Royal Rumble 2017 Match Card and Predictions

Well it’s that time of year in the WWE calendar for arguably the best pay-per-view the WWE has to offer; the Royal Rumble.

This is and always has been one of my favourite events of the year because the WWE use this event as a chance to bring back some old faces and chuck us some new ones into the mix. It is at these events that wrestlers such as John Cena and Rusev have joined the roster and they have all made big impressions (more so in John Cena’s case). So here are my predictions for this years Royal Rumble. Who have you got?

 

CRUISERWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH
Rich Swann (C) vs. Neville

Neville really has excelled since he returned from injury and his current heel run is amazing. He put on an outstanding match at the UK Championship tournament and there is no doubt that he is a firm favourite with the fans since turning heel. Plus, the man really can fly (I swear he was born with wings!) .

Swann is a pretty decent champ and he has held the belt off from wrestlers such as The Brian Kendrick and TJ Perkins. Although I am not currently up to date with the cruiserweights, I am still impressed with him every time I tune in.

PREDICTION: Swann to retain

 

RAW WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH
Charlotte Flair (C) vs. Bayley

Even though women’s wrestling has come a long way, I find that the division has started losing steam over the last few months. The main reason is because Charlotte keeps managing to retain the belt even though she doesn’t really need it. Now don’t get me wrong, I like Charlotte Flair and I strongly believe she helped re-define women’s wrestling, but she really doesn’t need the belt anymore, to the extent that I believe it is killing the prestige of the title. It is also worth pointing out that she hasn’t lost at a PPV to date.

Bayley has had a good run as a face this time round and she does seem to be slowly winning the crowd over to her side, but I do believe that she just isn’t ready to hold the belt yet. She still needs time to develop her character and the fans need more time for her to grow on them.

PREDICTION: Charlotte to retain

 

WWE CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH
AJ Styles (c) vs. John Cena

Since AJ Styles made his debut this time last year at the Royal Rumble, he really has taken Smackdown by force. In less than 12 months he has managed to break the long standing tradition that a former TNA wrestler has won the biggest reward in the WWE. He truly is one of the best wrestlers on the roster and even as he ages, he still never fails to impress whilst in the ring.

Then we have John Cena who is going for his 16th World Title in the hope to equalise Ric Flair’s record. I’ll be honest, I am a Cena fan but these days he seems to be falling by the wayside as other names rise up and he just isn’t as far over as he was when he was younger.

This is a tough cookie to call. On one hand it would be simply outstanding for AJ to take the belt into the main event of Wrestlemania, however Cena arguably deserves to pick up the win instead

PREDICTION: John Cena to become champ

 

WWE UNIVERSAL CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH
Kevin Owens (c) vs. Roman Reigns

No DQ & Chris Jericho to be suspended from the top of the ring from a shark’s cage

Kevin Owens really has stepped up to the main event spot and has been an amazing Universal Champion. His bromance with Chris Jericho has helped define his championship and it surprisingly hasn’t ruined it. Since winning the belt he has managed to make a name for himself as a man who can hold his own with the best.

This is where it all goes a little bit wrong. Roman Reigns should not be anywhere near this belt. It will seriously damage the belt and his career to the stage where he may not be able to recover from it. A man who was voted the worst wrestler of 2016 is having a punt at the newest belt in the company. What the hell?

Then there is the other little thing of Jericho being suspended above the ring in a shark’s cage. I like the idea because it’s, well, different and only Jericho could probably pull this off but still…

PREDICTION: Roman Reigns to win (let’s face it)

 

THE ROYAL RUMBLE MATCH

This one is such a hard one to call, as it is every year. When deciding on who my pick is, I have considered who will win the WWE Championship belt and who would put on an awesome main event at Wrestlemania.

This match has the potential to be epic this year because of how many battles you are going to see overall. You have Brock Lesnar, Goldberg, Seth Rollins, Dean Ambrose, and Braun Strowman. The Wyatt Family is also included, so will this be the day we see Orton betray Bray Wyatt? The list of possibilities here is endless. But maybe the biggest talking point is the inclusion of the Undertaker.

The Undertaker has only ever won the Royal Rumble once in his career. He is slowly approaching retirement age and this is almost certainly going to be his last Wrestlemania. So will he go out in style and win the whole damn thing?

My prediction for this match may be seen by some to totally unrealistic, but when you think about it, it would be an amazing way for one of the most well known and celebrated wrestlers to end their career. Even if he doesn’t win, Cena/Undertaker has been on the cards for years. Maybe this year we will see it happen.

PREDICTION: The Undertaker will headline Wrestlemania