Anticipation is at an all-time high for Sunday — but which ongoing storylines will dominate the flow of this year’s Royal Rumble match?
The countdown to the 30th annual Royal Rumble continues, and as each day passes, the hype increases with regards to who is going to earn a one-way ticket to Orlando.
With a stacked deck filled with WWE legends – The Undertaker, Brock Lesnar, Goldberg – and current stars alike, not to mention those rumored to appear, this is shaping up to be one of the most enthralling Royal Rumble matches in WWE history.
Not only that, but the amount of candidates to actually win the eponymous showdown is astounding. Between the aforementioned part-timers, Jericho, Miz, Strowman, Zayn – the list goes on – there are few options that don’t make sense.
As such, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to pick a winner. What we can do, however, is look at what to expect from the match itself. After all, with about an hour devoted to this match each year, sometimes more, there is a lot of time to fill.
Only so much of that can be put down to surprise entrants, and the rest means nothing if we don’t have much motivation to root for each star. Luckily, this has been one of the best-booked Rumbles in years, and almost all names already announced for the bout have received a solid amount of exposure heading into Sunday.
As a result, don’t be surprised if we see a lot of rivalries — either settled or cranked up a notch – on display once that bell rings and the clock starts ticking. Here is a list of just some of the different story dynamics you can expect to see in the Royal Rumble.
WWE.com
10. Big Cass vs. Rusev
Truth be told, the feud between Enzo Amore and Big Cass, and Rusev and Jinder Mahal hasn’t exactly been must-see over the last couple of months.
The segment featuring Enzo getting blindsided in Lana’s hotel room was quite fresh in terms of what we’ve seen over the last several years, but it still feels like this is a placeholder feud – in order to give two guys the smallest bit of exposure leading into the Royal Rumble, despite not having room for them in the brand’s top programs.
Nevertheless, Rusev and Big Cass have been at each other’s throats since before Roadblock: End of the Line, and given the fact that they can’t seem to shake each other, the odds of an encounter in the Royal Rumble match seems likely.
With Enzo slipping into a more managerial role, it’s looking like WWE is started to groom Big Cass for singles stardom. It was always bound to happen, and in the interest of ending this rivalry so it doesn’t continue all the way to Fastlane, expect Big Cass to be the one to eliminate Rusev with his patented big boot in this one.
This isn’t a rivalry that’s going to dominate the Royal Rumble match, we might get a few minutes early on in the bout while the tension is starting to build, but expect it to fizzle out quickly to make way for more ground-breaking moments.
WWE.com
9. Cesaro vs. Sheamus
We have confirmation that Cesaro and Sheamus will be entering the Royal Rumble match, but what we don’t know is whether or not “The Celtic Warrior” and “The Swiss Sensation” will be going in as the reigning WWE Raw Tag Team Champions or not.
With a championship defense against Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson looming on the Royal Rumble kick-off match card, the mood of the current titleholders in the Rumble match itself will be dependent on how the start of their night goes.
Regardless of their championship status, however, the Rumble match could be the measuring stick that the Cesaro-Sheamus pairing needs to test its longevity.
These men were thrown together by Mick Foley on a whim back in September, and though they’ve had their many differences in the past, the two have been seeing eye-to-eye since they finally ousted The New Day to win the newly redesigned tag titles. But we as fans all know that Sheamus and Cesaro are singles stars at heart.
They may be laying in wait at the moment with nothing better to do, but it’s inevitable that both men will someday find singles success once again.
And given how Michael Cole has been throwing out buzzwords like “Friend vs. Friend” and “Foe vs. Foe” with regards to the free-for-all nature of the Royal Rumble match, it wouldn’t be much of a shock to see alliances thrown to the wayside by these two athletes, in favor of a main event opportunity at WrestleMania.
The general consensus seems to be that Sheamus will utilize his still-prevalent heel tactics to eliminate Cesaro in a cheap way, which could be the beginning of a renewed rivalry between the two. Some may groan at the thought of that match happening again, but if they can pull off another epic battle like at Clash of Champions, that would be a welcome WrestleMania contest in many people’s eyes.
8. The New Day Squares Off
Kofi Kingston, Big E and Xavier Woods were the first full-time WWE Superstars to stake their claim to a spot in the Royal Rumble match at the top of the month.
But while some fans may not give either of these three men the time of day when it comes to winning a championship opportunity at WrestleMania, this could be a pivotal pay-per-view with regards to The New Day’s future.
Having just broken the record for the longest tag team championship reign in WWE history – before being dethroned by Sheamus and Cesaro – The New Day are right off a hot streak with a rather unpredictable future ahead of them.
We can expect that Big E will be involved in some impressive feats of power on Sunday, Xavier Woods will likely be used in a comical role despite his legitimate ability between the ropes, and you just know that Kofi Kingston is going to pull off something extraordinary in order to maintain his place in the Royal Rumble match.
But what’s really intriguing about the New Day dynamic in this match is the aforementioned “every man for himself” mentality on display in the Rumble. If memory serves, this will be the first time that all three members of The New Day will be involved in the same match against one another, which could easily lead to what many believe is an inevitable separation of the WWE Universe’s favorite unicorns.
