Royal Rumble 2020: 3 potential face-offs we could witness during the Men's Royal Rumble Match

Royal Rumble season is upon us! The first pay-per-view of the decade heads our way on Sunday, January 26, streaming live on the WWE Network and pay-per-view. The mega-event will emanate from the Minute Maid Park located in Houston,Texas.

Over the last three decades, the eponymous pay-per-view has played host to some of WWE's most memorable and unforgettable moments. The surprise factor that is built into the Royal Rumble match is one of the fundamental reasons for fans' enduring fascination with the concept of the match-up. Who could ever forget The Undertaker's awe-inspiring show-down with Goldberg at Royal Rumble 2017? What about Hulk Hogan and Ultimate Warrior's confrontation in 1990? Similarly, the epic face-off between WWE's past and the future at Royal Rumble 2018 - when the legendary trio John Cena, Randy Orton and Rey Mysterio went toe-to-toe with the trio of Shinsuke Nakamura, Roman Reigns and Finn Balor- had the fans right on the edge of their seats.

Given that the bulk of WWE's roster is involved in the match, there are innumerable bone-chilling and jaw-dropping face-offs that fans could witness. As of the time of writing; Brock Lesnar, Roman Reigns, Erick Rowan, Rey Mysterio, Ricochet, AJ Styles, Drew McIntyre and Randy Orton have officially declared entry into the match.

Here's 3 potential face-offs we could see in the Men's Royal Rumble match this year.

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#3 Brock Lesnar and Drew McIntyre

Could these two square off at the Royal Rumble?

The current WWE Champion and the Scottish Psychopath will definitely be in the Men's Royal Rumble match. Lesnar will enter at number one whereas McIntyre's entry will be determined by the luck of the draw.

Given Lesnar's impressive record at the event and his status as WWE Champion, it seems likely that The Beast will fight until the tail-end of the match, perhaps making it to the final-four. Hence, there's a strong possibility that Lesnar and McIntyre could cross paths during the grueling contest.

These two behemoths have seldom been face-to-face in the past. McIntyre has always wanted a shot at WWE's top prize, which currently belongs to The Beast. There are many parallels between Lesnar and McIntyre, thus a stare-down would make for an intriguing moment.

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#2 Roman Reigns and Cain Velasquez

Cain Velasquez signed with WWE last year.

This may seem a little far-fetched at first sight, but if you come to think of it, it is a possibility that can certainly not be ruled out. The Big Dog was the first individual to declare for the Rumble match. In fact, he is one of the leading favorites to win the whole thing. On the contrary, Cain Velasquez has been absent from WWE programming since Crown Jewel and hasn't been announced for the Rumble. Perhaps WWE could be saving him as a potential surprise entrant.

Moreover, last month, reports emerged implying that Velasquez was expected to return for the Royal Rumble match. Therefore, it would be safe to assume that Velasquez will enter the Rumble. The Big Dog is one of WWE's most valuable assets and has proven to be a priceless commodity. Velasquez, on the other hand, is still new to the roster.

Reigns versus Velasquez was a match most couldn't even have envisioned last year, but things are drastically different now. Many fans would be itching to see a potential match-up between the two somewhere down the line; a brief confrontation in the Rumble match would help quench their thirst for the meantime and will set the stage for a dream match in the foreseeable future.

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#1 Edge and AJ Styles

Will Edge return at Royal Rumble 2020?

The Ultimate Opportunist has been heavily rumored to return as a surprise entrant during the Men's Royal Rumble match. As compelling and thrilling as that prospect may sound, there's no guarantee. However, if Edge does return at Royal Rumble 2020, a potential face-off with AJ Styles really should to be in the cards. After all, Styles has declared for the match.

It would be almost a sin if WWE lets a potential show-down between Styles and Edge slip right through its fingers. Two in-ring masters of their respective generations, Styles and Edge have much in common. While Styles was the cornerstone for TNA, Edge was the standard-bearer of WWE. Even though Edge is retired and Styles is nearing the end of his illustrious career, they can still burn the house down.

My mouth waters at the idea of a show-down between the Rated-R Superstar and the Phenomenal One. It would be a nail-biting encounter, one that the live crowd in attendance would never forget.