5 Biggest clues about Royal Rumble from this week’s Raw

The first Monday Night Raw of 2019 is now in the record books. Truth be told, it was a pretty decent show. And given some of the atrocious Raw shows that we saw towards the end of 2018, “pretty decent” is a move in the right direction.

Worryingly, the final months of 2018 saw Raw plummet to record low after record low, with Vince McMahon seemingly given a wake-up call that the red brand was in need of a major shake-up.

Of course, on the WWE horizon is the company’s annual Royal Rumble PPV. Despite WrestleMania clearly being the biggest WWE PPV of the year, many fans often view the Rumble as their favourite show of the year. With the possibility of surprise appearances high, the Royal Rumble can be an extremely exciting show at times.

Due to the Rumble looming large, this week’s Raw saw several developments ahead of the January PPV. Some developments were clear-cut, others may have been a little more subtle. Either way, the January 7th Raw gave us certain indicators and clues on what to expect from the Rumble event.

With that in mind then, let’s take a look at 5 major Royal Rumble clues that this week’s Raw dished up.

#5 Nia Jax Will Be The Dominant Force

Sasha Banks defeated Nia Jax to earn a Women's Championship shot

Ever since she “broke” Becky Lynch’s face, it feels as if Nia Jax has been constantly tied to whatever Ronda Rousey does. This all coming, of course, after Jax and Rousey had already matched up at 2018’s Money in the Bank PPV.

But now, finally, it looks as if Jax is in Rousey’s rear-view mirror. That largely down to the fact that Sasha Banks is the new #1 contender for Rousey’s Women’s Championship in a bout that will take place at the Royal Rumble event.

So what next for Jax, then? Why, it seems as if the TV time invested in Nia in recent months should all lead to her being positioned as the favourite to win the women’s Royal Rumble match. Add that to the fact that Jax’s size makes her a perfect fit for the unstoppable monster role that WWE loves to have in these matches, and the next few weeks will see us hear how Nia is a force of nature that nobody is capable to stopping come Rumble night.

Let’s face it, though. The real favourite amongst fans is clearly going to be “The Man” Becky Lynch. As such, expect Nia and Becky to likely be the final two in the women’s Rumble match – with Lynch eliminating her rival as she begins her Road to WrestleMania.

#4 Strowman isn’t taking the Universal Championship

Brock Lesnar backs down from Braun Strowman

Many wrestling fans have long resented the notion of Brock Lesnar as an absentee Universal Champion, but right now that’s what we’re stuck with on the Raw brand.

At one point in time, the trigger was ready to be pulled on a Braun Strowman Universal Title run, with fans clamouring for The Monster Amongst Men to become the face of WWE.

Sadly, the bloom feels a little off the rose by now, with Strowman having so many false starts and unsuccessful title shots that the response for Braun isn’t quite what it once was.

Another loss to Lesnar would be seen by many as yet another massive blow for Strowman, but that appears to be the likely outcome at the Royal Rumble PPV.

This past week’s Raw saw a truly awful promo from Strowman, and the WWE has done him no favours in recent months. Facing another opponent will be a more intriguing prospect for Lesnar at WrestleMania. Expect Paul Heyman’s Beast to keep hold of the Universal Championship for the foreseeable future – be that by pinfall, countout, DQ, or whatever underhand methods are required.

Strowman fans will just have to hope that WWE creative has something substantial lined up for the former Wyatt Family member as the attention switches to WrestleMania.

#3 The Men’s Rumble winner won’t be Drew McIntyre

Drew McIntyre is many people's favourite for the men's Royal Rumble match

For the past several weeks, many fans and wrestling journalists have been suggesting Drew McIntyre as one of the favourites to win the men’s Royal Rumble and book himself a main event spot at WrestleMania. Truth be told, McIntyre, Seth Rollins, Andrade “Cien” Almas, and even Kenny Omega have been touted as potential Rumble winners.

Based on this week’s Raw episode, however, it may be worth reading between the lines and saying that McIntyre is definitely not winning the Rumble.

Why’s that, you ask? Well, the verbal back-and-forth between The Scottish Psychopath and John Cena would seem to suggest that those two are due to butt heads further down the line. And what better place to do just that than at WrestleMania 35?

McIntyre is clearly, rightly thought of as a major player by WWE these days, and so a big WrestleMania match should be expected for the former Chosen One. With Cena similarly on the hunt for a big ‘Mania bout, it would make perfect sense to pair the two up at The Showcase of the Immortals.

As such, that pretty much rules McIntyre out of winning the Royal Rumble and booking himself a Universal Championship or WWE Championship match at WrestleMania.

Cena vs McIntyre? Book it!

#2 Bobby Lashley to be a major Rumble player

Lashley with his hype man, Lio Rush

Upon returning to WWE earlier this year, some had high hopes that Bobby Lashley would soon become a main event player on the Raw brand.

That hasn’t quite happened as of yet, although those who saw his heel work in Impact Wrestling know that Lashley certainly has the ability to be a dominant heel. After being a bland, all-smiling babyface upon his initial return, finally we are now seeing the hulking Lashley as a no-good bad guy; even more impactful with the cocky Lio Rush as his mouthpiece.

Clearly, the WWE is lining up Lashley and Rollins to go at it in the build to the Royal Rumble, and that in itself should tell you that Bobby will be featured as a big deal in the Rumble match.

Lashley could go as far as the final four in the Rumble, but that likely won’t be it for him and Rollins. Instead, expect for their rivalry to spill over to culminate at February’s Elimination Chamber PPV, with Seth to get the decisive win over the former ECW and United States Champion.

After that, Rollins will surely have bigger fish to fry…

#1 WWE to go all in on Seth Rollins

Seth Rollins is the hottest act on Raw right now

You know that the WWE is really going in on a talent when they become the focal point of a show. And right now, that has so often been the case with Seth Rollins in recent weeks and months.

In 2018, Rollins made himself the single hottest act on the Raw brand thanks to continuously putting on great match after great match, while in turn finding a natural connection with the watching audience. If we’re honest, there was also the fact that many fans were looking for an alternative top guy for the WWE to get behind instead of Roman Reigns – with many seeing Rollins as that better choice to lead the Raw brand.

With Reigns having had to step back to deal with the very real battle of leukemia, and with Raw ratings hitting record low after record low, it seems as if Vince McMahon is finally going to go all in with Seth Rollins; this week’s Raw yet again reiterating just how vital WWE now views the two-time WWE World Heavyweight Champion.

As such, expect The Architect to be the one to finally dethrone Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 35, with a Royal Rumble match victory sealing the deal for Rollins to go up against Paul Heyman’s Beast at The Grandaddy of Them All.