The WWE’s road to WrestleMania begins Sunday, and hopefully it’s a little smoother than last year.
Given the current state of the roster and the sometimes perplexing creative direction, however, there’s reason for caution.
The annual “Royal Rumble” event is Sunday night in Orlando, and no matter the state of business, there’s always high hopes for the event, which is one of the company’s biggest shows of the year. Its popularity pales in comparison to “WrestleMania,” but it’s seen as the kickoff for “WrestleMania season,” the two-month buildup to the WWE’s marquee event.
But again, there’s reason for caution this year, mostly because of injuries. John Cena, Seth Rollins, Daniel Bryan and Randy Orton all are past champions, and they’re all still hurt. That’s a huge void.
Expectations for this year’s Rumble aren’t especially high. On a recent “Monday Night RAW,” the roster stood on the stage for the start of the show, and it was a sharp reminder of how short-handed the company really is when it comes to starpower. Also, the way WWE has booked the Rumble in the last couple of years doesn’t do much to inspire confidence. The last two years have seen the Rumble end with the winner — Bautista in 2014 and Roman Reigns in 2015 — being booed out of the building at the end of the show.
Despite any pessimism, the Rumble every year does have potential to be great. Seeds for “WrestleMania” programs often are planted, and just about every year sees a return of a legend or two. Sunday should be no different in that regard, but whether the WWE is able to tie it all together — especially given its depleted roster — is yet to be seen.
Here are predictions for Sunday’s show.
Kickoff match: Fatal four-way Rumble qualifier featuring Darren Young, Damien Sandow, the Dudley Boyz, the Ascension, Mark Henry and Jack Swagger
Prediction: Who cares? Whoever wins this will be cannon fodder later in the night.
Divas championship match: Charlotte vs. Becky Lynch
Prediction: Charlotte wins and retains. The build has been solid, and this is a legitimately meaningful women’s title match. You’ve got to imagine Charlotte will be involved in WrestleMania, which means she has to hold on to the belt.
Tag team championship match: The Usos vs. The New Day
Prediction: The New Day wins and retains. The tag team division is a wasteland.
Intercontinental title match: Kevin Owens vs. Dean Ambrose in a last man standing match
Prediction: Ambrose wins and retains. This has the potential to be a show-stealer, and it should be the end of this incredible feud. Owens probably has bigger and better things waiting for him on the way to ‘Mania.
U.S. Title match: Kailsto vs. Alberto Del Rio
Prediction: Del Rio wins and retains. The title’s been flipped twice in the last few weeks, so there’s really nothing that would catch your attention here.
Royal Rumble match
Ah, so here we are. For the first time since 1992, the Royal Rumble match winner will win the WWE title (instead of a title shot a WrestleMania). That’s all part of the WWE’s apparent shift from trying to make Roman Reigns “John Cena 2.0” to making him “Stone Cold Steve Austin 2.0.” Reigns’ storyline with the McMahon family and the evil “Authority” has, for the most part, worked. Bringing back Vince McMahon has given the whole thing a shot in the arm, as he’s hellbent, like he was in the ’90s with Austin, on making life miserable for Reigns.
The problem, at least right now, is that it’s all so predictable. Making Reigns defend the title in the actual Rumble match made sense given the current state of the roster, but you had to know he was going to be the No. 1 entrant. It ties directly into the “one versus all” thing they’re doing with him, and it also technically puts him in position to look as strong as possible, which WWE has almost overdone in the last year or so. If Reigns isn’t in there for the full hour or so and is one of the last three or four guys standing, it will be shocking.
Speaking of predictability, we’re almost guaranteed to see some sort of return from Triple H. He was laid out by Reigns at the TLC event back in December and hasn’t been on TV (aside from a NXT appearance) since. When Vince mentioned a few weeks back that Triple H would return when Reigns least expected it, you just knew it would be at the Rumble. So, that’s probably going to happen.
In the end, it probably will be Reigns and Triple H, whether Triple H is the 30th entrant or he finds a way to screw over Reigns from the outside. It’s also probably safe to assume that Brock Lesnar will be one of the final guys. After being left laying in the middle of the ring Monday night by the Wyatt Family, will the Rumble be used to set up a potential WrestleMania angle with Bray Wyatt?
Here are the most current Royal Rumble match odds, via OddsShark:
Other Rumble thoughts:
- How cool would it be if Daniel Bryan was cleared to return and did so Sunday? The crowd reaction might cause the foundation to shake.
- The WWE made news by signing some big-name talent away from New Japan Pro Wrestling, most notably journeyman A.J. Styles. Some are wondering whether he’ll make his debut Sunday as a surprise entrant, but it might make more sense to debut him separate from something like the Rumble in order to maximize exposure.
- The Undertaker, who is 50, is dead-lifting 405 pounds. He’s obviously gearing up for another WrestleMania. It wouldn’t be a total shock if he shows up Sunday and sets up something for ‘Mania.
Prediction: They go predictable, and Triple H enters the Royal Rumble. He wins the match and the title and ultimately defends it at WrestleMania against Roman Reigns.