Given that The New Day has broken the tag team title reign record, is there really anything left for these three guys as a unit? Many believe that Big E and Kofi Kingston both have what it takes to be main event level talent, while Woods – who just makes the weight class – would do well as a member of the cruiserweight division.
If ever there was an opportunity for any of these three men to turn on the others, it’s in an environment like the Royal Rumble match, where even the strongest of bonds don’t fare well against the greed of main-eventing WrestleMania.
WWE.com
7. Dolph Ziggler vs. Jerry “The King” Lawler
Dolph Ziggler has been adapting to a much more aggressive demeanor over the last few weeks, stemming from his constant inability to win in big-time matches.
A loss to Baron Corbin on the opening SmackDown Live of 2017 would be the straw that broke the camel’s back, as when Kalisto emerged to help Ziggler in a post-match assault, Ziggler would instead turn on the masked luchadore with a superkick.
This inner turmoil continued throughout the month, with consistent attacks to both Apollo Crews and Kalisto before an interview with Jerry “The King” Lawler last week, to finally get to the bottom of this recent change of morals. Of course, Ziggler would instead mock the WWE Hall of Famer, recalling his own role in Jerry’s haunting heart attack back in 2012 — with a threat to finish the job if he isn’t shown some respect.
A superkick to the chest took Lawler off his feet, and it’s sending Dolph into the Royal Rumble on Sunday with a brand new sense of belligerence — which will come in handy for eliminating big names in the star-studded Rumble match.
That said, many believe the announcement that Jerry Lawler will be making his return to the announce table to call the Rumble match this year is no coincidence.
A rivalry with a legend may not be what Ziggler needs, especially given that it could squander his chances in the Royal Rumble, but it definitely stands as a good source of heat for someone that was one of the WWE’s top babyfaces just last month.
WWE.com
6. Sami Zayn’s quest for self-gratification
Sami Zayn may have just qualified for the Royal Rumble match this past Monday night on Raw, but there may not be anyone more determined to walk out with a victory in San Antonio than “The Underdog from the Underground”.
Though Zayn’s only recent nemesis — Braun Strowman — is likely going to have his hands full with another star in the match, which we’ll get to later on, you can bet these two are going to cross paths at some point or another.
In many ways, Sami Zayn’s mindset heading into Sunday is going to be a lot similar to when he went into Roadblock: End of the Line to face Strowman, or when he went into the Last Man Standing match that followed a number of weeks later.
People have been sleeping on this man for far too long — to such an extent that his entry into the Royal Rumble this year wasn’t a given like it was for so many others — and if anyone’s going to have a chip on their shoulder in this one, it’s Zayn.
As such, you can expect Zayn’s interaction with Strowman and just about anyone else in this match to be passion-filled. Each year, we see somebody go the distance as the Iron Man of the Royal Rumble, and there’s no reason why that role shouldn’t belong to Sami this year, considering this guy still feels he has something to prove in WWE.
WWE.com
5. The Miz vs. Dean Ambrose
The Miz has officially lost his Intercontinental Championship rematch, which essentially puts the man out of contention for the title going forward.
This begs the question of “what’s next?” for The Miz, whose performance has consistently been at an all-time high ever since SummerSlam. This speculation leads us nicely into the Royal Rumble match. From a character standpoint, The Miz is going into this Sunday’s pay-per-view in sheer desperation mode.
He’s lost the championship that brought his career back from the brink in 2016, and the Royal Rumble may be his last opportunity to make the best of a bad situation and guarantee himself a world championship match in the main event of WrestleMania.
On that note, with Dean Ambrose entering the Rumble also, you better believe that The Miz is going to make it a point to do everything in his ability to eliminate the new Intercontinental Champion — exacting revenge on “The Lunatic Fringe” for all the pain he’s caused since the two started a program with one another.
With Daniel Bryan, Renee Young and even the WWE officials standing firmly in Ambrose’s corner over the last month, the aggression has to be mounting inside The Miz’s psyche. The best way to harness that emotion is to duke it out with Ambrose at the Rumble and eliminate him — along with his chances of becoming WWE Champion.
That is, of course, what The Miz would want to do — which is a lot easier said than done. Then again, there are few ways for Miz to redeem his recent losses without winning the Rumble, and being the man to eliminate Dean Ambrose might help his cause. Once that happens, who knows how far The Miz can get into the Rumble?
WWE.com
4. The Big Show vs. Braun Strowman
Since separating from The Wyatt Family at the WWE Draft, Braun Strowman has broken out on his own to become one of the most unstoppable forces in all of WWE.
His unparalleled strength and power comes as a handicap to just about anybody he comes face-to-face with — namely Sami Zayn, who has been on the business end of more than one vicious beating from the behemoth over the last two months.
It was up until this week’s rendition of Raw, however, that Braun Strowman stood tall as the favorite to win the Royal Rumble – from a storyline perspective, that is, as he still remains the bookies’ firm favorite as of this writing. After all, how do you expect anyone to counteract the monster’s ferocious approach to the ring?
Again, that was until this week, when Big Show made his presence felt. For the first time since the draft, Braun Strowman was overshadowed by a larger competitor — who, by the way, is looking in the best shape of his career.
