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WWE has one episode each of NXT and SmackDown to go before Royal Rumble comes along and the company is expected to make a few more announcements regarding the highly-anticipated event.
The NXT show will have a few more Superstars being added to the Royal Rumble matches while the same is expected to happen on SmackDown.
WWE could also end up adding Braun Strowman vs. Shinsuke Nakamura for the Intercontinental Championship on the go-home SmackDown show.
Dave Meltzer reported on the latest Wrestling Observer Radio that there is a chance that the IC title match makes the Royal Rumble card. While nothing's certain as of this writing, WWE has been building up to the aforementioned match for a few weeks now.
WWE had originally planned the match for the TLC PPV, however, Braun Strowman's injury led to the match being pushed further.
WWE has been heavily pushing the angle ever since The Monster Among Men returned to TV. Strowman has also been getting the better of Nakamura and his entourage on the past few episodes and it does seem like it will end up in a match between the two Superstars at the Rumble.
WWE could also delay the match for the PPV after Royal Rumble, but the current build-up makes it seem like both Strowman and Nakamura, who are also the men's Rumble match, would have to do double duty at the PPV.
Dave Meltzer and Bryan Alvarez had the following exchange:
Meltzer: I would think that they are probably going to add Nakamura and Braun Strowman but I don’t know if that is a fact
Alvarez: Well Nakamura and Strowman are both in the Rumble, so unless they do two matches just like Corbin and Roman Reigns. But I mean that’s like the whole gimmick with Corbin and Reigns, so I don’t know why you have to do it twice.
Meltzer: Okay, but then why would you keep having Strowman beat Nakamura now. You could have waited three weeks due to the next PPV.
Alvarez: Maybe that’s what they are doing.
Meltzer: So why would you beat him now?
Alvarez: Why would you beat Nakamura now?
Meltzer: if you're not going to do it until the next PPV?
Alvarez: Maybe they will add it.
Meltzer: Yeah, because originally, Nakamura and Strowman was supposed to be on the last PPV, except that’s when Strowman got hurt, and they have been building it up ever since Strowman got back, they have been building it up Nakamura for him.
Could we see Strowman win his first major singles title in the WWE at Royal Rumble or will WWE delay the inevitable?
