John Cena vs. Triple H to Open Greatest Royal Rumble

With 30 World Championships between them, John Cena and Triple H could main event any WrestleMania [...]

With 30 World Championships between them, John Cena and Triple H could main event any WrestleMania with little objection. However, when it comes to the Greatest Royal Rumble, they'll be opening the show.

WWE announced Friday morning that Cena and Triple H will kickoff the Saudi Arabian mega show. Here's the official announcement:

While this match has had a non-existent buildup, this pair of WWE icons needs little advertisement. This marks the second consecutive Cena match with zero stories, as his WrestleMania 34 match with The Undertaker wasn't confirmed until the Deadman actually showed up in the Mercedes Benz Superdome.

This match could range from being a stateless exhibition to something that launches a much bigger story.

What WWE wants to do with then match depends on the tone of the show. Will it be nothing more than a parade of WWE's firepower, or will it be treated like a traditional pay-per-view in an untraditional setting?

For several months, Cena has been in the throes of an existential funk. Losing matches and significance, the fading face of WWE is running out of purpose, it seems. This is a story that Cena and WWE have kept alive and his losing trend may continue in this match with Triple H.

We last saw Triple H almost tapping out to Ronda Rousey at WrestleMania 34. He hasn't been at RAW since, but perhaps his appearance at the GRR will spark a reason for him to show up on RAW next Monday.

Despite looking great both in terms of physicality and ring work, WWE hasn't had much need for Triple H in recent year. A lot of that has to do with the unprecedented amount of talent on the roster, and Triple H's ballooning backstage duties. Yet even at 48 years old, The Game is still one of WWE's top performers when called upon.

It will be interesting to see how this match shakes out, especially since it's been given the responsibility to open the show. Given the pedigree of these mega stars, it's OK to enter with inflated expectations. We'll see something good, but I'm just not sure how much it will matter.

The Greatest Royal Rumble will air on the WWE Network at 12 PM EST. The Kickoff Show will launch at 11 AM EST. In its entirety, the Greatest Royal Rumble is expected to last 6 hours.

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