As the Royal Rumble rolls around yet again, we know that the Road to Wrestlemania is truly beginning to heat up. However, as with every long road trip, there are sure to be a few bumps and scratches along the way. Therefore, in order to hopefully help avoid such potential pitfalls, here is my list of fantasy booking for this Sunday's Royal Rumble PPV.
8. A couple of NXT appearances
In the vein of Rusev a couple of years ago, an appearance from a variety of NXT stars could do wonders to help introduce them to the mainstream WWE faithful. Whether it's an established star like Samoa Joe or a young up-and comer (in the eyes of the mainstream WWE Universe) like Finn Balor or Sami Zayn, having one of the many stars from down at Full Sail make an appearance in Orlando will do wonders to spice up the match, as well as legitimize the competitor and give them a much-needed rub.
7. Becky Lynch takes Charlotte all the way
Frankly, when the so-called Divas Revolution first came to life last July, fans were expecting great things. Rightly so, quite frankly. Charlotte, Sasha Banks, and Becky Lynch had been tearing the house down week in and week out at NXT for quite some time, and fans had good reason to think that they'd do the same in WWE. However, after months of inconsistent booking, bad storylines, and a conspicuous lack opportunities to showcase their talents, it's become clear that WWE still has no idea how to properly treat many of its talented women. However, this storyline has been an exception. After having come about organically, with a proper buildup and weeks of anticipation, Charlotte and her wheelin-dealin' father have become the perfect foils for the plucky underdog Becky Lynch, who's been absolutely on fire as of late. For the first time in months, WWE has given fans a legitimate reason to be excited about the Divas division, and it's absolutely essential that they give these two talented Divas a decent amount of time at the Rumble. While I don't necessarily think it's the right time to give Becky the title just yet, having her come oh-so-close, perhaps losing once again due to interference from the Dirtiest Player in the Game, will do wonders for her rapidly rising stock. If WWE plays their cards right here, they could have a potential massive babyface star for years to come, something that, frankly, six months ago, I never thought I'd be saying about Becky Lynch. Kudos to her for proving me wrong.
6. Kevin Owens and Dean Ambrose are given a chance to tear the house down
Simply put, Kevin Owens is one of the best professional wrestlers I've ever seen. He may not have that stereotypical bodybuilder look, but he's absolutely fantastic in the ring and his prowess on the mic is almost second to none. When you combine that with Dean Ambrose's fantastic energy and connection with the WWE Universe, along with the electric atmosphere of a Last Man Standing Match, you have a recipe for greatness right there in front of you. Similarly to the Becky vs Charlotte match, WWE just needs to make sure to give these two fantastic competitors some time to work their magic, because it most certainly will be just that: magic.
5. Strong performances from the likes of Owens, Rusev, and Kalisto
As much as veterans like Triple H, Brock Lesnar, and Chris Jericho are awesome, at some point, WWE has to start thinking about the future. Simply put, these three guys, along with a few others that I'm sure I've missed, are the future. As previously stated, Owens is one of the most talented professional wrestlers I've ever seen, certainly capable of being a top heel in the company for years to come. Similarly, Rusev is also a crazy mixture of strength and agility, doing things in the ring that a man his size simply shouldn't be able to do. Combine that with the fact that he's got a solid gimmick, as well as pretty decent mic skills, and you've got another solid top heel for years to come, with or without Lana. Finally, when it comes to Kalisto, many people have been throwing around the phrase "the next Rey Mysterio". However, quite frankly, he may very well be the first Kalisto. Blessed with amazing, amazing in-ring skills, as well as a marketable look (mask sales are a very important factor to take into account here, as well as his popularity with the sizable Latin American faithful) and very solid mic skills, Kalisto's already managed to get himself very over with the WWE Universe. While I don't agree with the WWE's decision to ping-pong the US title around on recent episodes of Raw and Smackdown, the company clearly has big plans for the masked luchador, and the Royal Rumble is one of the company's premier spots for making stars. In order to fully utilize this element of the Rumble to its maximum potential, WWE needs to make sure all three of these guys put on a strong showing, possibly even making it to the final four or five. Having one of these guys take the traditional ironman spot, lasting close to an hour and putting in a supremely impressive performance, will do wonders.
4. AJ Styles makes his WWE return
While I've heard some arguments that Styles' impending WWE return (he wrestled a couple of matches for the WWF in 2002) would be best served after a few weeks of vignettes to hype him up, frankly, I think there's no better venue for him to return than the Royal Rumble. He's one of the relatively few legitimate stars left in the world who hasn't had a major run with the WWE yet, and his return would absolutely be a major selling point on the Road to Wrestlemania. There are a variety of ways to eliminate him in which he doesn't look weak, including many ways that could help set up a major rivalry, something that the company desperately needs with the likes of John Cena, Randy Orton, Cesaro, and Seth Rollins all currently sidelined.
3. Cody Rhodes finally returns
While this may seem a bit out of the blue. imagine this: Stardust comes out relatively early in the Rumble, perhaps the first 10 or 15 entrants, and gets eliminated rather quickly, the company treating him like the jobber he's become. Probably eliminated by Titus, in fact, because it's definitely great television to have these two talented superstars face off over and over for, really, no good reason. However, as the match progresses and the field gets thinner, perhaps around the mid 20s or so, the countdown clock strikes 0 and Cody Rhodes' music hits. The Orlando crowd perks up in a mixture of confusion and anticipation, which suddenly turns to elation and pure excitement as a face paint-less and de-robed Cody Rhodes makes his way to the ring, a determined look on his face, while the crowd goes nuts. Cody Rhodes has consistently been one of the most entertaining parts of the company for years, no matter how dumb the gimmick he's saddled with, and he deserves his run in the spotlight. While this may not be very likely to happen, imagine how cool it would be if the turning point for this revelation occurred at the Royal Rumble.
2. Roman Reigns is eliminated early
While this may sound like the typical anti-Reigns propaganda, hear me out. Despite the fact that the Authority's clearly unbiased drawing (a segment which, by the way, was slightly painful to watch)gave Roman Reigns the number one spot in the Rumble, he's still undoubtedly got to be one of the favorites to leave Orlando as WWE World Heavyweight Champion. WWE has a major chance to jump on this opportunity by eliminating Reigns early. Possibly by having a young up-and-comer, perhaps an NXT call-up, or a returning AJ Styles eliminate him, WWE has an opportunity to not only give someone a major rub right off the bat by eliminating the champion, but also increase the excitement surrounding the match twofold. The Rumble is already exciting enough, imagine the buzz that'll be going around the Orlando crowd if we go through half of the match or more knowing for sure that there'll be a new champion by the end of the night.
1. Wyatt Family dominance/Bray Wyatt wins
Speaking of new champions, I believe there's no one more well-suited to leave the Amway Center Sunday night as champ than Bray Wyatt. Of course, in the minds of many WWE fans, as well as professional bookies around the world, there's no way this could happen. Frankly, I'm not too confident that it will either. However, ending the night with someone other than Reigns, Lesnar, or Triple H as champion would certainly be best for business. It would leave fans buzzing going into the Raw the next night, as well as Fastlane and Wrestlemania itself, and the opportunities for Wyatt would be nearly endless. He and his family have proved to be some of the most talented performers in the company over the past couple of years, and given their inconsistent booking, it's high time the members of the Wyatt Family, particularly Bray, are given the opportunity to prove themselves as legitimate top stars. There's no better way to do this than by giving Bray an opportunity to run with the industry's top prize. Plus, imagine the feuds and promos this could set up! Wyatt vs Heyman on the mic, anyone? Now that's best for business.
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