The 2018 Royal Rumble is almost exactly 2 months away. However, what the Philadelphia show will actually look like, is anyone’s guess. The Universal Championship match, in particular, is wide open as Brock Lesnar doesn’t have a clear path to any specific WWE Superstar.
The worst-kept secret in WWE is that Brock Lesnar will face Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 34. But how they get to that New Orleans mega match is still up for debate. But one thing is certain, Brock Lesnar will be retaining his Big Red Belt at the Royal Rumble.
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That said, whoever he faces, must be able to afford a high profile loss. This eliminates the likes of Braun Strowman and Triple H, who have both become booking priorities for WWE. That said, WWE must strike a delicate balance because Lesnar has to look strong against a convincing opponent. In short, he can’t just beat any regular jabroni on the roster.
With all of this established, there only a short list of WWE superstars who would make for logical sacrifices at the January 28th show. We think we found them all.
Bray Wyatt
Talk about someone who knows how to get pinned.
Of all the upper mid-card talent on WWE’s roster, no one has a higher pinnability quotient that Bray Wyatt. Despite Bray’s propensity to lay down, fans are still into him – his firefly count is as strong as ever.
While Bray vs. The Beast won’t exactly be Hogan vs. Andre, WWE will be able to create justifiable intrigue. While some of WWE’s more devout fans will reject Bray getting this spot, Vince McMahon and Co. know that at minimum, Bray is a consistent performer.
Bray would be an uninspiring choice for such a premium spot but perhaps rubbing shoulders with Lesnar could spark a much-needed rehabilitation for the Wyatt character.
Probability: 2/5
Jason Jordan
Jason Jordan getting a shot at Brock Lesnar would have to be predicated on a heel turn. As the son of Kurt Angle, Jordan has routinely gotten spots on WEe’s card that he normally wouldn’t. This inclination for nepotism marks the beginning stages of a well-executed heel turn, one that could finally declare itself at the Royal Rumble.
If Jordan were to get this highly coveted opportunity, he could become increasingly conceited and entitled. This enables a WWE Universe, who is already agitated by Jordan, to fully hate him.
For Jordan to be inserted into the Rumbles Universal Championship match, WWE would have to have big plans for the young Superstar. I’m not sure that they do and deem his match with Brock unlikely.
Probability: 2/5
Finn Balor
If you haven’t noticed, Finn Balor may be the beneficiary of a grassroots movement.
Not long ago, Balor was thought to be WWE’s pick to face Lesnar in Philadelphia. Then not only was his rumored opportunity yanked, but word came out that Vince McMahon never saw him deserving of such a match.
Since, Balor has passively aggressively protested that he is, in fact, popular enough to hang in WWE’s main event. Even more, in a recent WWE poll, Balor received a whopping 61%of the vote with Braun Strowman coming in second with a measly 10%.
While every poll may have its flaws, this is a clear indication that Balor is more “over” than Vince McMahon may have originally thought.
Would a decision loss to Lesnar at the Royal Rumble be a good thing for Finn’s career? Oddly enough, I think it would be. On his current path, Balor looks to be a perpetual mid-card attraction. However, if he can bottle some magic and put together an exceptional program with Lesnar then he could possibly correct his course and aim for the high profile career his fans once envisioned.
That’s assuming Vince McMahon cares about fan polls.
Probability 3.5/5
John Cena
When WWE declared John Cena a free agent what they were telling is was they reserve the right to put Cena on the brand that needs him the most at that moment.
We saw Cena flip RAW to enter a torch-passing feud with Roman Reigns to help combat Monday Night Football. He then jumped back to SmackDown to help bolster an impromptu Survivor Series card. And now, he can slip back to RAW to help WWE fortify one of their biggest shows of the year.
Brock Lesnar and John Cena are 2 of the biggest names not just in this current version of WWE, but in the history of professional wrestling. If Lesnar were to fight and defeat Cena on the way to WrestleMania it would truly cement his current run as Universal Champion.
Cena is currently on hiatus to film a Transformers spinoff and isn’t set to return until a series of house shows in December. Given the flexibility of Cena and WWE’s eagerness to inflate Lesnar, Vince McMahon may not be able to resist a match of this proportion.
Probability: 4/5
