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The WWE's 32nd annual Royal Rumble event takes place this Sunday. One of the most eagerly anticipated matches on the card is the 2019 men's Royal Rumble match. There have been 31 men's Royal Rumble matches so far, and 23 winners.
The stakes are high; the winner of the men's Royal Rumble match will challenge either the WWE Champion or the Universal Champion at WrestleMania 35. Winning a Royal Rumble match is literally career altering. A multitude of Hall of Famers have entered the match, yet only 23 men have actually been successful.
This year's men's Royal Rumble match will be no different. Despite the crowded field, only one man can prevail. Only one man can win. As always, there are certain men who are considered favourites to win this match and are indeed most likely to win it.
But what if a wildcard won? Someone completely unexpected.
Let's delve right into it.
#1 Shane McMahon
Yes, I know that Shane McMahon has not been announced as a participant in this match. Yes, I know that Shane McMahon has a tag-team championship match at the Royal Rumble.
But, consider this. Shane McMahon wasn't scheduled to compete at WWE Crown Jewel. Shane McMahon wasn't even a part of the WWE World Cup. The final was supposed to be The Miz versus Dolph Ziggler. Yet, Shane McMahon won the tournament.
Also consider this: Shane McMahon is a McMahon. His last three WrestleMania matches were teaming up with Daniel Bryan on Bryan's comeback from enforced retirement, facing AJ Styles, and facing The Undertaker inside Hell in a Cell.
Vince McMahon is a former WWF Champion. He is a former ECW Champion. He is a former Royal Rumble winner. Stephanie McMahon is a former Women's Champion. The McMahons have always been featured parts of the show. Surely it is not that unbelievable for Shane McMahon to emerge victorious in the 2019 men's Royal Rumble match.
The advantages of a Shane McMahon victory are obvious. He's a McMahon. Any match he is a part of will be a featured part of the show. The world championship match he participates in would benefit from his star power, and the attention paid to it.
As for who he would challenge, it is simple. Last year, he teamed up with Daniel Bryan. This year, he must face him.
#2 Kurt Angle
Kurt Angle is an Olympic Gold Medalist. He is a WWE Hall of Famer. He is a 6-time world champion in the WWE. He has main evented a WrestleMania. However, Kurt Angle has never won a Royal Rumble match.
He could conceivably do so this year. There are surprise entrants in every Royal Rumble match. He has not been seen since he beat up Baron Corbin on RAW, but it seems pretty certain that Kurt Angle will be a part of the 2019 men's Royal Rumble match. What if he won it?
Kurt Angle is still widely popular with fans. He has an incredible legacy. A WrestleMania championship match against him still means a lot.
He could face Daniel Bryan. It is a match fans have wanted to see for years. It will not be the technical classic it could have been five or six years ago, but it would still be an excellent story. Indeed, the story practically tells itself; the former best wrestler in the world going up against one of the best wrestlers of all time in a bid to prove that he can still win the big one.
#3 Samoa Joe
Always the bridesmaid, never the bride. That captures the essence of Samoa Joe's main roster career. Samoa Joe has not won a championship of any kind on the main roster. He has never competed at a WrestleMania. Yet, he is almost always presented as a significant threat. He has been pitted against the likes of Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins. He has been a challenger for Brock Lesnar's Universal Championship, and AJ Styles' WWE Championship. Despite always falling short, he is always considered a legitimate and believable threat. Such is the talent of the man.
Samoa Joe winning the 2019 men's Royal Rumble match would be a major shock to the system. But he has proven time and time again that he excels in high profile situations. If he won the Royal Rumble match, he could challenge Brock Lesnar for the Universal Championship at WrestleMania 35. It would be a match between two of the toughest, most believable threats in all of the WWE.
Their Great Balls of Fire match showed the chemistry these two had. A WrestleMania match would be even better.
Agree? Disagree? Who do you think will win the 2019 men's Royal Rumble match? Let us know in the comments...
