Powell’s WWE Royal Rumble predictions: Royal Rumble matches, Brock Lesnar vs. Braun Strowman vs. Kane for the WWE Universal Championship, AJ Styles vs. Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn in a handicap match for the WWE Championship

By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)

These predictions were made with no help from the betting lines because I’m not a dirty, rotten, filthy, stinking, cheater. In other words, I’m guessing just like you are. Join me for live coverage of the WWE Royal Rumble beginning with the Kickoff Show at 4CT/5ET. Dot Net Members will have exclusive access to the audio review that Jake Barnett and I will record after the show.

The 30-Man Royal Rumble match: They can’t. They wouldn’t. Not again. Roman Reigns won the Royal Rumble and was serenaded with boos the last time the annual event was in Philly. Not even an appearance by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson was enough to sway the crowd. In fact, I remain convinced that the late Mahatma Gandhi and the late Mother Teresa would have both been booed if they stood next to a Rumble winning Reigns in Philadelphia. It’s seemed rather obvious since last WrestleMania that Roman is going to challenge Brock Lesnar for the WWE Universal Championship at this year’s WrestleMania. I get that this is Vince McMahon’s grand plan for Reigns, but that doesn’t mean he has to ruin another Rumble to get there.

It’s been a long time since WWE delivered a satisfying Rumble winner. Randy Orton won the match last year and it led to an embarrassing slide show match with Bray Wyatt at WrestleMania. Triple H won the Rumble and the championship in 2016. We covered Reigns in 2015. Batista was an unpopular winner in what should have been Daniel Bryan’s win in 2014. John Cena was an obvious winner in 2013 to set up his rematch with The Rock. Sheamus was an upset winner in 2012. Alberto Del Rio won the “biggest” Rumble match ever in 2011. We’re long overdue for a truly satisfying Rumble winner and Reigns simply does not fit that description. I vote for Shinsuke Nakamura winning and getting a renewed push heading into a dream match with AJ Styles at WrestleMania. I’m also open to a Finn Balor win if it means he, Luke Gallows, and Karl Anderson would head to Smackdown as heels.

Shinsuke Nakamura wins the Royal Rumble.

The 30-Woman Royal Rumble match: Drink five times if Stephanie McMahon says something about how girls can do anything boys can do, only better. I really don’t worry about Stephanie taking credit for the women’s revolution. Rather, I worry that the broadcast team will dedicate way too much time to giving her that credit as they repeat lines fed to them through their headsets by Vince McMahon. Putting that aside, I am excited about this match. I remain concerned that having two Royal Rumble matches on one show will be too much of a good thing, but I’m all for finding out. I look forward to seeing some female legends get a spot in a match for a change and my guess is that Lita is one of them given that she wasn’t at Raw 25.

As for the winner, I was leaning heavily toward Asuka until she destroyed her three partners on Monday’s Raw. It’s not really Vince McMahon’s style to book the Rumble winner to look that strong on the go-home show. Asuka already defeated Alexa Bliss in a non-title match so they can still get to that match before or at WrestleMania. I would love to see Ronda Rousey be a surprise winner. She says she doesn’t have a deal. WWE says she doesn’t have a deal. And while they might be shooting straight, that’s exactly what they would say if she was going to be a surprise winner. Rousey is the winner if she’s in the match. If she’s not in the match, then I vote for a feel good winner to set up a long overdue Smackdown Women’s Championship match with an ideally heel Charlotte Flair.

Becky Lynch wins the Royal Rumble (if Ronda Rousey is not involved).

Brock Lesnar vs. Braun Strowman vs. Kane for the WWE Universal Championship: Lesnar pins or submits Kane. End of story. It doesn’t mean they can’t have an entertaining match, but it’s just hard to imagine Vince McMahon giving up on his obsession with Lesnar vs. Reigns at WrestleMania when he’s this close. I’m leaving the door open ever so slightly for a Strowman win to set up a Triple Threat with Reigns and Lesnar for WrestleMania, but I’m certainly not banking on it.

Brock Lesnar retains the WWE Universal Championship.

AJ Styles vs. Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn in a handicap match for the WWE Championship: Please tell me that Daniel Bryan is going to blindside Owens and Zayn by telling them that they can’t become co-champions. Instead, only the person who scores the pinfall or gets the submission will be the champion. This would make it seem like Bryan’s character knew what he was doing all along. He’s not playing favorites for Owens and Zayn, he put them in a position where he knew they would self destruct. This would also save the heels from taking a credibility killing loss, though obviously there are other ways to accomplish that. Either way, I can’t imagine that Owens and Zayn are the new LayCool in that they actually become co-champions. I have not enjoyed the build to this match despite the good mic work from the heels, but it’s hard to imagine the three guys involved not making this interesting.

AJ Styles retains the WWE Championship.

Seth Rollins and Jason Jordan vs. Sheamus and Cesaro for the Raw Tag Titles: The big question is whether Rollins accidentally hitting Jordan with a knee on Monday is setting up the makeshift team’s quick demise or if it was just a nice tease that they can go back to prior to future title defenses. My guess is we get the split here, as it seems like they have some singles ideas in mind for Rollins. I will be very surprised if the tag titles don’t change hands. Titus O’Neil and Apollo Crews beating Sheamus and Cesaro twice leading up to this match strikes me as creative believing The Bar would get their heat back by winning the tag titles.

Sheamus and Cesaro win the Raw Tag Titles.

The Usos vs. Shelton Benjamin and Chad Gable in a best of three falls match for the Smackdown Tag Titles: Here’s hoping that the removal of the WWE Cruiserweight Championship match from the show means that these teams will get enough time to have a credible best of three falls match rather than being asked to cram three falls into standard match time. I can’t say that I have a strong feeling about the outcome of this match. Benjamin and Gable need character development, but I hear the argument that they could be made by winning the tag titles. Flip a coin. Heads.

The Usos retain the Smackdown Tag Titles.

Bobby Roode will defend the U.S. Championship in an Open Challenge match (Kickoff Show): Dolph Ziggler? Jinder Mahal? An NXT call-up? The imaginations of fans is probably going to be better than the mystery opponent turns out to be, but I love the hook in that it gives fans some incentive to actually watch the needlessly long Kickoff Show. I doubt this will happen, but I’d love to see Neville return, blow off the cruiserweight division, and take his heel act to Smackdown. Speaking of cruiserweights, how about Cedric Alexander takes the open challenge given that he got shafted out of a title match because of Enzo Amore’s stupidity? That’s not a comment on the rape allegations. Rather, I am saying that he’s a moron for not informing the company that he was under investigation. It’s hard to pick a result without knowing both participants, but I have a 50/50 shot.

Bobby Roode retains the U.S. Championship?

Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson vs. “The Revival” Scott Dawson and Dash Wilder (Kickoff Show): Gallows and Anderson plowed through The Revival at Raw 25. This seems like a good time to give Dash and Dawson the win back to extend the feud.

The Revival win.

Kalisto, Lince Dorado, Gran Metalik vs. TJP, Jack Gallagher, and Drew Gulak (Kickoff Show): It’s hard to imagine this not being designed to be a spot-heavy, crowd pleasing win for the babyface trio. The fact that Alexander isn’t in this match is another reason to suspect that he’s the open challenger. Then again, maybe they’ll give him a spot in the Royal Rumble match to make it up to him.

Kalisto, Lince Dorado, Gran Metalik win.

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