Although this will be the 38th time the WWE Royal Rumble has taken place, for millions of fans around the world it will be a first in the event’s history.
While the Netflix era is now underway with multiple episodes of Raw being steamed worldwide, fans in many international markets also get SmackDown, NXT and Premium Live Events included as part of their subscription. With the Royal Rumble being the first PLE of the year, this will be the first major event under the Netflix banner.
Along with the 2 Rumble matches that will set up 2 of the biggest matches for WrestleMania 41, multiple title matches have also been announced for the show. Along with Cody Rhodes putting his Undisputed Championship on the line against Kevin Owens in a ladder match, DIY will put the WWE Tag Team Championships on the line against The Motor City Machine Guns in a 2 out of 3 falls match, which will also be Chris Sabin and Alex Shelley’s PLE debut.
WWE Royal Rumble Predictions
Cody Rhodes (c) vs. Kevin Owens – Ladder Match For The Undisputed Championship
Potentially controversial take to start off this prediction, Kevin Owens should have won at Saturday Night’s Main Event. Fans are well aware that Rhodes will not be dropping the championship until WrestleMania at the earliest and will be the one to grab both titles down to win the match. A month-long reign for Owens would not have hurt anyone and would have added some intrigue, but it’s understandable why Rhodes will remain the champion all year. There is the intrigue that Sami Zayn will likely factor into the match, but this will be another win for The American Nightmare.
Winner: Cody Rhodes
DIY (c) vs. Motor City Machine Guns – 2 Out Of 3 Falls Match For The WWE Tag Team Championships
Although Chris Sabin and Alex Shelley are looking to regain their championships, it’s unlikely that their PLE debut will be a successful one. It’s almost a given that the match will go to 1 fall each to set up the decider, which will likely see Gargano and Ciampa use underhanded tactics to pick up the all-important final fall.
Winners: DIY
Women’s Royal Rumble Match
Multiple entrants have a strong case for emerging the overall victor in this match. Fans are still yet to see the dream match between Bianca Belair and Rhea Ripley, Becky Lynch has been rumoured to be making her return at the show and Nia Jax is looking to win back her Women’s Championship after Tiffany Stratton cashed in on her. However, this Rumble looks to be set up for a returning Charlotte Flair to win. Flair is being hyped up to return and has been out of action for over a year, meaning that she is expected to be part of a huge match at Mania. With rumours that Flair will take on Stratton in Vegas, the safe bet is to back The Queen to become the first-ever two-time winner of the match. In terms of surprises, expect to see Jordynne Grace officially debut as a member of the WWE roster and a possible main roster call-up for Roxanne Perez.
Winner: Charlotte Flair
Men’s Royal Rumble Match
Arguably, it is one of the most unpredictable Rumbles in recent years and one of the most stacked. There are a lot of options that would make the fans happy when all is said and done. Although CM Punk getting the opportunity to headline WrestleMania would see his dream finally come true along with Roman Reigns having a strong case to win the match, many are anticipating that John Cena will win his 3rd Royal Rumble in Indianapolis. While Cena is the favourite, it feels too easy for Cena to win at this stage. Expect an unpredictable result in this one, potentially Seth Rollins. In terms of surprise entrants, many are hoping to see Joe Hendry make a cameo appearance and it is likely that Trick Williams will get his main roster call-up.
Winner: Seth Rollins
Featured image: WWE
