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The time is nigh. With a cold spell dominating much of the United States, it might be difficult for many to fathom, but soon the winter winds will slow, the icy snow will melt, and spring will be upon us. Spring flowers mean one thing to wrestling fans: WrestleMania.
WWE's annual Royal Rumble is always the beginning, the very first step toward the march to the annual Show of Shows. By the end of January 27th's winter extravaganza, wrestling fans will have a clearer picture of what to expect for WrestleMania 35.
Wrestling's four most prestigious titles will be defended at the event. Asuka puts her SmackDown Women's Championship on the line against the resurgent Becky Lynch. On the red brand, Sasha Banks challenges Ronda Rousey for the RAW Women's Championship, as the two clash for the very first time.
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On the men's side of things, AJ Styles gets another WWE Championship rematch against the new environmentally friendly heel, Daniel Bryan. Playing the role of Goliath, Brock Lesnar will defend his Universal Championship against WWE's David, Finn Balor.
Of course, there are also the two matches many wrestling fans call their very favorite: the Royal Rumble matches. In each bout, thirty competitors will enter the ring every 90 seconds. Those who will be thrown over the top rope with both feet touching the Chase Field ground will be eliminated. Ultimately, one competitor will stand victorious in each match earning the opportunity to challenge for a world championship at WrestleMania.
There will be swerves, surprises, guest appearances, and faces wrestling fans haven't seen in some time. New men & women will step up to assert their own dominance and to let the wrestling world know that their time is now.
The landscape of professional wrestling will change and WrestleMania will come into focus. We unpack it all in this special WWE Royal Rumble 2019: Final Card & Predictions.
SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Bar vs Shane McMahon & The Miz
For a duo that wasn't ever supposed to be a team, Sheamus and Cesaro have cemented quite the legacy for themselves. The two started off in a personal feud in 2016, but when neither foe could gain the upper hand, mutual respect was earned and The Bar was formed.
Now five time WWE tag team champions, Sheamus and Cesaro have brought consistency and legitimacy to a tag team division that has often failed to attain either.
Shane McMahon and The Miz shouldn't be friends. Like their opponents, they also shouldn't be a tag team, but as demonstrated by The Bar's three year run, that doesn't mean they won't find success.
The Bar suffers from a lack of competition and their dominance over a weak WWE tag team field might be their undoing. What Shane McMahon and The Miz lack as a tag team, they definitely have in abundance as single competitors.
Either man is capable of defeating Sheamus and/or Cesaro in a one on one match, so they may actually fare quite well in tag team action. Plus, Shane McMahon has proved that he is willing to do absolutely anything to attain victory and that's a huge benefit to have, especially against a team that may have grown complacent in their dominance.
The Royal Rumble may as well be the opening round of a 2.5 month tournament that leads to WrestleMania. Shane McMahon has been a staple at the Super Bowl of wrestling. Over the last several years he has faced a who's who of wrestling legends like The Undertaker, AJ Styles, Kevin Owens, & Sami Zayn.
This year Shane McMahon's opponent will be The Miz, but the feud must begin somewhere. Their friendship will solidify with a tag team championship victory over The Bar, but will end sometime before WrestleMania with a tag team championship loss.
The loss will draw the ire of The Miz, or even Shane McMahon and one man will turn against the other, setting the stage for a wild WrestleMania 35 showdown.
Winners and NEW SmackDown Tag Team Champions: Shane McMahon & The Miz
SmackDown Women's Champion Asuka vs Becky Lynch
Asuka was once the hottest thing in women's wrestling and after winning last year's Royal Rumble, she followed her WrestleMania destiny. Asuka challenged Charlotte Flair, who put out Asuka's proverbial fire, ending her meteoric rise to prominence.
Since WrestleMania 34, Asuka floundered on the SmackDown roster, and as Becky Lynch rose to prominence, was a forgotten component during one of the most exciting times in women's wrestling history.
Lynch would inevitably capture the SmackDown Women's Championship, securing the gold that eluded Asuka at WrestleMania 34, but Asuka would not give up. The Empress of Tomorrow worked her way back up into championship contention.
In shocking fashion, Asuka defeated both Lynch and Flair in a Triple Threat Ladder match at TLC to win her very first championship on the main roster. Now Asuka is back, but the most popular female in women's wrestling wants what she believes rightfully belongs to her: the SmackDown Women's Championship.
Asuka is a brutal competitor and, as of late, has reasserted herself as one of the best workers in wrestling. Lynch, however is a wrecking ball on a mission to recapture the gold that would best accompany her 'forever champion' moniker.
