WWE Royal Rumble 2019 Preview, Predictions
Sunday, for the first time ever, Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona, the home of MLB’s Diamondbacks, will host WWE’s Royal Rumble. For 31 years, the Royal Rumble has provided wrestling fans with iconic moments, leading to big Wrestlemania matches.
This year’s version of the Pay-Per-View(PPV) consists of marque match ups with great story telling, and two royal rumble matches that have unpredictability. If told right, the 31st version of the PPV may be one of the best in history.
The Kickoff Show consists of Rusev defending the United States Championship vs Shinsake Nakamura, and a fatal-4 way Cruserweight Championship match. Since I do not watch 205 LIVE, I am not making a prediction for that match, and I’ll go ahead and say Rusev retains the title in a match that will be lack-luster.
Daniel Bryan(C) vs AJ Styles. WWE Championship
In a TLC rematch, the “real” A.J. Styles will look to regain the WWE Championship against the “new” Daniel Bryan. This rivalry started way back on the November 13th, 2018, episode of Smackdown Live when Daniel Bryan beat A.J. Styles for the WWE Championship with the help of a low blow while the referee was knocked down inadvertently by a phenomenal forearm by Styles, Bryan turning heel in the process. Bryan is now all about himself, and the environment, calling the WWE Universe ‘fickle’ for not being environmentalists. After their match at TLC, the chairman of WWE Mr. McMahon challenged Styles to find the ‘real’ A.J. Styles, resulting in Styles knocking out McMahon backstage and having a more aggressive approach, his new anger helping him win a fatal-5 way match involving Rey Mysterio, Mustafa Ali, Samoa Joe, and Randy Orton to earn this opportunity Sunday. Over the past couple of weeks, Styles and Bryan have brawled all over the arena, including in a concession stand two weeks ago. This fued should end properly though with a well wrestled match with Bryan walking out the winner and heading to Wrestlemania 35 as WWE Champion. For Styles, the loss will not hurt him because he reportably has a Wrestlemania opponent already lined up.
The Bar(C) vs The Miz and Shane McMahon. SD Tag Team Championships
Back on November 2nd at WWE Crown Jewel, the Miz made it to the finals of the “Best in the World” Tournament against RAW’s Dolph Ziggler, but before the match, Miz injured his leg, forcing at the time Smackdown Live’s commissioner Shane McMahon to take Miz’s place. McMahon pinned Ziggler to win the tournament, and a giant trophy. McMahon’s win has resulted in a weird story on Smackdown where the Miz thinks McMahon is his hero, and they are the best tag team in the world. Miz is so confident in their abilities he challenged the Bar to a tag team title match at the Royal Rumble, and they gladly accepted before Sheamus delivered a brogue kick to Miz. In my opinion, it’s obvious Miz and Shane will become champions here, but the storyline is still interesting because this could lead to a Miz-McMahon Wrestlemania match if they drop the titles at Elimination Chamber or Fastlane. Not to mention the entertainment these two have done over the last two months has been awesome, no pun intended.
Auska(C) vs Becky Lynch. SD Women’s Championship
At TLC, RAW Women’s Champion Ronda Rousey interfered in the TLC main event between Auska, Charlotte, and then champion Becky Lynch for the SD Women’s Title. While Auska was down, and Charlotte and Becky were fighting for the title on top of a ladder, Rousey sprinted down to the ring, tipped the ladder over, knocking both Flair and Lynch off, allowing Auska to climb the ladder and win her first singles title since being called up to the main roster. Lynch would defeat both Charlotte and Carmella in a Summerslam rematch to get to this match. Over the last few weeks, Auska and Lynch have tried to one-up one another, setting up for a epic match on Sunday. I do not expect Rousey to interfere, but I do expect Charlotte to attack Becky when Auska is about to tap out to the dis-arm-her, causing a disqualification and turning Flair heel in the process. This match will set up something bigger in the future.
Ronda Rousey(C) vs Sasha Banks. RAW Women’s Championship
On the first RAW of 2019, Alexa Bliss debuted her new talk show ‘A Moment of Bliss,’ and the first guest was Ronda Rousey. During the segment, Nia Jax and Sasha Banks came down to stake their name in the number one contendership. Rousey said she wanted to face Banks, and she got her wish when Banks knocked off Jax in a match with the Bank Statement. However, just like the Auska- Lynch match, Rousey and Banks have been trying to one-up another, but unlike Auska and Lynch, these two women have gotten physical with each other. Banks held her own when she faced off against Rousey during a tag match in the main event of this past Monday’s RAW with Natalya backing up Rousey and Bayley backing up Banks. I hope Natalya and Bayley aren’t involved in this match because Rousey and Banks can tear the house down without anybody ringside. Rousey has gotten better with every match, and she is arguably the best women’s wrestler in WWE today. I do think this turns into a submission attempt fest until Rousey eventually locks in the arm bar, and Banks taps out clean. This way Rousey can move on to possibility maineventing Wrestlemania, and Banks and Bayley can look forward to battling for the Women’s Tag Team Championship inside the Elimination Chamber.
Brock Lesnar(C) vs Finn Baylor. Universal Championship
Two weeks ago on RAW while trying to find Baron Corbin, Braun Strowman destroyed Mr. McMahons limo, forcing McMahon to fine Strowman $100,000. Strowman continued to bad mouth McMahon, so McMahon stripped Strowman of his title match against Brock Lesnar, a opportunity Strowman “earned” by pinning Baron Corbin at TLC to strip Corbin as RAW GM, even though Strowman never competed; he just stood there with his elbow in a sling while multiple RAW superstars attacked Corbin. As a result. McMahon set up a fatal-4 way main event between John Cena, Corbin, Drew McIntyre, and Finn Baylor, and the winner would face Lesnar. Baylor would pin Cena with the Coup De Grace. Last week on RAW, Baylor would almost pin Braun Strowman while taking out Lesnar in the process before Lesnar would interfere and F5 Baylor. The segment though made Baylor believable going into this match. If the report is true that Baylor is in line for a major push in 2019, he has gotten off to a great start, but I do not think he takes the strap from Lesnar. I do think it will be a great match, considering the fact Lesnar wants to work with Baylor before he leaves WWE, and Baylor has always been the plan to face Lesnar in the first place. But, I think Lesnar retains the title, and walks into New York for Wrestlemania the Universal Champion for the second straight year.
Men’s Royal Rumble Match
This year’s rumble match is filled with a lot of young studs. There is not a lot of room for surprise returns, considering the fact 19 spots have already been taken. I am picking the king slayer Seth Rollins. Rollins has carried RAW for the last year, and there’s nothing left for him to do in the mid card. He’s as hot as ever, and I believe it’s his destiny to take the Universal Championship from Brock Lesnar. The others I could believe could win the rumble from the men’s side is also from RAW. They are Braun Strowman, Drew McIntyre, and John Cena, but I think Rollins deserves it the most
Women’s Royal Rumble Match
There’s only two women that could win the rumble: Charlotte or Becky. The winner will challenge Ronda Rousey for the RAW’s Women’s Championship at Wrestlemania while the loser will sneak into the match somehow to make it a triple threat at Wrestlemania. There is no way this scernario does not happen. Bank on it. WWE has been planting the seeds for it since TLC when Rousey cost both women the Smackdown title. That’s why I said Rousey has to retain the title against Banks, so this feud can start later in the night.
Let me know your predictions down below.
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