After weeks and weeks of anticipation, Royal Rumble Sunday is finally upon us. The Royal Rumble is without a doubt one of the most exciting pay-per-views of the year, as it kicks off the Road to WrestleMania.
This year’s pay-per-view features the first ever women’s Royal Rumble match, several title matches, and it’s safe to say there are going to be a few surprises along the way.
With that being said, we’re going to make a few last minute predictions ahead of the big show, so let’s get right to it.
#8 – Brock Lesnar Will Retain The Universal Championship
Brock Lesnar won the Universal Title last year at WrestleMania 33, and he’s been champion ever since.
The general consensus seems to be that Vince McMahon is dead set on having Brock Lesnar defend the title against Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 34, so it seems unlikely that he’ll be dropping it before then.
Nevertheless, the triple threat match will be a fun bout to watch as Brock and Braun have proved they have great chemistry in the past, and Kane’s veteran ring presence will surely enhance the match.
#7 – Trish Stratus Will Enter The First Ever Women’s Royal Rumble
This year’s Royal Rumble pay-per-view is historic as it’s set to feature the first ever women’s Royal Rumble match. As of this writing there are plenty of open spots in the match, so fans are expecting a few surprises.
WWE Hall of Famer Trish Stratus appeared on the big Raw 25th anniversary show, but it’s been years since she’s wrestled a match. Nevertheless she appears to still be in great shape.
Trish helped to break new ground for women’s wrestling during her run with WWE, and her efforts helped pave the way for the Women’s Revolution. There’s little doubt that Trish still has “it” when it comes to performing in the ring, and this is a milestone moment that she deserves to be a part of.
#6 – Jason Jordan And Seth Rollins Will Lose The Tag Team Titles
Due to Dean Ambrose’s injury, WWE was forced to change course a few weeks ago, and now Seth Rollins and Jason Jordan are the Raw Tag Team Champions.
Rollins and Jordan just can’t seem to get on the same page, and it would be an understatement to say that they’re an awkward team.
As far as this one goes, we’re predicting that Jason Jordan will make some sort of mistake leading to a big win for The Bar, followed by Jason Jordan getting overly emotional as he apologizes to Seth Rollins.
#5 – Asuka Will Win The First Ever Women’s Royal Rumble
Asuka was a big deal in NXT. She destroyed everyone who got in her way, and she’s still undefeated. The powers that be have been doing what they need to do to protect her streak and it seems unlikely at this point that she’ll be taking any kind of loss in the near future.
Asuka is one of a kind, and a big Royal Rumble win would make it easier for WWE to push her as a top star on the Road to WrestleMania.
#4 – Stephanie McMahon Will Enter The First Ever Women’s Royal Rumble
Stephanie McMahon announced the first ever women’s Royal Rumble a few weeks ago, and she also recently confirmed that she’ll be doing commentary for the match.
Stephanie has been a huge supporter of the women’s division, but she’s been leaning a little too much on her face persona as of late.
If there’s one thing we’ve seen in the past it’s that Stephanie never stays face for very long, because she always has an agenda. Heel Stephanie McMahon is a very selfish character, and she would never let the women’s division get all the glory without carving herself out a little piece of it.
We’re predicting an appearance from Stephanie in the Royal Rumble match, but it probably won’t last long.
#3 – Finn Balor Will Win The Royal Rumble
Finn Balor didn’t have the best year in 2017, as he struggled to find his place on the card after he returned from injury. However, Balor seems to have a new lease on life now that he’s been reunited with The Club on TV.
The Balor Club is receiving a nice push at the moment which we’re predicting will lead to Finn winning the Royal Rumble.
It’s pretty much a foregone conclusion at this point that Roman Reigns is challenging Brock Lesnar for the Universal Title at WrestleMania, but if AJ Styles makes it out of the event with his title, he’s going to need an opponent for the Show of Shows.
It’s been a while since we’ve seen someone win the Royal Rumble and switch brands, so WWE is long overdue for this type of swerve.
AJ and Finn tore the house down a few months ago at TLC, and there’s no doubt that a Balor vs. Styles match for the WWE Championship would be worthy of WrestleMania.
AJ Styles and Finn Balor have an interesting history thanks to The Club. If Finn Balor does win and switch brands, it would make sense for WWE to use some sort of plot device that enables The Club to switch brands as well.
SmackDown Live could definitely benefit from a little shake up ahead of Mania, and a storyline involving the WWE Championship, AJ Styles, Finn Balor and The Club pretty much writes itself.
#2 – The Undertaker Will Enter The Royal Rumble
The Undertaker appeared at the Manhattan Center during the big Raw 25th anniversary show, but he left fans with more questions than answers after he cut a vague promo.
Despite Taker’s not saying much on Raw, it’s being reported that he’s currently scheduled for a big match at WrestleMania 34 in New Orleans.
If Taker is indeed returning for another WrestleMania, then the Royal Rumble is the perfect place for him to set up his next match.
#1 – The Undertaker Will Eliminate Roman Reigns Then Get Eliminated By John Cena
Speaking of The Undertaker entering the Royal Rumble to set up big matches…
The Undertaker entered the Royal Rumble match last year, and he was eliminated by Roman Reigns. Taker and Reigns later faced off in the WrestleMania main event, and Taker hasn’t wrestled since he was defeated by The Big Dog.
Roman’s victory left a bad taste in the mouths of wrestling fans everywhere, and if Taker is indeed returning to the ring for WrestleMania, he’s going to need a little redemption heading into the Show of Shows.
Taker eliminating Reigns would give him the redemption he needs, and John Cena eliminating Taker to set up a match at WrestleMania 34 would bring everything full circle.
What are your predictions for the big show tonight? Sound off in the comments below.
