'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/4AAQSkZJRgABAQAAAQABAAD/2wCEAAMDAwMDAwQEBAQFBQUFBQcHBgYHBwsICQgJCAsRCwwLCwwLEQ8SDw4PEg8bFRMTFRsfGhkaHyYiIiYwLTA+PlQBAwMDAwMDBAQEBAUFBQUFBwcGBgcHCwgJCAkICxELDAsLDAsRDxIPDg8SDxsVExMVGx8aGRofJiIiJjAtMD4+VP/AABEIAAUACgMBIgACEQEDEQH/xABlAAEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABgcQAAEDAwMFAAAAAAAAAAAAAAECAwQABRESISMGBxMYIgEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAERAQABBAIDAAAAAAAAAAAAAAECAAMEERIhMUHB/9oADAMBAAIRAxEAPwCKi9pGD1BLtAuyyqxw2JLTyozZCxNaK9KkjByjGyiTWg+rNpl85u8VHl+9ItSMDVvgclKVZahNQPZ43TKyLvG3HYHEegO9B8r/2Q=='%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
WWE Royal Rumble 2023 is still more than a month away. Currently, only two thirty-person Rumble matches are confirmed to take place. However, the undercard will also have at least two to three match-ups.
Roman Reigns will most definitely defend his Undisputed WWE Universal Championship at the Alamodome. Kevin Owens is rumored to be his opponent. The SmackDown and RAW Women's Title will also be up for grabs at the Rumble.
Let us take a look at four matches that must take place in addition to the ones mentioned above.
#4 Gunther vs. Braun Strowman for the WWE Intercontinental Championship
Gunther recently defeated Ricochet, the winner of the SmackDown World Cup, to continue his dominant Intercontinental Championship reign. The One and Only joins a long list of victims that includes future Hall of Famers like Sheamus and Rey Mysterio.
However, The Austrian Anomaly may have found his match in Braun Strowman. The two behemoths have had their fair share of run-ins. If Imperium hadn't interfered in Strowman's semi-final match against Ricochet, The Monster of All Monsters might have been the Number One Contender.
The direction does seem clear. The former Wyatt Family member is eyeing the IC Champion, who appears to be jittery about the prospect. Gunther's chops did no damage to Strowman, a rare sight for The Ring General. This would explain why the champion has attempted to avoid Strowman at all costs.
WWE could book Gunther vs. Strowman for a throw-away edition of SmackDown, but it should be saved for a special occasion like the Royal Rumble. The IC Title was last defended at a premium live event in September at the Clash at the Castle. Come January, that drought should end when two of SmackDown's hardest hitters lock horns for the workhorse championship.
#3 Bray Wyatt and LA Knight must square off in the ring at WWE Royal Rumble 2023
One of SmackDown's key highlights in the last seven weeks has been the ongoing narrative between Bray Wyatt and LA Knight. The surprising bit is that WWE has kept fans invested in the program sans a great deal of physicality.
The storyline has delivered big time. It started with an arrogant Knight getting in Wyatt's face, only to be head-butted. The former Universal Champion apologized, but got slapped twice in return. He was later found unconscious backstage, an incident in which the 35-year-old returning star claimed zero involvement.
However, Uncle Howdy, the man rumored to be behind the attacks, and Wyatt are two different men, as suggested by the spooky segment on the December 16 edition of SmackDown that forced Knight to retreat. The former leader of the Maximum Male Models has picked a fight with the wrong man, and will pay for his mistakes.
Given that they have run into each other several times, the logical climax of this program is a one-on-one match between Wyatt and Knight. The former WWE Champion's first match since his return should be saved for a big occasion, and the upcoming Rumble is a fitting occassion.
#2 Brock Lesnar vs. Bobby Lashley
Bobby Lashley's feud with Brock Lesnar was put on hold following WWE Crown Jewel as he began his pursuit of the United States Championship, which he lost owing to a surprising assault from The Beast Incarnate. The All Mighty has been a malevolent force lately and his unruly behavior ultimately cost him.
Lashley acted out and grabbed a WWE official following his controversial loss to Seth Rollins last week. Much to Lashley's dismay, Adam Pearce took action against the former US Champion by firing him on the spot. However, this is a storyline development.
The All Mighty will return to television to handle unfinished business. He still wants the US Title, but he will also have to watch out for Brock Lesnar. The Conqueror hasn't been seen following his controversial win over Lashley at Crown Jewel. In a heinous post-match assault, the 45-year-old left his rival reeling on the ropes, gasping for air.
Lesnar and Lashley are tied at one win apiece, and the score will be settled in a rubber match. With The Beast rumored to face Gunther at WrestleMania 39, his program with The All Mighty needs to end before The Show of Shows. Hence, it must occur at Royal Rumble 2023.
#1 Edge vs. Demon Finn Balor in a Hell in a Cell match
At Extreme Rules, fans witnessed the unthinkable. In a heartbreaking moment, Edge was forced to utter "I quit" in front of Finn Balor and The Judgment Day to save Beth Phoenix from Rhea Ripley's Con-Chair-To. The dastardly Ripley went ahead nonetheless. The Hall of Fame duo have been off-air ever since.
However, The Rated-R Superstar and The Glamazon will return to seek revenge. Edge vowed to end The Judgment Day, a faction he created, and he will not stop until he does so. The Hall of Famer will re-emerge, perhaps from the darkest and deepest pits, to unleash hell upon Balor and his friends who have pushed him to the brink.
This prediction is also per murmurs of the two fierce rivals colliding at the Royal Rumble inside Hell in a Cell. Edge, who may bring back his Brood character, could face Demon Finn Balor, who hasn't been seen inside the satanic, career-altering structure in over a year.
Only a Hell in a Cell encounter can top an "I Quit" match. Triple H wants to use the situation for the most heated rivalries, and this one surely fits the category.
