumble Match
As of this writing, there are five slots open. That doesn’t leave much for surprises. I assume one will be Brock Lesnar and wouldn’t put it past them to have Veer finally “debut.” That would leave three spots.
How is Cesaro not announced for it? Hell, Cesaro is a guy I’d say should win the thing. Yet, as far as we know, he’s not even in it and that’s dumb.
The Rumble match itself is one of my favorite matches of the year. Personally, I’d prefer a few more surprise slots because that’s always part of the fun.
There are several guys I’d like to see win it; AJ Styles, Kevin Owens, Chad Gable, and of course Cesaro.
Still, I’m going to have to go with my gut, and it’s saying Brock Lesnar retains and enters the Rumble and wins it setting up a Championship Unification match at WrestleMania.
No, I don’t think we’ll see Cody Rhodes, Jon Moxley, Chris Jericho or any other AEW star in this match. They may have opened the so-called Forbidden Door, but that door won’t open to their biggest competition.
Winner: Brock Lesnar
30 Woman Royal Rumble Match
This is probably the more intriguing of the two Rumble matches. There are seven slots open, and that’s with numerous former stars already announced.
We have the “Forbidden Door” being opened here, with current Impact Wrestling Knockouts Champion Mickie James being in the match. That’s certainly interesting. Will she come out with the championship? I hope she does, that would certainly be cool to see on WWE TV.
Personally, I’d love to see a “new” face win this. That would be a surprise entrant, Io Shari. I don’t think she will, but that’s what I’d like to see. Or a returning Asuka, but frankly I have my doubts that we’ll see Asuka tonight. Or Bayley for that matter.
I’d also like to see Sasha Banks win it, and frankly she deserves it.
As much as I hate to say it, I wouldn’t be opposed to Charlotte winning and setting up a championship unification match against Becky at WrestleMania. That’d be a little to on the nose though if it also happened with the men’s Rumble.
You can’t ignore the elephant in the room though, and that’s the speculation of Ronda Rousey. If she’s in it, she’s winning it and that’s just all there is to it. I’m not a fan of it, but it is what it is. Frankly, I think she’s in it. So…
Winner: Ronda Rousey
We’ll see how the predictions turn out, but regardless tonight looks like a great show on paper. Plus, the Rumble matches are almost always exciting to see. I’m pretty pumped for tonight’s big event. We are, officially, on the Road to WrestleMania!
Vortainment 