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WWE Royal Rumble takes place on Saturday evening, January 28, from the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. It will be the 36th annual event, featuring stars across all WWE brands. It is notable for many fans as it is the official start of the "Road to WrestleMania."
In recent years, the majority of the show has featured two Royal Rumble matches - one for the men and one for the women. The winners of each 30-person match will have the opportunity to challenge the world champions of their choice at WrestleMania.
The following article previews and offers predictions for each match.
It should be noted that WrestleMania is a two-night event. There have been rumors that WWE is interested in separating the world and universal championships held by Roman Reigns. Therefore, it will be interesting to see if there are multiple challengers on the men's side.
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1. Men's Royal Rumble Match
Here are three things to watch out for during this match. First, WWE has done a good job of telling the story of Cody Rhodes' rehabilitation. They also highlighted his desire to win the Rumble to have a chance to win the one championship that evaded his father, Dusty Rhodes. While predictable, a Rhodes win would be a big moment and set the stage for a showdown against Roman Reigns at the marquee event.
Then there's the story of Sami Zayn and The Bloodline. Roman Reigns said that the Royal Rumble would be Zayn's final test to see whose side he is on. Could that test be winning the Royal Rumble and relinquishing his shot so that he can win the title?
Given the emphasis WWE has placed on this story, this is the desired outcome by many fans.
Finally, there are always surprise entrants, including legends and NXT callups. Could one of them emerge as the surprise winner? Only time will tell.
Prediction: Sami Zayn will win the Men's Royal Rumble
2. Undisputed WWE Universal Championship Match
This was an interesting choice for a title defense by Roman Reigns, given that he defended against Kevin Owens several times in 2021. Enough time has passed, however, where the match seems fresh.
Plus, with the relationship between Owens and Sami Zayn combined with the ongoing Bloodline saga, this should not only be a good match but newsworthy from a storyline standpoint as well.
Fans can expect Reigns to retain the title, but the bigger story will be what role Samu Zayn will play in the result.
Prediction: Roman Reigns will retain the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship
3. Women's Royal Rumble Match
The Women's Royal Rumble match arguably hasn't had much of a build, but fans can expect some good action and surprises as well.
While superstars such as Bayley and Becky Lynch will always be favorites to win, the most intriguing possibility is if Rhea Ripley were to win.
She was scheduled to challenge for the RAW Women's Championship at the 2022 Money in the Bank event but was sidelined due to injury. The match was never rescheduled, and since then, she has improved her stock in WWE through her work as Mami in the Judgment Day faction.
Prediction: Rhea Ripley will win the Women's Royal Rumble match
4. The Pitch Black match
Sponsored by Mountain Dew, this is a first for WWE. Fans aren't sure how this match will be presented but can be confident that it will feature supernatural undertones and special effects.
LA Knight has a good upside. He is not only performing well in the ring but also with the microphone. Even though he will likely take a loss here, he should still feature prominently moving forward.
For Bray Wyatt, the storyline build continues. Who is he? Will he form a faction? Who is Uncle Howdy? Is he a friend to Wyatt or a foe?
These questions still need to be answered, and perhaps the outcome of this match will give fans more answers.
Prediction: Bray Wyatt will defeat LA Knight
5. WWE RAW Women's Championship match
Bray Wyatt's storyline on SmackDown has trickled over to RAW, as Uncle Howdy and Wyatt have seemingly set their sights on Alexa Bliss.
This is slightly better than the evil, Lilly doll-possessed Bliss character, but it does border on the supernatural, which may be polarizing to some fans.
As the event already features the Pitch Black match, which will be loaded with special effects, it would serve the company well to be straightforward in presenting this match.
Moreover, Belair should be booked strong heading into WrestleMania, so she should go over in a dominant fashion.
Prediction: Bianca Belair will retain the WWE Raw Women's Championship
What are your predictions for the Royal Rumble? Let us know in the comments section below.
