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The Royal Rumble is one of WWE's most anticipated events of the year for a plethora of reasons. However, one of the things that I personally love about it, is that it's a show that more often than not makes new stars.
The winner of the Royal Rumble is not only given more important opportunities with a guaranteed title match at WrestleMania, but they're immediately seen as a more legitimate Superstar on the roster and propelled into the main event scene.
But, the Rumble match itself isn't the only match on the card and this year there are a number of intriguing matches to compliment the Men's and Women's Royal Rumble matches. We've got Asuka Vs Becky Lynch, Bayley Vs Lacey Evans, Sheamus Vs Shorty G, Roman Reigns Vs Baron Corbin, Andrade Vs Humberto Carillo and The Fiend Vs Daniel Bryan.
There are a number of Superstars involved in those matches that desperately need to win, either because it will help them become stars or simply because they're running out of chances to show out.
Let's take a look at the five people I think need to desperately win at this year's Royal Rumble
#5 Drew McIntyre
Drew McIntyre has been on the main roster during his second run with the company for quite some time now and has been pegged as a future world champion since moving on from NXT. However, for whatever reason, he hasn't been given a single opportunity to win a world title yet.
Now it seems that Paul Heyman is finally gearing McIntyre up for the main event run we all believe he's capable of. The Superstar has started to show more of his personality and is getting over with the Monday Night RAW crowd as a top star and a major babyface for the brand.
But this, perhaps, couldn't have come at the worst time for McIntyre as the Royal Rumble match is upon him, and the results of that match pretty much dictate the way WWE is going to go for both world title pictures heading into WrestleMania.
So, it really is do-or-die for McIntyre in the Royal Rumble match. There's every chance he'll win it given his recent push, but if he doesn't then it pretty much means that we won't see 'The Scottish Psychopath' in the main event scene until at least WrestleMania. And if that is the case it probably means he'll be cooled off again like he has been before.
If Drew McIntyre is going to be a major main event player in WWE they have to pull the trigger soon and this might be the best time to do so.
#4 Asuka
It's hard to remember that Asuka had one of the most extraordinary championship runs in all of professional wrestling, let alone women's wrestling, during her time in NXT, as NXT Women's champion, in which she went undefeated for a record-breaking length of time.
That's because after finally losing for the first time to Charlotte at WrestleMania, Asuka's booking has been sporadic and uninspiring ever since and she's lost a lot of her mystique and allure.
However, in the build-up to the Royal Rumble, WWE and Becky Lynch in particular have done a great job of building Asuka back up as a credible threat and a worthy opponent for, arguably, the best women's Superstar the company has had in Lynch. In fact they've done such a good job that people are starting to think that maybe Asuka will win the title at Royal Rumble.
To put it simply this is the result that has to happen if Asuka is going to get back on track where she rightly belongs as one of the best wrestlers in the world, male or female.
#3 Shorty G
Okay, I'll admit that I was willing to see where the whole Chad Gable/Shorty G stuff ended up, as I was fully under the belief that there was a big plan, and Gable was going to become this white hot babyface, but here we are and I was absolutely wrong.
I understand why Sheamus Vs Shorty G is happening at the Royal Rumble, but I genuinely don't think you're going to end up with a result that the WWE Universe enjoys either way. If Sheamus loses he loses his first return match which is a disappointment and if Shorty G loses he continues to be bullied and ridiculed by bigger wrestlers.
It's frustrating because it shouldn't be difficult to get someone like Chad Gable over, he's an incredible wrestler who can put on simply incredible matches. You treat him similarly to how Aleister Black and Buddy Murphy have been treated on RAW and just let him go out there and kill it.
It seems like a clear cut result that Sheamus will steamroll Shorty G to look strong on his return but I'm hoping we get a surprise 'upset' from Shorty G and the win allows WWE to course correct.
#2 Roman Reigns
Baron Corbin is one of the best, if not the best heel in WWE at the moment. The people who don't think Corbin is good are simply wrong. That being said, I am done with any storyline involving Corbin with a group of wrestlers, supporting him antagonising the top face of the brand.
On the flipside Roman Reigns has spent too long not doing all that much and WWE need to start heating him up for WrestleMania, and getting Reigns back up to the top of the entire men's division where he was before he had to take time off.
For that reason, Reigns absolutely needs to best Baron Corbin in their match at Royal Rumble and then move on to bigger and better things heading into WrestleMania, because he's a legitimate star and it's time.
Plus, if Reigns is going to win the Royal Rumble, as he's a strong contender to do so, it would cheapen the achievement if he loses a match to Baron Corbin earlier on in the evening.
#1 The Fiend
As we all know The Fiend is currently undefeated in WWE and the Universal Champion is looking to continue that undefeated streak at the Royal Rumble, when he takes on Daniel Bryan in a Strap match with the title on the line. The Fiend absolutely needs to win.
Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't be upset if Daniel Bryan became a world champion again. In fact I'd welcome it if Bryan was facing any other opponent. But he's not, he's wrestling The Fiend and The Fiend absolutely cannot lose at Royal Rumble.
There have been rumblings that the Strap Match stipulation is a way of giving Bryan an out, a way to defeat The Fiend without actually defeating him. But, no matter which way you swing it a loss is a loss and the demonic Fiend will no longer be considered 'unbeatable'.
And once you take that away from him, how long until he's considered simply as Bray Wyatt in a mask with no pop from the crowd and no credibility as a character? I understand he has a title and can't keep it forever, but it is just too soon to have The Fiend lose.
