WWE Royal Rumble 2014: Final match card analysis

The Royal Rumble

The company has been struggling with their pay-per-view business after SummerSlam, but the Royal Rumble seems to be the place to change that curse. The beginning of the road to WrestleMania, the Rumble is sure to throw in some spoilers regarding what the fans could expect from the thirtieth anniversary edition of WrestleMania.

All eyes will be obviously on the battle royal but the matches set in the undercard also deserve some attention. John Cena will be looking settle the score against Randy Orton while Bray Wyatt will go up against Daniel Bryan.

Brock Lesnar and Big Show would square off in another Royal Rumble, while the tag team champions will face their latest challenge.

On paper there is a lot that a fan could look forward to, but here is a look at what could actually turn out at the pay-per-view.

Tag team championship; Cody Rhodes & Goldust (c) vs. New Age Outlaws

Some story into the Tag team division

Injection of the New Age Outlaws into the tag team division was a well-timed move from the WWE. Without them the division was turning into a slug fest with random teams fighting at each other.

The degenerates breathe in some story into the division with their Authority backing and nostalgic involvement. And surprisingly enough, they still got it. The matchup between the tag teams will be a great kick off for the Royal Rumble but what the fans really want would be a good solid storyline in the division.

A win for the Rhodes brothers are likely if the Authority doesn’t pull any tricks. And this unpredictability itself makes this one of the best tag title defenses in recent history.

Daniel Bryan vs. Bray Wyatt

The end?

According to the latest reports, this is the only appearance that Daniel Bryan is going to make at the Royal Rumble. That means we are not going to see him in the battle royal.

So since this is the only chance of seeing the hottest superstar in the roster, it would be a match worth watching.

The Wyatt- Bryan angle was at its epitome after Bryan’s apparent heel turn but went on a downward spiral after that steel cage match and his concussion. Hopefully, this would be the end of the storyline as Bryan needs to be diverted to bigger things since WrestleMania is nearing.

Bray in singles competition will be exciting and this match has all the potential to overshadow all the other undercard matches in the Rumble.

A win for Bray will be the best way to end the feud and the also WWE could take Bryan off TV for some time to make him recover from the concussion.

Brock Lesnar vs. Big Show

Don’t expect this to happen

Lesnar is heading for the title, Lesnar needs good momentum so what will we do? We put in a 400 pound giant as a scapegoat for the purpose.

There is nothing more than that in this match as it would only serve as a squash match for Lesnar. The company wants to make Lesnar return in style and beating up the Big Show is their way of style I guess.

They also buried Mark Henry in the process, and Big Show is bound to be the next. His baby face run isn’t going anywhere. WWE needs to take him off the TV for some time and repackage him as a heel if he is to make an impact as WrestleMania.

Getting his arm broken at the hands of Lesnar would be a win-win situation for everyone at the Rumble.

WWE Championship: Randy Orton (c) vs. John Cena

Again

Orton heads into the match as a duck champion who is yet to prove his metal after that infamous win at TLC against Cena. Throughout the buildup the cowardly side of Orton was more exaggerated by the creative than his dominating side, he even took a loss to Kofi Kingston which gives him the least momentum possible.

At the same time Cena comes into this match with a score to settle. The man lost his match at TLC and then got his father hospitalized by Orton. So the match is more personal for Cena than it is to Orton.

Despite the two contrasting stories, a result other than Orton winning is unlikely. If he loses the title, there won’t be any credible storyline for Orton while Cena could venture so many possibilities. Thus expect Orton to retain even after made to look like a coward in the buildup.

The Royal Rumble Match

The highlight

“The” match of the night, the battle royal is going to carry all the heat in the world. The numerous subplots to follow and the sheer unpredictability of the match will be the back bone this time also.

CM Punk will be the first entrant of the Rumble and he could well be the iron man or potential winner. Punk looks bound to be the man who will stand the longest in the Rumble. His run will face obstacles from the authority which will make it more credible.

Meanwhile, Roman Reigns will make headline for turning against his teammates or being the most dominant performer. The latter tag can also go for Batista or Big E Langston. Watch out for Antonio Cesaro also as he is bound to impress.

The comic moment will be provided by the lights of Santino Marella, The Great Khali or Damien Sandow while Kofi Kingston or Xavier Woods might produce an awesome moment.

The exclusion of Daniel Bryan is a big mistake and this leaves CM Punk and Batista as the clear favorites. Either of the two is going to win the match for sure unless there will be a returning superstar who could match up to the star power like Undertaker.