Royal freaking Rumble! The excitement surrounding one of the most unpredictable Rumbles in recent times is quite palpable. And how could it not be! You have the part-timers (read legends) in The Undertaker, Goldberg and Brock Lesnar, the rising talents of the New Era in Braun Strowman, Dean Ambrose, Sami Zayn and the rest, and the alluring possibilities of memorable returns.
Royal Rumble has shaped up to be quite a promising PPV and the outcome of the marquee match itself, most importantly, is what it's supposed to be; ambivalent. An open Royal Rumble as this is bound to spring up a host of different permutations. According to the betting odds, there have been seven different favourites to win the match in the build up to the PPV, building up the ambiguity even more.
However, only one man would stand tall with a guaranteed WrestleMania main event spot at the end of the 30-man extravaganza, but who and how would that it? We take a look at those possible outcomes in this slideshow.
#10 Kurt Angle shows up and affects the ending
Kurt Angle needs to return at the Royal Rumble as it would be criminally wrong to not have one of the most accomplished pro wrestlers of the last decade at one of the most significant PPV’s in WWE history. It would just be a colossal mistake after all the hype.
Angle is in decent shape for one final in-ring run and the beginning could be at the Rumble. It would be fair to say that Angle is not going to win the Rumble if he enters, but what he can do is to influence the ending. One way is to cost the match for the star who eliminated him in the first place. This could be anyone; from Brock Lesnar, Goldberg or The Undertaker to The Miz, Baron Corbin or Dolph Ziggler.
A feud with a heel Dolph Ziggler sounds great on paper as the Show-off could garner good heat and it fits well with his story of being always being overshadowed. Angle is what SmackDown needs. American Alpha would agree.
#9 Brock Lesnar eliminates Goldberg to win
Sounds obvious? It may very well be how it all ends. Brock Lesnar is looking for retribution after being handed one of the most embarrassing losses of his storied career on that fateful night at Survivor Series. Eliminating the man who claims everyone is next would be a fitting way to level the scores.
While this essentially means Goldberg vs. Brock Lesnar III at WrestleMania may be out of the equation as the Beast would face the champion, WWE could make up for it and have the two arch rivals face each other at WWE Fastlane. It could do a world of good for the ‘minor’ PPV and would free up both the megastars for a match against fresh opponents at the show of shows.
#8 Sami Zayn pulls off an underdog victory
If there’s anyone on the roster who deserves a credible push other than Cesaro it has to be Sami Zayn. While his off-screen buddy Kevin Owens won the top prize of the RAW division, Zayn was treated as fodder for Braun Strowman.
No one expects the Underdog from the Underground to win, but at the same time, everyone does hope he has a strong showing at the Rumble. But what if he does win the Rumble and goes on to main event WrestleMania against the man he is destined to face all his life, Kevin Owens? Epic mark out! Sami Zayn and Braun Strowman could be the last two men in the match, and just when everyone expects the behemoth to continue his dominance, Zayn pulls off one the biggest eliminations of the night.
It would be reminiscent of the Chris Benoit’s 2014 win and could mark the beginning of the second coming of a Daniel Bryan-esque underdog figure. It would be even more incredible to see the pay-off of Sami Zayn winning the big one at WrestleMania, but is the WWE willing to risk a monumental PPV with a Zayn main event?
I’m not so sure. A friend of mine predicts Zayn to win and face Owens and a returning Finn Balor (who can win at Fastlane to book a WM spot) in a triple threat match at WM. Now that’s a sure-shot 5-star classic in the making that can outdo the Kenny Omega-Okada six-star insanity. While all of this sounds great for a smark, WWE doesn’t necessarily cater to the smarks around WrestleMania season. So moving on...
#7 Randy Orton eliminates Bray Wyatt to win
The Viper is currently the odds-on favourite to win the Royal Rumble and I must say it was quite surprising at first. But when you analyse it deeply, it makes great sense from a storyline perspective. The partnership between Bray Wyatt and Randy Orton is on its last legs and an implosion is just around the corner.
Orton and Bray Wyatt could work in tandem all throughout the match and until they are the final two. Just when Wyatt orders Orton to eliminate himself and obey his master, The Viper returns to his senses and eliminates Bray Wyatt to finally make his way back into the main event scene.
Orton can face Wyatt at Elimination chamber before he goes on to take on AJ Styles or John Cena. We hope it's AJ Styles as it’s a dream match by all means and worthy of being on a WrestleMania card, unlike the bore fest that the oft-repeated Cena vs. Orton would be.
#6 Samoa Joe debuts at #30 and eliminates Braun Strowman to win
I wouldn't be wrong if I say that a majority of the fans would be really disappointed if Samoa Joe doesn’t show up at the tomorrow. Debuting is one thing, but winning the Rumble on your first night in the big leagues would be typical non-Vince McMahon booking considering Joe’s TNA credentials.
Nevertheless, there’s no harm in dreaming big and if that means a Rumble win for the first ever two-time NXT Champion, then so be it. Eliminating the immovable object in Strowman makes things even more impactful.
