As the 2017 Royal Rumble begins to take shape, what are some of the most awesome face-offs we could witness this year?
We are just three away from the 2017 Royal Rumble. There is a sense of natural hype in the air compared to last year. A number of major talents would get injured during the time and WWE would get forced to make do with whatever talent was available. However, that would not be the case this year. Goldberg, Brock Lesnar, and Undertaker would all be in the biggest Rumble in recent times.
Apart from such big names, depending on the results from other matches, anyone from Cena to Reigns could make an appearance. Even big names from NXT would have a solid chance of making their main roster debut. Moreover, this would be the first time Raw and SmackDown share the stage following Survivor Series. That opens up the field for a number of options.
For once, we could potentially see the SHIELD once more. Nostalgic acts like the Brothers of Destruction could wreak havoc. Big Show and Kane would finally find some decent company in the list of giants. Big Cass, Baron Corbin, and Braun Strowman could all outshine them this year. With such a star-studded field, this has the potential to be one of the best Royal Rumbles in recent times.
Having almost all major stars from Raw and SmackDown fight for a shot at main eventing Wrestlemania could exceed expectations. With so many stars and the brand split, WWE could easily plant multiple storylines to make the rumble even better. Even inter-brand feuds continuing from Survivor Series could happen. What are some of the most intense and interesting face-offs we could potentially witness? When Roman Reigns and Goldberg had a face-off, the crowd on Raw erupted. What else could be in store for us?
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5. Battle of the Giants
Both Braun Strowman and Baron Corbin would be in the Royal Rumble. There would be no reason to believe Big Cass wouldn’t join the party. This is something new in the WWE. The giant face-offs until this year used to be between Big Show, Kane and Mark Henry. However, this year, WWE might not even need them in the match.
Strowman has the most momentum out of all three. He is constantly featured in the main event and has been giving a great push following the draft. Corbin is a certain future WWE champion on SmackDown. Big Cass has proved before that he can hang with the best with ease. At least two among these three big men could cross paths during this year’s Royal Rumble.
We have already seen Strowman and Cass having a face-off. However, Strowman Vs Baron Corbin is something the WWE universe has never seen. Parallels could be drawn between both of them. Both are big men that benefited from the draft immensely. Both could be future world champions. Both have been booked strongly so far. When these behemoths stand across each other, expect the crowd to go nuts.
Creative has done a great job of building its next generation of monsters. However, the problem would be making all of them look good. Big men would usually eliminate a few competitors in dominating fashion. With so many great stars in the rumble this year, the options would be limited. That would be a big challenge for creative.
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4. Jeri-KO vs The World
For this to happen, Kevin Owens would have to drop his Universal title at the rumble. The odds of this are still up in the air as Roman Reigns is rumored to be in the Rumble. However, if KO drops the title and then enters the rumble, he could join hands with his best friend. Jeri-KO could level the field during the match.
Chris Jericho and Kevin Owens are two heels full of themselves. The duo likes nobody and is as opportunistic as heels could ever be. They could take on everybody else to make sure one of them wins the rumble. The sight of Jeri-KO eliminating super contender after contender would drive the crowd nuts. Perhaps, the best friends could have a run-in with other tag teams as well. Both Rollins and Ambrose would be in the rumble.
Roman Reigns are Kevin Owens would be mutually exclusive in the Royal Rumble match. Hence, Jeri-KO battling Rollins and Ambrose would be a nice touch. These four have ample history with each other. What if against all odds Kane makes an appearance and aligns with the Undertaker? Jeri-KO facing the Brothers of Destruction would be nothing short of electrifying.
When all the smoke settles, one of them could eventually backstab the other and kick-off a Wrestlemania program between the two best friends. A feud between Owens and Jericho with the US title on the line would benefit the title as well.
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3. The Top 4 on the Card Square Off
The Undertaker, Brock Lesnar, and Goldberg would all be in this year’s Rumble. Depending on the outcome of Cena Vs Styles, Cena could also join the fray. These four individuals would get prominently featured on the poster for this year’s Royal Rumble. That would eventually receive a ton of backlash from the fans.
However, a face-off between any of those four names would drive the crowd nuts. Goldberg hasn’t had much history with Undertaker or Cena. However, two big names staring each other from across the ring would give everyone goosebumps. Cena going up against Undertaker is something the WWE universe has always clamored for. Perhaps, this is when that showdown eventually happens.
Brock Lesnar and Goldberg’s rivalry is one of the foundations of the rumble this year. However, no one has as much history with Lesnar as the Undertaker. The dead man would love to end Lesnar’s dreams to avenge his streak. With so much star power and organic history between them, it would be foolish to not explore at least one of these scenarios.
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2. War of the Factions
If Roman Reigns fail to win the Universal title, he might very well make the rumored appearance in the rumble match. That would once again put all three members of the SHIELD under the same roof. With a little luck, all three of them could be in the match at the same time. WWE has been generous with mini Shield reunions lately. One could expect a spot during this year as well.
However, Shield is far from the only faction to potentially be in the match. The New Day has already announced their entry. Bray Wyatt and company could eventually announce their entry as well. The last time Shield and Wyatt Family came face to face, the arena erupted as the crowd went into a frenzy. It would be hard to pass on another moment of similar nature.
A face-off between Shield and New Day or Wyatt Family and New Day could be easily captivating as well. Factions are always nostalgic and generate a reaction from the crowd. Remember the crowd going nuts when Shield put Styles through a table? Being reunited with his brother would eventually help Reigns to generate a positive reaction from the crowd. Expect sparks to fly all over the place if Shield indeed reunites for a brief moment. Expect earth shattering cheers if they come across the Wyatt Family in the process.
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1. AJ Styles faces a Former Rival and a Demon
Of all the fantasy scenarios that could play out, this is the least probable one. First and foremost, AJ Styles would have to lose to Cena. Secondly, he has to pull double duty and enter the rumble for another shot at the title. There could be two huge moments that could eventually await Styles if the above happens.
Samoa Joe has been rumored to have a big match at Wrestlemania. The Samoan submission machine could very well make his main roster debut this year. Joe and Styles are no strangers, to say the least. The two of them have spent much time in TNA facing each other. Having WWE revisit the history would be a nice touch. Joe could make a big statement by eventually eliminating the Face that Runs the Place, effectively kicking off his main roster career.
However, the most out of world thing that could happen at the Royal Rumble is far from this. What if Finn Balor makes a surprise return during the match? Balor and Styles have shared history in the form of Bullet Club. As former leaders of the stable, the two could potentially engage in a showdown to determine the alpha of the group. Demon Balor making his entrance as number 30 alone would be too good. However, an exchange between Balor and Styles would be the ultimate nod to the hardcore fans.
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