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A brand new decade is upon us and whether or not you're a fan of the WWE product today, it is impossible to deny the excitement as WrestleMania 36 draws nearer. January is a critical month as the Royal Rumble happens in January which is the beginning of the road to WrestleMania.
What makes January unique for wrestling fans is that WWE NXT is at even footing with RAW and SmackDown now. And this means that a lot of surprises could potentially happen during the month.
In any case, do leave a comment and let me know if there's anything in particular that you're looking forward to, in January. I'd love to hear what you'd want to see.
Now, let's look at all of the potential surprises that could happen in January and the Royal Rumble.
#5 The Demon King wins the Royal Rumble and challenges The Fiend
When Bray Wyatt transformed into The Fiend, his first victim was Finn Balor who did not tap into the Demon Persona back then. Balor would lose to The Fiend and then go and make an instant impact in NXT. But people have been wondering when he'll head back to either RAW or SmackDown, for a long time now.
In my opinion, if The Demon King were to enter the Royal Rumble, chances are that he will win the whole thing because of just how protected the persona has been. And then The Demon could invoke The Fiend and challenge him to a match at WrestleMania for the WWE Universal Championship- a clash of supernatural powers.
This is the best-case-scenario because Balor can stay in NXT until WrestleMania where episodes of the Firefly Fun House could air. This will certainly bring new eyeballs to the product.
#4 John Morrison makes his return at the Royal Rumble
We all know that John Morrison is back in WWE but how does he officially make his big return? The answer, to put it bluntly, could be to have him return in the Royal Rumble and maybe eliminate The Miz or even Roman Reigns.
This could start a feud that carries all the way to WrestleMania. John Morrison's return is a really big deal and he needs a big feud for him to regain the position in the roster that he once enjoyed.
He has ample history with The Miz and the two men are the best of friends in real life which could translate into a feud where both men go the distance to elevate one another. Morrison isn't the best on the microphone either and hence, The Miz could carry the feud with his promos.
The audience would pop big for the return of John Morrison.
#3 Drew McIntyre turns face
Even though Drew McIntyre is teasing an entry into the Royal Rumble, I have a feeling that he could be next in line to take on The Beast Incarnate at the 2019 Royal Rumble pay-per-view. If you look at the list of potential challengers, is there another name that sticks out quite like McIntyre?
But if Drew McIntyre goes up against Brock Lesnar, I doubt that he'll remain a heel. Brock Lesnar is not the WWE Universe's favorite Superstar owing to his part-time schedule, and I have a feeling that because McIntyre is his opponent, WWE will turn him babyface.
Even if Lesnar vs. McIntyre is not in the works, it does make sense for us to see a change in character for Drew McIntyre considering that we've only seen him as Shane McMahon's lackey and Dolph Ziggler's bodyguard thus far, roles that have not really allowed him to shine.
#2 Sonya Deville turns on Mandy Rose, Rose turns babyface
It is very clear at this moment that Sonya Deville and Mandy Rose aren't on the same page anymore. Mandy Rose is part of a love triangle that also features Otis and Dolph Ziggler. Sonya Deville seemed upset on SmackDown last week that Mandy Rose did not have Deville's back during her match.
I think that it's all too likely that Sonya Deville will attack Mandy Rose, which will cause the latter to turn babyface. Mandy Rose is a well-liked Superstar and I can totally see her as a babyface. Plus, Rose and Deville are best friends and they can elevate one another with a fantastic series of matches.
Fire & Desire is an awesome team but they aren't doing too much and having both women go their separate ways may actually help the two of them stand out in the roster.
#1 Shayna Baszler wins The Royal Rumble, challenges Lynch
There must be a reason why Rhea Ripley defeated Shayna Baszler to become the brand new NXT Women's Champion in December. I do believe that the reason is so that Shayna Baszler can win the Women's Royal Rumble and challenge 'The Man'.
It makes all the sense in the world because as dominant as Becky Lynch's reign as Champion has been, she has just suffered from a lack of believable challengers. One could have argued that a returning Sasha Banks had all the momentum in the world to dethrone Becky Lynch, but we saw how that storyline played out.
Shayna Baszler vs. Becky Lynch is a marquee WrestleMania match and I can certainly see Baszler thriving on RAW. I can even see Lynch finally dropping her title to the Submission Magician, before a shocked crowd.
Baszler's reign could also lead to the return of Ronda Rousey to the active roster.