But let’s get real here. Joe isn’t going to win the Rumble and the best we can hope for is a solid booking. WWE should book Joe as the one who kicks Strowman out of the Rumble, which would set up a possible Fastlane or WrestleMania match between the monsters. Strowman vs. Joe is a drool worthy proposal and can finally give us a classic match between two heavyweights.
#5 Double finish with Goldberg and Brock Lesnar
However unlikely this option may sound, there are chances that WWE pulls off a double finish with Goldberg and Brock Lesnar. The last time such as thing happened was at the 2005 Royal Rumble when both Batista botched up John Cena’s elimination and tumbled outside the ring at the same time. The match was restarted and Batista ended up winning the bout fair and square.
If the double finish was to happen this time around, another option apart from a restart would be for Goldberg and Lesnar to face each other at Fastlane to determine who gets the coveted spot in the main event of WrestleMania 33.
This scenario has many drawbacks as the fans would be dejected at not seeing a definite winner, and for that very reason, this would just not happen.
#4 Braun Strowman eliminates both Brock Lesnar and Goldberg to win
Braun Strowman fits the bill of the prototypical money-making monster in Vince McMahon’s book. So it comes as no surprise that he is one of the favourites to not only break the most eliminations record but also to win the whole damn thing. He may seem too green, but the assessment of his progress would be flawed until he’s pushed into the deep end.
Strowman going over two of the most popular stars currently on the roster would be one heck of a statement. It can even set up the rumoured Strowman-Reigns WrestleMania bout, despite the fact that the fans would not be overly pleased with it.
Strowman has been impressive up until now, and all he needs is a star-making performance at the Rumble. A win after breaking the record and eliminating Goldberg and Lesnar? What more could a superstar ask for!
#3 Seth Rollins makes a surprise appearance and wins
Seth Rollins may not be in the Rumble at the moment, but that doesn't mean he won’t enter. He could be added at the last moment and to stack the odds against the Architect, he could be the first entrant by the orders of Triple H himself.
Winning the Rumble from the first spot would be the best babyface booking option for the former WWE champion, but that won’t happen obviously, however good that may sound. Triple H is sure to cost Rollins the match of he ends up surviving right up until the business end.
While Rollins’ face run has been lukewarm, to say the least, a monumental win at the Rumble is enough to get all the momentum back. With a bout with Triple H looming large, it’s highly unlikely he notches up his first ever Royal Rumble victory.
#2 Finn Balor returns and wins
Remember when Edge returned from injury and won the Royal Rumble back in 2008? Remember the pop and the rousing reception that the outcome elicited? Yeah, you surely do. That’s exactly what would happen if the first ever WWE Universal Champion’s music hits at the Alamodome.
Balor deserves to win the match more than anyone else as he never lost the title in the first place. His popularity amongst the fans adds increases the chances of him pulling off a picture-perfect comeback victory.
But you know what would make the victory even better? Imagine this: Finn Balor and The Undertaker are the final two men remaining competitors in the match and The Demon eliminates The Deadman himself to script a long path to reclaiming his strap. Goosebumps!
Honorable Mentions
The Miz wins
2016 has unarguably been the year of The Miz. He’s completely owned it with his act and it would only be fitting to hand him a Rumble victory to reward him for his exemplary efforts. He has it him to succeed in the main event level as a top heel, but will WWE risk a marquee PPV’s main event with Miz winning? I don't think so.
Baron Corbin
The Lone Wolf has come a long way since his NXT days and is certainly a star in the making for the future. But is his time now? Maybe not. He's improved leaps and bounds, but there’s still more for him to learn. But WWE is as unpredictable as they come this time of the year, so never say never.
Goldberg wins
As much as I think Goldberg doesn’t have a chance at pulling off the feat at the Rumble, the betting odds suggest otherwise. Goldberg is not in a shape to put on a 15-20 min classic at WrestleMania, thus ruling out any possibility of a win the Rumble. But Goldberg is the hottest property at the moment and if Vince McMahon wants to exploit it to the fullest, then a title match for the Myth could be on the cards.
#1 The Undertaker wins
The last time Undertaker won the Royal Rumble was back in 2007. Ten years later and the eternal legend is one of the favourites to walk out of the Alamodome with a main event title match at his stomping grounds, WrestleMania.
While the hardcore smarks may cringe at the thought of a part-timer winning the Rumble, Undertaker isn’t just any part-timer. Having the Deadman win the Rumble effortlessly sets up the Cena-Taker dream match, that is if Cena beats Styles to capture his record-equalling 16th world title.
Undertaker deserves one final run at the top of the mountain before he hangs up his boots and this would be a perfect way to script the end of an illustrious career. But who would Undertaker eliminate in the end?
Brock Lesnar? Considering the history between the two, why not! As mentioned above, Finn Balor being one of the final two stars would also be epic. There’s another tantalising possibility. What if AJ Styles loses his title and ends up entering the Rumble match? The Phenom and The Phenomenal One – the final two! A surreal end indeed.
The possibilities with the Rumble match are endless, but not all of them can be successful! so we hope the creative doesn’t screw this one up! No more oooaaa please.
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