WWE Royal Rumble Preview and Predictions
01/27/2018 12:58 am EST
Will Ronda Rousey Enter the Rumble?
Ryan Droste: As I alluded to in my surprise entrant prediction: Yes.
Jack Snodgrass: I think so. WWE and Rousey have done their best to play coy, but there's been too much smoke for there to be no fire. Even if Rousey is indeed in Columbia at the moment, a flight to Philadelphia can be done in under 7 hours, depending on one's budget, of course. Given Stephanie McMahon's presence and her history with Rousey, my snoopy mind can't help but to think something is up - we'll see Rousey.
Connor Casey: Yes, I think it happens. I'm thinking her latest statements that it's not happening is a smokescreen she was told to say by Triple H. She's not as must-see as she was back when she showed up at WrestleMania 31, but she's still a draw WWE obviously wants. As I said in my argument about why she should win, the Rumble is one of the few matches where she can look dominant without giving away how green she is in the ring.
Do Jason Jordan and Seth Rollins Split?
Ryan Droste: Yes. I don't see any purpose in dragging this on any further, and the crowd absolutely hates Jordan. Make it happen now. I don't want to see Rollins/Jordan at Mania, though that could be where we are headed (and which would mean several more weeks of this team). Let's do it now.
Jack Snodgrass: Nope. We still have plenty of time between now and WrestleMania. Why would WWE need to hitch these guys together now? They can have just as an effective break up on a March episode of RAW.
Connor Casey: I don't think it happens until Elimination Chamber, but don't be surprised if we get a few hints during the Rumble match.
Pick a Title to Change Hands
Ryan Droste: Sheamus and Cesaro win the RAW tag team titles which plays right into the Rollins/Jordan split they have been hinting at. Plus, Sheamus and Cesaro have been losing on television, and WWE tends to do that right before putting the titles on a team (don't ask me why).
Jack Snodgrass: I want to say Braun Strowman will leave the Rumble as Universal Champion, I know that's Fake News. Instead, I'll say Chad Gable and Shelton Benjamin snag the SmackDown Tag Team Championships.
Connor Casey: Even though he just won the championship via a tournament, I wouldn't be surprised if Bobby Roode drops the United States Championship in his open challenge on the pre-show to Dolph Ziggler. I'm not sure what they're trying to do with Dolph right now, but I think Sunday is the next chapter in his story.
Biggest Surprise Entrant?
Ryan Droste: Rousey. I have a feeling it's going to happen. Could be wrong, but if they are going to debut her this year, this is the time to do it. Period.
Jack Snodgrass: Batista. Hey, somebody has to fight Triple H in New Orleans, right?
Connor Casey: As excited as I'll be for Rousey, I've got to go with Big Dave Batista.
Who will get the biggest crowd reaction?
Ryan Droste: The surprise names almost surely will get the biggest reaction, and the biggest surprise (outside of a Daniel Bryan return) this year would be Ronda Rousey. There's been denials that she will be there, but WWE has been purposely playing her status with the company close to the vest, and this would be the perfect spot for her debut. On the men's side, surprises like Ethan Carter III, Bobby Lashley, and Ricochet have been floated. I don't think any of them have the following or notoriety to get the "pop of the night."
Jack Snodgrass: In theory, Rousey would send the crowd into a frenzy. But I'll stick with the aforementioned Batista.
Connor Casey: Roman Reigns will get the biggest crowd reaction when he enters the Royal Rumble. It won't be a positive reaction, but it will be a loud one.
Who Will be the Iron Woman/Iron Man?
Ryan Droste: Again I am going to go with Asuka. I foresee a pretty dominant performance by her in this match. It's the perfect opportunity to "make" her on the main roster. As far as the men's side goes, I think Baron Corbin is going to get a pretty good run this year. He may even have an outside chance of winning.
Jack Snodgrass: Sasha Banks. While there's an argument to made for her winning, an Ironwoman trophy is a nice consolation. She's already proven on several occasions that she can wrestle for an exorbitant amount of time, so envisioning her getting it out isn't too hard to imagine.
Connor Casey: Chris Jericho. I know it's a long shot given his current involvement with New Japan but he looked to be in great shape during the RAW 25 show and has holds the record for most cumulative time spent in the Rumble at just under five hours. If they decide to let him show up for a one-off, he'll stick around in the match for a while.
Male or Female, Who Would be the Worst Rumble Winner?
Ryan Droste: Of the people who actually have a chance to win, probably Roman Reigns. The Rumble is in Philadelphia, where Reigns won a couple of years ago and was boo'ed unmercifully. I can't see it happening again. If it did, it might be kind of entertaining to watch the crowd go nuts about it, but it's not the best booking direction in my opinion. RAW has the Elimination Chamber PPV next month which could set up a challenger for Lesnar at WrestleMania, so Reigns could win there to get his long-planned title shot against Lesnar. Use the Rumble to get over somebody new: Nakamura.
Jack Snodgrass: Reigns or Cena. Mostly because neither needs it. There are other stars to be made.
Connor Casey: Roman Reigns. He doesn't need to win the Rumble to get the match with Brock Lensar at Mania we've all been dreading. WWE can save him from a chorus of boos and hate if they let somebody on SmackDown Live win.
Female Rumble Winner
Ryan Droste: This one seems wide open and is pretty difficult to predict. Unless there's a surprise appearance from Rousey (who you would think have to win), there's several names that could rise to the top. I'm going to go with Asuka. One more dominating performance on her way to eventual championship glory. Plus, if Asuka vs. Bliss is planned for WrestleMania, they could tell a great story for weeks on Asuka terrorizing and chasing around Alexa.
Jack Snodgrass: Becky Lynch. I don't think WWE is sure about the RAW side of the world. Asuka, Nia Jax and maybe Ronda Rousey make for a muddy situation, making WWE punt to SmackDown. I personally think that Becky is one of the more underutlized superstars in all of WWE and a heated WrestleMania feud with friend turned enemy, Charlotte Flair, may be the best WWE can do in this spot.
Connor Casey: Ronda Rousey. She'll show up, dominate and challenge Charlotte Flair for her title at WrestleMania.
Male Rumble Winner
Ryan Droste: Shinsuke Nakamura. It's been rumored for a long time that a SmackDown wrestler would be winning, and I can't see anyone from that brand outside of Shinsuke doing it. Reigns doesn't need to win to get a shot at Lesnar, they can explain that one without a Rumble victory (he can win the Elimination Chamber next month for a shot at WrestleMania). However, Nakamura has been done no favors by the booking committee since being called up from NXT and needs the Rumble victory to catapult himself into a WrestleMania main event.
Jack Snodgrass: A year ago, a Nakamura Rumble win would have made me wet my pants. So then, Why I am I so reluctant to pick him to win in 2018? It's a long story, but I'll take him and hope that this can give he and I both a jolt.
Connor Casey: I love me some Shinsuke Nakamura, but I love the thought of Finn Balor winning and jumping over to challenge AJ Styles for the WWE Championship even more. After that "Too Sweet" moment at RAW 25, Balor has all the momentum right now while Nakamura has cooled off. Though if that RKO on SmackDown was any indication, we get Nakamura vs. Orton at Mania, which is not the worst idea.
Disclosure: PopCulture. is owned by Paramount. Sign up for Paramount+ by clicking here.