Strowman denied us a physical confrontation with the “World’s Largest Athlete”, but after being put on notice so close to the Royal Rumble, we may have just been introduced to the one man capable of eliminating Strowman from the match.
This isn’t the first time we’ve seen Strowman take on Big Show, but given the booking of the former since last summer, not to mention the impeccable physical health that the future Hall of Famer appears to be in, we could be in store for a spectacular big-man contest when the two inevitably come to blows. You can bet your bottom dollar that the first showcase of this match is going to come on Sunday night.
WWE.com
3. The Wyatt Family reaches its boiling point
After losing to Randy Orton on this week’s SmackDown Live, it looks as though Luke Harper has been excommunicated from The Wyatt Family.
Bray Wyatt hyped the match-up as a platform for Orton and Harper to settle their differences in, going on to say that once the bell rings, The Wyatt Family will be stronger than ever before. It wasn’t until he nailed Sister Abigail on Luke Harper after the match, however, that we learned what this really meant.
More from Daily DDT
By the looks of things, Bray Wyatt saw his post-match attack as “taking out the trash”, with Luke Harper’s defeat making him the weak link of the faction. Now, we head into the Royal Rumble on Sunday with a completely different Wyatt Family dynamic than expected. Harper, assuming he won’t take too kindly to being shunned by his mentor, will probably be going to San Antonio with vengeance on his mind.
At the same time, it’s hard not to look at this result and believe that this is what Randy Orton wanted all along — to infiltrate The Wyatt Family so that he can isolate Bray Wyatt before he turns on him himself. By that point, Harper won’t come crawling back because he knows that Wyatt considers him expendable.
It’s a story based on spectacular long-term psychology if this does happen to be the case, which makes the prospect of a three-way dance between these men that much more exciting. The alliance of The Wyatt Family with Randy Orton involved has been a treat to watch, and now that it might be coming to an end very soon, the renewed rivalry — hopefully between all three men — is going to be fantastic.
Of course, that all comes down to what happens when Harper, Orton, and Wyatt come face-to-face in the Alamodome, and the truth behind Tuesday’s attack is revealed.
2. The Undertaker vs. 29 Souls
The Undertaker didn’t make any qualms about letting his intentions be known to the WWE Universe when he entered the Royal Rumble match a few weeks ago. Back in November, he proclaimed that he would no longer allow WrestleMania to define who he was, and his entrance into the Rumble has backed that up to no fault.
Moreover, The Undertaker is the only man that isn’t tied down to one brand. He has appeared on both Raw and SmackDown Live, which means that a win for The Undertaker on Sunday would give no indication as to whether it’ll be a WWE or Universal Championship opportunity awaiting him when the lights are on bright.
“The Deadman” isn’t going in to San Antonio to represent red or blue; he’s going in to represent The Undertaker, and in doing so has placed a target on each individual entrant into the match that should make the mistake of getting in his way.
The Undertaker has never shied away from a challenge, and has proven so in his proclamation that he has “dug 29 holes for 29 souls”, showcasing confidence in his ability to walk out as no. 1 contender for either of the WWE’s primary titles.
On top of that, he’s sent a message out to both Goldberg and Brock Lesnar in particular, that while they may have bad blood heading into Sunday, the eventual winner doesn’t matter in the end, because it’ll be “The Phenom” standing tall when all is said and done. This has shifted the odds heavily in The Undertaker’s favor.
If there’s any man that can outlast 29 of the WWE’s finest, it’s him, and we’re bound to be in for several mouth-watering Undertaker encounters with stars — both past and present — this Sunday. Nobody is safe, and The Undertaker promises not to rest (in peace) until every entrant has been thrown over the top rope.
WWE.com
1. Goldberg vs. Brock Lesnar
Goldberg’s whitewash victory over Brock Lesnar at Survivor Series has taken this rivalry to a whole new level. Prior to their encounter following Goldberg’s grand return to the WWE, many were unimpressed by the prospect of seeing a rematch from arguably one of the worst WrestleMania matches of all time back in 2004.
But the energy behind Goldberg’s return was enough for fans to go into Survivor Series with an open mind — and man, were expectations blown out of the water.
We can argue all day and night about what this squash match, for lack of a better word, meant for Brock Lesnar and the impact of him breaking the streak just two and a half years prior, but there’s no denying that it made people talk.
Now, tensions between Goldberg and Lesnar are at an all-time high, and the prospect of seeing an enraged “Beast Incarnate” exacting revenge on any and all comers in the Royal Rumble match is worth the price of admission alone.
This match has been built since November as the next meeting point for these two behemoths, so even though the structure of the match indicates that there’s no confirmation we’ll see the two square off, it’s fairly safe to say we will.
And when we do, whether they’re the #1 and #2 or #29 and #30 entrants, or they enter at opposite ends of the bout, the brawl that ensues is going to create even more hype for the inevitable one-on-one rematch at the Showcase of the Immortals.
Time is going to stand still when these two men square off on Sunday, and regardless of the end result for either man, it’s sure to create one of the most memorable moments in the thirty-year history of the Royal Rumble.
