Charlotte Flair (c) vs. Ruby Riott
Kickoff Show: SmackDown Live Women’s Championship Match
Ruby Riott appears to be next in line for a shot at Charlotte Flair’s WWE SmackDown Live Women’s Championship, and a match on the Royal Rumble card seems like the perfect spot for that showdown to take place.
These two Superstars can put on one hell of a match if given the time to do so, and I have no doubt that their eventual bout, whenever that may be, will be worth the watch.
Winner: Charlotte Flair
Drew Gulak (c) vs. Hideo Itami
Kickoff Show: Cruiserweight Championship Match
Drew Gulak is the best thing going in 205 Live right now, and I fully expect him to dethrone Enzo Amore sooner rather than later.
Hideo Itami is going to show up and wreak havoc on the entire cruiserweight division this week, so don’t be surprised to see him capture the number one contender spot rather quickly.
An Itami/Gulak brawl at the ‘Rumble in Philly is exactly the kind of marquee matchup the cruiserweight division needs on a stage of this caliber, and I have no doubt that these two would put on a fantastic show.
Winner: Hideo Itami
The Bar (c) vs. The Revival
Raw Tag Team Championship Match
The Revival should be returning to Raw any week now, which means the Raw tag team division will be getting a nice shot in the arm right before WWE’s peak season begins.
Cesaro and Sheamus have been great, but it’s time for Raw’s tag division to begin a new era, and The Revival is the perfect team to lead that charge.
Winner: The Revival
AJ Styles (c) vs. Sami Zayn
WWE Championship Match
Sami Zayn’s work as one of the top heels on SmackDown Live has been highly entertaining so far, but I don’t think he’s reached his potential quite yet. He’s close to putting it all together, and a feud with the most popular star in the company is exactly what he needs to break through.
Zayn can win a tournament on SmackDown Live to determine the new number one contender for the WWE Championship, via shenanigans involving Kevin Owens of course, which ultimately leads to this bout with Styles.
As far as pure in-ring action is concerned, this match has the potential to be one of the best of 2018 and is deserving of a spot on one of the biggest shows of the year.
Winner: AJ Styles
Alexa Bliss (c) vs. Paige
Raw Women’s Championship Match
I forgot how much I love Paige, but she quickly reminded me how awesome she is when she returned to action last month.
Alexa Bliss has been a bright spot for quite some time, but Paige is one of the biggest stars in the company, regardless of gender, and I think having her carry the Raw Women’s Championship into WrestleMania 34 is best for business.
Winner: Paige
Brock Lesnar (c) vs. Braun Strowman
No Holds Barred WWE Championship Match
WWE appears to be heading in the direction of a Kane/Strowman/Lesnar 3-way at the ‘Rumble, which isn’t really my cup of tea if I’m being honest.
I like the idea of another one-on-one matchup between Lesnar and Strowman better, except this time, we’ll add a stipulation (no holds barred) that allows for total chaos, an element in which both men shine.
Lesnar wins the match, but he has to be taken out of the building on a stretcher, barely surviving The Monster Among Men.
Winner: Brock Lesnar
30-Man Royal Rumble Match
This match is always an hour or so long, so I’m not going to write a novel about what I’d do if I was in charge. However, I will include a few notable eliminations, as well as the order of the entrances and the final four participants.
Entrance order:
- Elias
- Aiden English
- Dean Ambrose
- Dolph Ziggler
- Jason Jordan
- Harper
- Matt Hardy
- Chad Gable
- Shinsuke Nakamura
- Mojo Rawley
- Tye Dillinger
- Seth Rollins
- Kane
- Bray Wyatt
- Rey Mysterio
- Jimmy Uso
- Roman Reigns
- Sheamus
- Big E
- Neville
- Bobby Roode
- Finn Bálor
- Baron Corbin
- Kevin Owens
- Rusev
- Randy Orton
- John Cena
- Samoa Joe
- Jinder Mahal
- Enzo Amore
Note: Names in bold represent the final four participants
Notable moments/eliminations:
- Elias and Aiden English start the match with a sing-off before Dean Ambrose arrives and eliminates them both.
- Mojo Rawley comes out at number 10 to the dismay of the live audience. Tye Dillinger comes out next, at 11, and gives the crowd the “10” that they really wanted.
- Rey Mysterio and Neville are the only “surprise” entrants, and Neville eliminates Mysterio.
- Seth Rollins eliminates Dean Ambrose.
- Shinsuke Nakamura and Roman Reigns are the final two participants, and after a 10 minute mini-bout, Nakamura eliminates Reigns to win the match.
Winner: Shinsuke Nakamura
What matches would you like to see take place at the WWE Royal Rumble 2018 pay-per-view? Let us know on Twitter, @TheRumbleRamble.