She will find Asuka is no pushover. Lynch has the personality, the charisma, and the charm, but Asuka has the sheer brunt physical force necessary to silence the provocative former SmackDown Women's Champion.
Look for a fight, but that's exactly what Asuka is hoping for.
Winner and STILL SmackDown Women's Champion: Asuka
RAW Women's Champion Ronda Rousey vs Sasha Banks
Ronda Rousey has answered the challenge of many of wrestling's most most worthy competitors, and while their efforts were nothing short of valiant, no one has come close to dethroning The Baddest Woman On The Planet.
Then Sasha Banks (teaming with Bayley) handed Rousey her very first WWE defeat this past Monday on RAW. No, she didn't pin or submit Rousey, but the defeat left a bad taste in Rousey's mouth. It also gives Banks the psychological edge heading into their match at the Royal Rumble.
When Rocky Balboa landed the blow that opened the seemingly insurmountable Ivan Drago's eye, Balboa's corner man screamed, 'He's a man.' Last week's RAW proved that Ronda Rousey is only human and able to be bested.
Latest reports suggest that she has one foot out the door in the WWE & is focused on starting a family with her husband Travis Browne. Rousey will inevitably leave the WWE, but not quite yet.
Still, submitting Natalya and defeating Ronda Rousey are a far cry from each other. Rousey is a superior athlete with superior speed, strength, and fighting abilities. Banks would have to wrestle a perfect match and even then, Rousey may break her.
Rousey came into the bout with a great deal of respect for Banks, but since then Banks hasn't given the RAW Women's Champion any respect in return. This is a questionable strategy. Why awaken a beast that performs at her very best when disrespected? Nikki Bella was the last opponent to so openly disrespect Rousey and she paid for it dearly at Evolution.
Look for Banks to make things interesting. She is a good technical wrestler and has heart, but is ultimately unfocused.
She has made no secret, as of late, that her main priority is WWE tag team gold and with a competitor as capable as Ronda Rousey lurking, the last thing Banks should be concerned about is tag team gold. Rousey will capitalize on the divided attention and submit Banks for the victory.
Winner and STILL RAW Women's Champion: Ronda Rousey
WWE Champion Daniel Bryan vs AJ Styles
The world needs Daniel Bryan. At least the environment does. With the ozone layer depleted and climate change threatening all of human existence, one would ponder why Daniel Bryan, SmackDown's most outspoken environmentalist, would even be considered a heel.
Americans generally don't like being told what to do, even if its at their own peril. AJ Styles loves carcinogenic hot dogs, air polluting fast cars, and appearing on controversial conservative talk radio shows to talk about 'freedom'. You can just imagine him wearing a cowboy hat yelling, 'Yeehaw.'
Daniel Bryan, on the other hand, wants to engage wrestling audiences in a dialogue about personal responsibility to on another and the environment. Of course, Americans hate him. 'No one tells us what to do! Even if they're right!'
Many believe Bryan stole the WWE Championship from Styles, who previously held the title for more than one year. With a low blow, there was a changing of the guard and Daniel Bryan was returned to the place of prominence he earned at WrestleMania 30, before the injuries forced him to leave professional wrestling.
Now the hot dog loving all-American AJ Styles wants that WWE Championship back and he doesn't care what happens to the environment in the process. Styles forgets something important; however, cheers and accolades don't win titles. To take the WWE Championship from Bryan, Styles must pin or submit his opponent, one of the greatest wrestlers of all time at the peak of his professional career.
Styles wants gold, but Daniel Bryan is doing this to save the world and if you believed your very planet to be in peril, wouldn't you do just about anything to save it? Perhaps that should be rephrased - if you were a rational human being and your planet was in peril, wouldn't you do just about anything to save it?
Daniel Bryan is rational. He and Styles will have a phenomenal (pun intended) wrestling match, but Bryan has the champion's advantage and is capable of doing anything to save the planet he loves. Look for Bryan to use underhanded tactics to save the world and win the match in the process.
Winner and STILL WWE Champion: Daniel Bryan
Universal Champion Brock Lesnar vs Finn Balor
WWE CEO Vince McMahon is a wonderful businessman, but a terrible theologian. Of course, the purveyor of the World Bodybuilding Federation and ICOPRO would be obsessed with size. Perhaps that's why he recalls the story of David and Goliath so incorrectly.
It is, however, a proven fact: no giant can overcome the pen of a writer. If WWE were to so choose, they can easily find a way for Balor to defeat Brock Lesnar for the Universal Championship. The high flyer is, super hero like, a wrestling version of Spider Man. He is as ready to take the mantle as anyone on the roster.
