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The Royal Rumble match is one of the most uncertain matches in the WWE as 30 superstars compete for an opportunity to headline the "Grandest Stage Of Them All", WrestleMania. It is also one of the most exciting matches and generates a lot of intrigue within the WWE fans and critics alike.
Every year, 60-70% participants in the Royal Rumble match are pre-advertised while the remaining slots give WWE an opportunity to surprise and sometimes shock its fans by bringing unexpected competitors in the match.
At times, we see long retired WWE Superstars legends making a one-time appearance at Royal Rumble or NXT Superstars using Royal Rumble as a way to enter the main roster. Returning Superstars, who have been away from WWE programming for a while due to injury or for storyline purpose, also make a comeback much to the delight of the WWE Universe.
With WWE Royal Rumble 2019 pay per view just hours away, the frequency of rumours has increased manifolds, the list of favourites is out and so is the list of possible surprise entrants to the Royal Rumble. As per si.com, while Seth Rollins is the front-runner to win this year's men's Royal Rumble match, Charlotte Flair and Becky Lynch are favourites to win women's match.
But these are just odds. WWE values shock and surprises and mostly finds a way to deliver the unexpected as is evident from Roman Reigns unexpectedly losing at last year's WrestleMania, AJ Styles' debut in WWE at Royal Rumble 2016, Finn Balor suddenly entering the Universal Title scene just two weeks before this year's Royal Rumble, etc and going by the WWE's past record, there might be many surprises planned for WWE fans at Royal Rumble.
Let's go through five possible ways in which WWE might surprise us at Royal Rumble.
#1 The Beast Loses to Finn Balor
Ever since Finn Balor became the No. 1 contender for the Universal championship, there have been speculations about the reasons behind this last minute change. Finn Balor is a great in-ring performer and is very well capable to believably slay the beast but no one believes it to happen at Royal Rumble this year. The reasons? Well, there are many.
First of all, he has not been booked strongly enough by WWE to beat Brock Lesnar. He has performed well, there is no doubt about that, but is nowhere near the levels at which Roman Reigns was being booked before he ultimately won the Universal title from Brock Lesnar. Secondly, WWE would want to have Brock Lesnar playing a significant role at WrestleMania and losing the title just months before will be a step backwards. Last but not least, there have been rumours about Vince McMahon not believing in Balor which he even claimed in a segment at last week's RAW.
But, what if WWE has planned things differently. What if Finn Balor slays the Beast? What will be even more shocking to the WWE Universe is if he accomplishes it cleanly. It will take Finn Balor right to the top, the place which he truly deserves. Even Reigns' victory over Brock Lesnar at Summer Slam was not clean and was a product of Braun Strowman's presence at the ringside. Finn Balor winning cleanly will not likely happen. But, Balor might win due to interference by Braun Strowman, whom he replaced as the challenger for the Universal title. The interference was hinted at Monday Night RAW last week, but it is still unknown whom it will cost the match. Nevertheless, a victory over Brock Lesnar is the best thing any WWE wrestler could add to his resume at present and it will work wonders for Balor's career in WWE.
#2 Samoa Joe wins the Rumble
Though Seth Rollins might be the favourite to win this year's royal rumble, the current WWE roster is full of other names who can potentially headline WrestleMania. One such name is Samoa Joe. At present, Samoa Joe is not being seen as a top contender to win the royal rumble match, which is odd considering how talented he is.
Samoa Joe is a legitimate main event calibre superstar and is competing in Royal Rumble for the first time. Along with great in-ring capabilities and a healthy wrestling resume, he also has the charisma to be the champion. His victory will open enormous possibilities at WrestleMania.
We could get to see Samoa Joe Vs Daniel Bryan for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania. The clash between these two superstars will definitely bring the audience to its feet. He could also go on to challenge Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania if he is still the Universal champion at that time, They once faced each other at WWE Great Balls of Fire pay per view in 2017 and the match was an instant hit. He could even challenge Finn Balor/Demon King at WrestleMania, in case Finn Balor captures the title at Royal Rumble. These two have delivered many classics in Nxt as well as RAW and they are sure to deliver one at WrestleMania.
With a title change at WWE Elimination Chamber pay per view, which is placed right between Royal Rumble and WrestleMania, we could even get to see Samoa Joe Vs Drew McIntyre or Samoa Joe Vs Seth Rollins.
#3 Sasha Banks becomes WWE RAW Women's Champion
Since her WWE debut last year, Rousey is yet to suffer a single's loss. Even her first tag team loss came just a week ago on Monday night RAW. She has largely been depicted as unbeatable until now, in line with Brock Lesnar, though not as dominant yet. At Royal Rumble, she will be challenged by Sasha Banks, who is an extremely talented wrestler and has enough tricks in her bag to pull off an upset at Royal Rumble.
If WWE plans to crown her as the new RAW women's champion, making her win cleanly would, likely, not be the way in which WWE goes. It would rather be due to interference by Charlotte or Becky Lynch or both, due to their ongoing inter-show rivalry and might eventually set up a showdown between the three, possibly at WrestleMania.
Another possibility in which Sasha Banks might capture the RAW women's title is by interference by Becky, Charlotte and Bayley which will potentially set up a four horsewomen WWE vs MMA match in the future, a possibility which I already explored in my previous article.
Whichever way WWE goes, this shocking upset just before WrestleMania will reverberate across the WWE Universe and might lead to an interesting revenge storyline.
#4 A Returning veteran wins the Rumble
WWE has a habit of recalling old superstars from time to time usually for a one-time appearance. There are many examples in the recent past to corroborate this fact like Shawn Michaels return last year for DX vs Brothers of Destruction match. WWE also has many big part-timers, the likes of John Cena, who appear on WWE programming for just a few months a year and there are others who have been absent from WWE since a few years but are willing to make short comebacks like The Rock or Batista.
A few months ago, there were rumours that WWE is planning Roman Reigns vs The Rock at WrestleMania. But those rumours ended with Roman Reigns' illness as he went into recovery.
Still, there is always a possibility of a returning superstar winning the Rumble and thus opening doors for 'once in a lifetime' or 'one last time' type championship matches at WrestleMania. Imagine how great it would be to watch The Rock challenging Brock Lesnar for the universal title or John Cena going up against Daniel Bryan or Batista facing The Beast.
#5 Demon King enters and wins the Royal Rumble
This is the one possibility that enthrals me the most. There is no doubt in the fact that WWE fans long to see the Demon King perform. His Demon King persona takes Finn Balor to the next level and adds even more energy to his already energetic personality.
Ever since Finn Balor won the Fatal Four Way match at RAW for the right to challenge Brock Lesnar, there have been questions about whether Finn will show up at Royal Rumble as the Demon King or not. Though, Finn recently spoke in an interview about it and put an end to all such speculations by saying that he will face Brock Lesnar as Finn Balor, the man and not the Demon King as he has relied too much on the Demon in the past.
But, this does not mean that he cannot wear the paint at WWE Royal Rumble. It is possible that Finn might lose the championship match due to outside interference, probably by Braun Strowman or even Paul Heyman, but then enter the 30 men Royal Rumble match. I already wrote a fantasy booking article about it. One thing is for sure. If Finn is going to enter the Royal Rumble match as the Demon, he will end up winning it. Imagine what it will be like if Seth Rollins and Drew McIntyre are the two remaining superstars out of the first 29 entrants with the Demon entering at No. 30. The expressions on their faces and the reaction of the WWE Universe will say it all. Demon King winning the Royal Rumble to close the show will be an awe-inspiring moment.
