Tonight is WWE Royal Rumble 2018! Here is the Pulse Wrestling crew’s full match by match preview with predictions:
2018 Men’s Royal Rumble Match
Spain:
#1: The number one entrant has to be someone who can put on a good show and go a fair way into the match. There are several faces that fit that description, but I’m leaning towards Finn Balor. It’s a way for him to make an impact considering his chances of winning the Riott itself are pretty low.
#30: I honestly have no clue here, and so shall go for pure wish fulfilment – Daniel Bryan, surprise return, number 30, massive pop, I can dream.
Most Eliminated: This is one of those things that you don’t often notice unless commentary calls it to your attention or they’re setting a new record. Considering who I’m backing to win this thing, this would be a good way for Roman Reigns to make an impact en route to his pressing engagement at Suplex City.
Most Time: I’d say Rollins, but he’s got a match tonight and it would be a tough ask. Therefore I’ll say Finn, as he’s my pick to come out at number 1 and that’s a pretty good opportunity to net this category as well.
Final Four: Nakamura and Reigns, naturally. Let’s say Rollins and…fuck it: Rusev.
Winner: Shinsuke Nakamura, going on to face AJ Styles in one of the best WrestleMania main events in recent memory.
Michael –
#1: Rhyno
#30: Kevin Owens
Most Eliminated: Jinder Mahal
Most Time: Roman Reigns
Final Four: John Cena, Roman Reigns, Baron Corbin, and Finn Balor
Winner: To everyone’s great dismay, John Cena.
Schuerman – Worst build-up in years for the Rumble match itself. But, at the very least, they wouldn’t put Roman over AGAIN, would they?
1. Finn Balor
30 – Daniel Bryan?
Most Eliminated – Is Braun Strowman even in this thing? If so, him.
Most Time – Finn Balor
Final Four – Nakamura, Balor, Reigns and Cena
Winner – Nakamura
Widro –
#1: The Miz
#30: Roman Reigns
Most Eliminated: Reigns
Most Time: Nakamura
Final Four: Reigns, Nakamura, Orton, Rollins
Winner: Reigns
2018 Women’s Royal Rumble match
Spain:
#1: Tough to pick this sort of thing, what with the Women’s Riott being an unknown quantity. Natalya’s who I’d want doing some of the heavy lifting, so I’ll pick her.
#30: Can’t waste any great workers in this spot, but at the same time you shouldn’t have this spot be a throwaway. I’d want Nia Jax to come out last: everyone’s exhausted and she can wreck their shit whilst fresh as a daisy.
Most Eliminated: I’m not picking Asuka to win, but I’d be surprised if she didn’t lay waste to a lot of the competition: lay down a solid start to her road to WrestleMania and Alexa’s title.
Most Time: Becky can handle long matches and has some dynamic offence: it’d be smart to keep her in there as much as you can.
Final Four: Asuka, Becky, Nia and Banks: every one of them a feasible winner and it’ll be an amazing brawl to end the match.
Winner: I’m backing Becky for this one. Becky vs. Charlotte will be a fantastic match, and Asuka honestly does not need to win the Royal Riott. Have Jax eliminate Asuka, have Asuka get brutal revenge later and the RAW side of things is sorted. Charlotte has been fixated on the Royal Riott handing her a contender and, with the possible exception of Ruby Rumble, no-one else fits this spot so well.
Michael –
#1: Mickie James
#30: Sasha Banks
Most Eliminated: Nia Jax
Most Time: Becky Lynch
Final Four: Becky Lynch, Bayley, Asuka, Ruby Riott
Winner: To no one’s surprise, Asuka (on a side note, I know everyone has been going crazy over this first Women’s Royal Rumble match, which is all good. But was I hallucinating a few weeks ago when I thought I heard that Asuka was supposed to be getting a title shot against Alexa Bliss at this event? Did they just scrap that match? Because if I were Asuka, I would rather have my one-on-one match and win the belt than win a battle royal.)
Schuerman – This is pretty much a foregone conclusion, barring a surprise Rousey entrance.
1- Bayley
30- Asuka
Most Eliminated – Nia Jax
Most Time – Sasha Banks
Final Four – Jax, Asuka, Banks, Surprise entrant
Winner – Asuka
Widro –
#1: Sasha Banks
#30: Ronda Rousey
Most Eliminated: Asuka
Most Time: Becky Lynch
Final Four: Asuka, Ronda Rousey, Becky Lynch, Mickie James
Winner: Ronda Rousey
WWE Universal Championship
Brock Lesnar (c) (with Paul Heyman) vs. Braun Strowman vs. Kane
Spain: We’re all thinking it; we’ve all said it. At this point, it might as well have been carved on a tablet that was found by early man. Brock is going to pin Kane in an attempt to preserve Braun, presumably so Roman can eat him later.
Winner (and still WWE Universal Champion): Brock Lesnar
Michael – If they were going to put the belt on Strowman, it should have been during the one-on-one match with Lesnar previously. Do they give it to Kane as a thank you for his years of service? I don’t think so. I still think they want Lesnar main eventing Wrestlemania, so I’ll go with him.
Winner: Brock Lesnar (pinning Kane)
Schuerman – This is no more than a means to an end. That being giving the Brock something to do while Reigns somehow finagles his way into the WM Main event. Kane is simply here to eat the pin.
Winner – Our Viking SpaceLord, BROCK LESNAR!
Widro – Once in a while Vince will pull a swerve for swerve’s sake but I don’t think it’s here.