Unfortunately, WWE probably isn't going there, at least not now. Balor is doing some of his best work and has the fans solidly behind him, but there is a big money making WrestleMania match ahead for Brock Lesnar, whom Vince McMahon still regards as wrestling's best.
Balor will look fantastic. He will take The Beast off guard and keep him off balance for much of the match, but for a man of Lesnar's power, all it takes is one mistake, one imperfection to tilt the scale in his favor. No man is perfect, not even a superhero.
Balor will use his speed to dominate much of the match, but will inevitably find himself in the grip of the powerful Lesnar, who has become WWE's true apex predator. One F-5 is all it will take for Lesnar to punch his ticket to WrestleMania 35.
Winner and STILL Universal Champion: Brock Lesnar
2019 Women's Royal Rumble Match
30 women compete to have the honor of challenging for a world championship at WrestleMania 35. Several names have already been announced for the second Women's Royal Rumble match. Charlotte Flair will compete, as will Natalya, Nia Jax, Bayley, Lacey Evans, Ember Moon, and the returning Alexa Bliss.
Charlotte Flair is the Vegas favorite to win the event and for good reason. She is one of the most accomplished wrestlers in history and did not compete in last year's event.
Accomplished people always look to accomplish more. Charlotte is indeed looking to scale more mountains and searching for more feats to conquer, with the Royal Rumble very much on her radar.
Flair will come up short, however. Becky Lynch has often been compared to 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin, who won three Royal Rumble matches. Lynch will come up short against Asuka earlier in the evening. In the process, she will endure a grueling beating that takes a physical toll on the former SmackDown Women's Champion.
No one will expect her to compete in the Royal Rumble match, which makes for the perfect story when she actually does and then proceeds to best 29 other healthy women.
Charlotte Flair has made no secret about her goal of main eventing WrestleMania and that will be her focus throughout this match. After eliminating Nia Jax, Flair will believe she has her Royal Rumble victory in the bag, but that's when Lynch will shockingly appear and take from her former best friend what she believes rightfully belongs to her: WrestleMania 35's main event.
Flair will have another opportunity at Fastlane, where she will once again be favored to win the Elimination Chamber. A victory there will likely set up the long rumored WrestleMania Triple Threat Match between RAW Women's Champion Ronda Rousey, Charlotte Flair, and Becky Lynch.
Winner: Becky Lynch
2019 Men's Royal Rumble Match
Who will best 29 of wrestling's very best competitors for the privilege of challenging for a world championship at WrestleMania 35? There have been rumors, so let's address those first. Kenny Omega has long been rumored as a possible entrant, however Omega is said to be under contract with NJPW until the end of January. Unless special concessions have been made, wrestling at the Royal Rumble would cause Omega to be in breach of contract.
What about Roman Reigns? While Reigns is said to be making progress, there has been no indication that he is anywhere near returning to the ring. Recovering from leukemia is a challenging endeavor. It's unrealistic to assume Reigns would return this quickly.
Then there's John Cena. WWE recently reported that John Cena was injured more than a week ago on RAW and that his Royal Rumble status was now in question. This was followed by reports about Cena's injury being a work. According to some, Cena may miss the Royal Rumble to resume his acting work in Hollywood.
Even The Rock has been rumored. If he wins, a Rock vs Brock WrestleMania match would make sense, but what does The Rock do these days that doesn't earn him $100 million or so? What benefit would he have to gain by returning?
Perhaps, if cousin Roman Reigns still held the Universal Championship, he could help further the career of someone he cares about, but don't count on The Rock's return just to have another run with Brock Lesnar.
The winner of this year's Royal Rumble is simple. Think about the last 365 days. Who has been the most consistent workhorse in the WWE? The answer is clear: Seth Rollins. Rollins has been involved in some of the year's most exciting matches and in the absence of Roman Reigns has stepped up as both an in-ring performer and locker room leader. There is a reason why Rollins is the Vegas favorite to win the event. He is the best male wrestler in the WWE today.
While Rollins is expected to be the victor here, also look for the following possibilities: The quickly rising Drew McIntyre could put in a Royal Rumble performance akin to Kane's and Roman Reigns' in years past. Kevin Owens, who has been out of action since early October, could also return. If he does, look for him to target Bobby Lashley, who 'took him out' of action.
In the end, Rollins will win in Shawn Michaels-like fashion setting up a WrestleMania match against Universal Champion Brock Lesnar.
Winner: Seth Rollins
