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The Road To WrestleMania 35 is almost upon us.
Interestingly enough, it comes at a time when WWE is just starting to regain its footing after months of lackluster booking, and fans are still skeptical about whether the company can deliver or not. Whether they ultimately do is up to them and the decisions they make between now and the Royal Rumble, but the first "big four" pay per view will be a huge test for them.
Unfortunately for WWE, the Royal Rumble is where the company has had several of their worst missteps, and some fans are probably fearful that the same could happen again. With that being said and the first big pay per view of the year only weeks away, here are five things the company needs to avoid doing at the Royal Rumble.
As always, let us know your thoughts in the comments below and be sure to tell us what you believe WWE needs to avoid doing at this year's Royal Rumble pay per view. Also be sure to tell us what you think some of the worst missteps in the Royal Rumble's history are and why.
#6 #5 Keeping The Universal title on Brock Lesnar
Let's be honest here.
Brock Lesnar doesn't have the same drawing power he did a year or so ago and it's really starting to show in his latest run with the Universal Championship. Not only is that evident by the way fans have responded to him winning the big red belt back at Crown Jewel last year, but also by how uninteresting the Universal title picture has been with him in it.
Another problem with Lesnar as champion is his part time schedule and the fact that the title isn't even defended at most pay per views. If nothing else, both of those things have turned The Universal title into a bit of an afterthought, which has only served to chip away at its appeal to fans.
In the end, Braun Strowman might not be the perfect choice to win the Universal title at the Royal Rumble, especially with rumors of him not being cleared to compete yet, but he is far better than keeping the title on Lesnar any longer. It could even be a way to build up to an even better moment at WrestleMania 35 if WWE manages to tell a good story.
#5 Keeping the Smackdown Women's Championship on Asuka
There are two reasons why Asuka shouldn't walk out of the Royal Rumble with the Smackdown Women's title.
The first reason is that her title run has been largely lackluster so far, especially with her sub par promo work and the lack of a interesting story, which has really put a damper on the things. The second reason is that putting the title on either Charlotte Flair or Becky Lynch allows WWE to make Rousey versus Flair or Lynch a title match.
Not only would that be icing on the cake for what likely is one of the most anticipated matches of the entire year, it also pretty much guarantees its spot as a main event match at WrestleMania 35. Furthermore, it takes Asuka out of the title picture heading into The Show of Shows, which she has no business being in at all.
In the end, Asuka is a fierce competitor, very athletic and awe inspiring to watch in the ring. With that being said however, she also struggles with promos and the company doesn't seem to know how to cover that up. Asuka heading into WrestleMania 35 with the Women's title is a mistake that WWE should avoid at all costs.
#4 Eliminating Finn Balor too early
Believe it or not, WWE has made this mistake too many times.
Also believe it or not, the WWE Universe got so angry at the company for eliminating Daniel Bryan too early from the Royal Rumble in 2015 that they almost rioted. Of course, WWE corrected the issue by inserting Daniel Bryan into the Fastlane main event later on, but it was still a very dark time for the company.
With the Royal Rumble only a short time away, there are a few superstars that WWE probably can't get away with eliminating early. If they do however, they most likely risk angering fans and totally taking the wind out of what should be a huge moment for the company and the winning superstar's career.
Unfortunately for WWE, that means they need to play it safe and keep Finn Balor in the match for as long as possible. Of course that doesn't mean he has to win the whole thing, but the company could at least put him in the final four and maybe even set him up for a nice WrestleMania feud in the process.
#3 Daniel Bryan losing the WWE Championship
What's the point?
Seriously though, Daniel Bryan has only been WWE Champion for a short time now, which would make a title change at the Royal Rumble seem like a really bad idea. Beyond the fact that it would instantaneously kill any semblance of momentum The new Daniel Bryan has, it also runs the risk of ruining what could be a huge WrestleMania moment later on.
Think about it! If WWE had Daniel Bryan hold onto the title until WrestleMania 35, it would be the perfect opportunity to establish a new star! In all honesty, nothing would mean more than dethroning Daniel Bryan at the Grandest Stage of Them All, and it could really go a long way in catapulting someone's career.
Even if WWE goes with The Miz vs Daniel Bryan for the title at WrestleMania 35, it could still be the crowning moment that The A Lister has deserved for a long time and could set him up for a title run of epic proportions. Daniel Bryan losing to AJ Styles would just be more of the same, but losing at Mania to someone new would be groundbreaking!
#2 Having Cena go long in the Royal Rumble match
Too predictable.
That's the problem with the Royal Rumble match at times, and although the company can sometimes remedy this with surprise entrants, shocking eliminations, and a out of no where winner, there are other occasions where that's the not the case. In fact, there are sometimes where WWE seems hellbent on just doing things by the book!
The problem with that however is that the overall match, which is supposed to serve as a kick off for WrestleMania season, ends up becoming a predictable nightmare that fans can't wait to be over. Again, this isn't always the case, and sometimes WWE is able to pull off legitimate shockers, but they don't have a great record at it during the Royal Rumble.
One thing that adds to the predictability of the match is when superstars such as Randy Orton John Cena and other well established superstars end up lasting a long time in the match. While this can sometimes serve to make the eventual winner look even better for defeating the established star, it also takes the spotlight away from others that could be there.
For example, let's say it could either come down to Seth Rollins versus John Cena or Seth Rollins versus Dean Ambrose. Although some might see Cena versus Rollins as the better moment, especially since Rollins eliminating him would be a big deal, it ruins the opportunity for WWE to put Ambrose or even someone else in that spot.
#1 Have a heel win the Royal Rumble
Let's be honest here.
The Royal Rumble match is that special time of year that underdogs are supposed to rise to the occasion, outlast 29 other competitors and go on to headline WrestleMania. It's a tale as old as time and while WWE has deviated from that formula from time to time, it always seems like they shoot themselves in the foot when the do so.
For example, think about when Randy Orton won the Royal Rumble and went on to face Bray Wyatt for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 33. Not only did the moment receive a lackluster fan response, it also was one of the least memorable championship feuds in WrestleMania history.
Another thing WWE needs to do is avoid blindsiding fans by having someone completely unexpected win. An example of this would be Batista, who won and went on to face Randy Orton and Daniel Bryan at WrestleMania 30. Of course having someone unexpected win can work and has sometimes in the past, but only if the fans are behind it.
With that being said and the current WWE landscape in mind, the only superstars WWE could probably get away with having win The Royal Rumble are Seth Rollins, Finn Balor, Drew McIntyre, and maybe Dean Ambrose. Other than those selections, anyone else will most likely be received negatively, which won't be a good start to Mania season.
