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The annual Royal Rumble event, one of the most anticipated shows featured on the WWE calendar and a company staple in the month of January, takes center stage on Sunday as the path to WrestleMania 37 opens. The men’s and women’s Royal Rumble matches will, as usual, get world championship opportunities at WrestleMania 37 in April.
In addition to the two Royal Rumble matches, there are two world title matches currently confirmed for the event. Roman Reigns will defend the universal championship against Kevin Owens in a Last Man Standing match, and the legendary Goldberg will return to the ring for the first time since WrestleMania 36 to challenge WWE champion Drew McIntyre.
The Royal Rumble will kick off at 7 p.m. ET on Sunday, January 31, and the show is expected to last 3-4 hours, not counting the kick-off show, which begins an hour before the main card at 6 p.m. CBS Sports . be with you all the way on Sunday with live results, highlights and analysis.
For now, let’s take a look at how our experts think the Royal Rumble will play out this Sunday.
2021 WWE Royal Rumble predictions
Women’s Couples Championship: Asuka and Charlotte Flair (c) vs. Shayna Baszler and Nia Jax
It was ridiculous to put the Asuka & Flair titles first, and since each one is wrapped up in separate individual stories, it makes even less sense to keep the straps on them. Baszler and Jax performed perfectly well as champions and had a good story setting with Mandy Rose and Dana Brooke. With the muscular friends now healthy and back in action, it would be hysterical, albeit depressing, for WWE to return the titles to their heels, but I think that’s exactly what they’ll end up doing, completely removing any value. of the current race for the title of champions Pick: Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler win titles – Adam Silverstein (also Brent Brookhouse)
SmackDown Women’s Championship: Sasha Banks (c) vs. Carmella
Carmella has done a good job in her current high heel career, and there is no denying that she has improved as a performer. All that said, Banks is finally enjoying a title reign in which he has managed to defend the title. It’s hard to see her career come to an end against Carmella in what has been her first true story after winning the belt from Bayley. Banks is an attractive champion heading to WrestleMania, and a fight with her in the role of champion feels like something more important than one with Carmella. There doesn’t seem to be much mystery in this one. Pick: Sasha Banks retains the title – Brookhouse (also Silverstein)
Universal Championship: Roman Reigns vs. Kevin Owens (Last Man Standing Match)
As fun as an Owens win with a sharp twist would be, it feels completely unrealistic to expect WWE to cut Reings’s career short before WrestleMania. Reigns has been the company’s best attraction since he returned at SummerSlam and Owens has provided a nice contrast in recent months, but he never seemed like a threat to beat Reigns for the title. A match of Last Man Standing provides some opportunities to keep Owens strong (interference from Jey Uso), but he will not leave as a universal champion. Choice: Roman Reigns retains title – Brookhouse (also Silverstein)
WWE Championship: Drew McIntyre (c) vs. Goldberg
Fans were rightly enraged when Goldberg appeared on Legends Night to challenge McIntyre, particularly given the fact that the story to create the match didn’t make an iota of sense. With McIntyre out for two weeks due to COVID-19, the temperature of fan resentment cooled, but so did any real interest in this match. Although Goldberg has defeated Heel Kevin Owens and “The Fiend” Bray Wyatt for the universal title twice, and WWE is building this championship as the only world title Goldberg has ever conquered, it would make absolutely no sense to put him above the company. . top male babyface who has spent the last year building. This should be a short match with McIntyre overcoming an initial barrage of offense from Goldberg to retain the title and keep it at least until WrestleMania. Pick: Drew McIntyre retains title – Silverstein (also Brookhouse)
Women’s Royal Rumble match
There are many viable options to win the match, but none achieves what a Belair victory would do. She is a great talent who just needs the right story to break through and become a main event player. Belair, showing her strength and athleticism again at the Rumble, while beating all other women, immediately establishes her in the title image far better than her current uneasy rivalry with Bayley. Pick: Bianca Belair wins – Brookhouse (also Silverstein)
Men’s Royal Rumble match
If there’s one thing WWE loves to do, it’s give Legends top spots at the biggest PPV events of the year. This is why Goldberg faces McIntyre, this is why Goldberg had a world title before WrestleMania last year, this is why The Rock’s name was linked to Reigns for WrestleMania before the lack of a crowd in I live full seems to stop that. Edge was no longer a full-time talent, but he seemed poised for big spots throughout the year. If WWE wants to deal a big blow to an underdog to face Reigns at WrestleMania, Edge would check a lot of the boxes they’re looking for. Daniel Bryan would fit the bill nicely as well, but there’s an itch in the back of my mind that says Edge has Feel Good Time and Mania’s place. Pick: Edge wins – Brookhouse
Edge announcing his return to WWE and his entry into the Royal Rumble on Raw felt like a surprise moment wasted, even if that’s what we got last year at this very event, but it added a level of intrigue to the match because Edge ( as predicted above) would make a lot of sense as a Royal Rumble winner and future McIntyre challenger. However, prior to Edge’s announcement, he believed that WWE would be moving in its best possible backup direction, which is putting Bryan in the match as Roman Reigns’ challenger to WrestleMania. There is a prepared storyline between Bryan and Reigns dating back to 2014 when Bryan made his long-awaited return at the Royal Rumble only to be unceremoniously eliminated when Reigns won everything. Fans rebelled, and that moment was the catalyst for continued dissatisfaction with Reigns as his face.
Seven years later, with Reigns now as a heel, WWE can easily come back and play with that story. We saw interactions between Bryan, Reigns and Jey Uso a couple months ago, and I think those were planting the seeds for the Road to WrestleMania. There are other legitimate chances of winning this game, but Bryan makes a lot more sense. He could still earn a shot at Reigns via the Elimination Chamber, but why waste the perfect story? Pick: Daniel Bryan wins – Silverstein
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