What if The Miz wins the WWE Royal Rumble 2019?

The Miz has a deceptively impressive WWE resume that includes no lesser feats than a WWE Championship reign, winning a WrestleMania main event, and winning a Money in the Bank briefcase. That’s in addition to no shortage of reigns with Intercontinental, US, and tag team gold. One thing the A-Lister has yet to accomplish, however: winning a Royal Rumble.

Miz is far from the most obvious pick to win this year’s Rumble, particularly given that he seems bound for a collision with current tag team partner Shane McMahon, and the duo is scheduled to challenge The Bar at the Royal Rumble PPV. However, The Miz also has unfinished business with Daniel Bryan from the latest iteration of their program that spanned the summer in the follow up to Bryan’s heel turn.

Miz winning the Rumble would open the possibility of WWE revisiting Miz-Bryan for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania—a scenario many pundits had predicted months back, but with Miz as the heel champ. Would The A-Lister turn full face to challenge Bryan? It’s possible, but there’s also the Shane McMahon factor to consider.

McMahon has recently been tied to The Miz in storylines, but The Miz could be a natural bridge to connect a three-way storyline between these high profile talents who formerly shared kayfabe authority over SmackDown and more than once butted heads. Take matters one step further and it’s not out of the question AJ Styles could be involved, too, for a ‘Mania Fatal Four-Way.

In the end, if The Miz were to win the Royal Rumble, there’s a fair chance we would ultimately see him win the WWE Championship, too. This could in part be seen as WWE making up for having pushed Miz in the world champ role too soon back in 2011 and having his WrestleMania title defense ultimately overshadowed by the return of The Rock. It could also be viewed as WWE recognizing Miz’s years of loyal service and maturation as a talent.