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WWE Royal Rumble will take place on 27 January 2019 at Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona. This will be the thirty-second edition of the pay-per-view. WWE has booked many good matches throughout the card.
We will have the traditional Royal Rumble matches (both men & women). Brock Lesnar will defend his Universal Championship against Finn Balor. Daniel Bryan vs AJ Styles is the match for the WWE Title. Ronda Rousey vs Sasha Banks & Asuka vs Becky Lynch are the matches for the Raw and Smackdown Women's Championship, respectively.
These matches are enough for WWE to give us a good show. But Royal Rumble is a show that is known for the element of surprise. And there is a lot that WWE can possibly do to surprise the fans.
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In this article, we will talk about 8 shocking things that can happen at WWE Royal Rumble PPV:
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#8 Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn Return in the Royal Rumble match
WWE has been advertising the return of Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn for about two months now. They haven't given us an exact date but we know that it is imminent. Both Owens & Zayn are supposedly cleared to return and it's only a matter of when WWE books their comeback.
If the word is to be believed and they are clear for in-ring competition, Royal Rumble is a perfect time to bring them back. WWE needs more superstars after the Rumble to make new storylines. Owens & Zayn would work really good as individuals and even as a tag team.
Owens & Zayn are always a treat to watch & it will definitely be a surprise considering they are not announced for the pay-per-view. I'm sure that it will bring out a loud pop from the Phoenix crowd.
#7 Batista returns to start a feud with Triple H
Batista vs Triple H is a feud that WWE has wanted to do for a long time now. Even on Smackdown 1000, they teased some tension between the two. Last time Batista entered the Royal Rumble match, he ended up winning it. He can enter the match again this year as a surprise, although it doesn't seem like he will win it again.
I believe if Triple H is ready to wrestle again, The Animal is a great opponent for him. The main reason for that is that both are part-timers and could do with a short term feud. There is not much for WWE to do with the storyline as they have a big history to make the story believable and interesting.
Triple H could also be in the Royal Rumble match and maybe eliminate Batista or stop him from winning the match. It is an unlikely scenario, but never say never when it comes to WWE.
#6 The Rock returns & wins the Royal Rumble
Surprise returns are the most intriguing part of any Royal Rumble match. Every year, it's a tradition that a few unannounced names enter the match. For this year's men's Royal Rumble, one name has been thrown out there many times.
It is none other than the 'Brahma Bull'. Yep! The Rock is a possible surprise that might show up and even win the 30-man match.
This idea was pitched when WWE was considering to book a Rock vs Brock match for WrestleMania. We don't know what they have planned for Mania, but if this is true, Rock might win and challenge Lesnar for a match. If this happens, it's surely gonna make everyone jump out of their seats.
Also, if The Rock is to return at the Rumble, I would think that WWE will keep it as the biggest secret until it actually happens.
#5 Bray Wyatt returns with Luke Harper & Eric Rowan
Bray Wyatt has not been used by the WWE ever since he left along with Matt Hardy. He has made a few appearances at live events, but he has never been used on TV. There were some rumors speculating that he might want his way out of the company. But it just feels like WWE doesn't have a plan for him.
On the other hand, Luke Harper & Eric Rowan were also sidelined with injuries and have been out for a few months. They were doing a good job as The Bludgeon Brothers on Smackdown Live. Good news is that they are also now cleared for in-ring competition.
WWE could very easily use these three as they were doing before, but if they return as good old Wyatt Family, it will be phenomenal. Wyatt Family was one of the most dominant teams and we never saw their reunion. Royal Rumble could be a good time for them to make their return and maybe get involved some match to start their comeback feud.
#4 Braun Strowman either enters the Royal Rumble or helps Finn Balor defeat Brock Lesnar
Braun Strowman was initially booked as Brock Lesnar's opponent for the Universal Championship match at Royal Rumble. But he ended up destroying Vince McMahon's limousine, which apparently led to him losing his title shot.
Finn Balor later won a fatal-four-match on Monday Night Raw to become Lesnar's new opponent.
Braun Strowman doesn't have a match for the PPV and he isn't announced to be in the Royal Rumble match. But any WWE fan would know that he will surely make an appearance. He wrestled Balor on Raw which means he is also now cleared to compete.
I think there are two things that Strowman can do at Royal Rumble. First one is that he might simply enter the 30-man rumble. He could either hijack it or win it. There are many ways to go about it. Another one is that he helps Finn Balor defeat Brock Lesnar.
As he said on Raw, Balor must defeat Lesnar. So he might end up being the guy who will be responsible for Lesnar's loss.
#3 Drew McIntyre breaks the record of most eliminations in a single Royal Rumble match
Drew McIntyre has been an amazing character to watch on WWE TV for the last few months. WWE has repackaged him into a great heel. He has been getting a strong push as well (apart from a few unexpected loses). He has performed really well and it looks like this year is gonna be his year.
'The Scottish Psychopath' is also going to be one of the thirty superstars in the Royal Rumble match. Considering how WWE is booking him, he must have one of the best performances in the match. He could easily make it to the last four and on his way, break the record for most number of eliminations in a single Royal Rumble match.
Roman Reigns currently holds the record with 12 eliminations (not including Braun Strowman's 13 elimination record at Greatest Royal Rumble as it was not the main Royal Rumble PPV). McIntyre is also a favorite to win the Rumble. But if that doesn't happen, breaking this record will do him a lot of good as well.
#2 Seth Rollins wins the Royal Rumble as the iron man
Seth Rollins' WWE career has been on a very high note for the last few months. He has given us some fantastic matches and people absolutely love him. His Intercontinental Championship feud with Dean Ambrose wasn't the best, but booking is more to blame that Rollins in this case.
'The Architect' has achieved most of the top awards in WWE. But he has never won a Royal Rumble or become a Universal Champion.
This Sunday, WWE has the opportunity to give one of these things to Rollins. He is the biggest favorite to win the Rumble match. While we don't have a clue as to why WWE want him to main event Wrestlemania, he is the realistic choice to do it.
I think Rollins will enter the Royal Rumble within the first seven or eight entries. And definitely, he will be in the final four. So there is a chance that he spends the most time in the match. If Rollins wins the Rumble, it surely will be an incredible performance and one that we won't forget for a long time.
#1 Becky Lynch loses to Asuka; Then enters Royal Rumble and wins it
Becky Lynch will get another chance to regain the Smackdown Live Women's Championship when she faces Asuka at the Royal Rumble. Just like Seth Rollins, Lynch has been on fire in the women's division.
She is like the Daniel Bryan type fan loved superstar who got a push because the fans cheered her like crazy. She has also been compared to 'Stone Cold' in the way she shows her attitude on Smackdown.
Becky Lynch could become champion again at Royal Rumble, but it looks like WWE has even bigger plans for her. With all the talk of WWE planning the first ever women's main event at Wrestlemania, Becky Lynch vs Ronda Rousey is one option that could take that spot.
Many believe that Becky Lynch will somehow lose to Asuka and then enter the Royal Rumble match. Now this will also depend on the match placement, but it's a plan you can't just disregard.
Lynch isn't officially in the Rumble and Charlotte Flair is the favorite to win the match. So if Lynch does enter the Rumble, she might also win it. This will be a clever way to switch her brands and giving her the ability to challenge Ronda Rousey.