Winner: Lesnar
WWE Championship
AJ Styles (c) vs. Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn
Spain: I truly do not hate the idea of Co-Champs. I don’t think it’s the right move for now, and I think it would have to be handled extremely carefully, but it’s not a worthless idea. But a couple of PPVs before WrestleMania, and with the odds almost cartoonishly stacked against Styles, I can see no other option but for AJ to retain by the skin of his teeth, giving us a match with Nakamura at the granddaddy of them all. WWE has a chance to very easily make something amazing happen, and even they can’t be stupid enough to throw it away.
Winner (and still WWE Champion): AJ Styles
Michael – Weird that this is a handicap match, but even weirder is that they are making this seem like insurmountable odds for Styles. Haven’t we seen people like Reigns and Cena beat two wrestlers at a time before? Heck, even Styles beat both Singh brothers just a little while ago. If I had to guess, I would say that Styles loses because of another stupid Shane McMahon thing.
Winner: Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn (Owens pins Styles)
Schuerman – I fear this is going to simply be a backdrop for the asinine Bryan/Shane feud that no one wants to see happen. That being said, I can see Owens and Zayn fighting over the pin and AJ taking advantage.
Winner – AJ Styles
Widro – This will likely just be another backdrop to Shane/Daniel Bryan stuff.
Winner: Styles
WWE Raw Tag Team Championship
Seth Rollins and Jason Jordan (c) vs. Cesaro and Sheamus
Spain: Usually I’d say this whole storyline should have a slow burn, but the biggest show of the year approaches and there’s no brakes on the WrestleMania train. Let Jordan screw things up, giving us another little seed for his inevitable outbreak into total dickishness and that’s another storyline well on its way.
Winners (and new WWE RAW Tag Team Champions): Cesaro and Sheamus
Michael – Just turn Jordan already. At least it will give Rollins something substantial to do for a bit. The belts should have never come off Cesaro and Sheamus. They are the best team in the division and deserve the belts back.
Winner: The Bar (new champions)
Schuerman – Let’s hope this is the official kickoff to Jason Jordan’s heel turn. Or a Shield beatdown. Either way, I’m happy. Jordan actually has the perfect heel personality. He’s smarmy and arrogant. He costs the team the titles and turns one way or another.
Winners – The Bar
Widro – Jordan’s turn has been one of the bright spots of WWE booking but they don’t lose just yet.
Winners: Rollins & Jordan
2-out-of-3-falls match for the WWE SmackDown Tag Team Championship
The Usos (Jey and Jimmy Uso) (c) vs. Chad Gable and Shelton Benjamin
Spain: I think Gable and Benjamin will be great Tag Team Champions, but I have a feeling that until the Bludgeon Brothers start challenging for them, the Usos are going to be extremely difficult to separate from the gold. This will probably be the Match of the Night, Chad and Shelton will look like giants in defeat and the Usos’ legend will be built up even more in advance of future incredible matches with Harper and Rowan.
Winners (and still WWE SmackDown Tag Team Champions): The Usos
Michael – I absolutely hate how they shoehorned Benjamin into a team with Gable. The only saving grace to that American Beta pairing is the faint hope that they are setting up one of them to turn on the other. However, they don’t need the tag belts for that.
Winners: The Usos
Schuerman – The rumor about town is that Us is in some trouble, Us! So I can easily see them dropping the titles to the surprisingly over team of Gable and Benjamin.
Winners – Gable and Benjamin
Widro – This should be the best match on the card.
Winners: Gable & Benjamin
Open challenge for the WWE United States Championship
Bobby Roode (c) vs. TBD
Spain: I’ve heard no rumours about this one at all, but I’m half-expecting the “D” in “TBD” to stand for Dolph. I can picture Ziggler coming back, claiming that he dropped the US Championship to prove his point: that he can beat anyone. Ziggler beats Roode, proving his point and regaining the title he was never beaten for.
Winner (and new/still WWE United States Champion): Dolph Ziggler
Michael – Since I have a feeling this match is just a set up for a storyline, the opponent doesn’t matter much. So let’s say that Shinsuke Nakamura is the challenger. After a bit of time, Dolph Ziggler returns, grabs the belt, smashes it into both competitors and walks out with it. Of course, this would set another Ziggler versus Roode (or the world) feud and give Nakamura an injury excuse for not winning the Rumble.
Winner: No Contest due to outside interference
Schuerman – I have no idea who they’re going to bring up to answer the call. Drew or EC3 would make the most sense, even though the latter appears to have some NXT time to put it.
Winner – Bobby Roode
Widro – Very poorly promoted surprise, I’ll predict Dolph Ziggler.
Winner: Ziggler
Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson vs. The Revival (Scott Dawson and Dash Wilder)
Spain: Feels like Dawson and Wilder really need some momentum back after Monday, so it would be in the best interests of most if they won this match.
Winners: The Revival
Michael – If they don’t allow The Revival to get their heat back after humiliating them on Raw 25 last week, that would be a huge shame. Gallows and Anderson are good following around Finn Balor for a while.
Winner: The Revival
Schuerman – This of course stems from Raw 25, where the Revival where the recipients of the token old guy beatdown. I can see them getting revenge here, as they have actually been pushed when healthy.
Winners – Revival
Widro – This is a rematch of the main event of Raw 25.
Winner: The Revival
Kalisto, Lince Dorado, and Gran Metalik vs. TJP, Gentleman Jack Gallagher, and Drew Gulak
Spain: Um…eeny, meeny, miny, moe…
Winners: Kalisto, Dorado and Metalik
Michael – This is what we get instead of Cedric Alexander killing Enzo Amore? Disappointing. Fast paced spot fest and let’s say one of the teams win.
Winner: Kalisto and crew because they are the faces, I guess.
Schuerman – Is this really happening? How many hours is this thing?
Winners – TJP, Jack Gallagher and Drew Gulak
Widro – Since this is a pre-show match, I think the babyface team wins.
Winners: Kalisto, Lince Dorado, and Gran Metalik
