With the WWE Royal Rumble in 24 hours at the CONSOL Energy Center in Pittsburgh, PA there’s no time better than now for the Last Word on Sports Pro Wrestling team (Aaron Wrotkowski, Jeff DeHaan, James Carlucci, Shawn Wilken, Adam Contant) to discuss their thoughts and predictions on the event.
Kickoff Match
WWE Tag Championship
New Age Outlaws vs. The Rhodes Brothers (c)
Winners
Contant and Carlucci: New Age Outlaws
Wrotkowski, DeHaan and Wilken: Rhodes Brothers
Thoughts by James Carlucci: I see the NAO taking the straps here due to some miscommunication on the part of the Rhodes Brothers. This match will most likely be where we start to see the cracks in the Rhodes Dynasty, which I expect will lead to one of the brothers, presumably Goldust, turning when they lose their rematch at Elimination Chamber. The long-speculated Cody vs. Goldust bout awaits at the end of the Road to Wrestlemania.
The Big Show vs. Brock Lesnar
Winner
Wrotkowski, Contant, Wilken and Carlucci: Brock Lesnar
DeHaan: The Big Show
Thoughts by Jeff DeHaan: I was originally putting Lesnar over as the victor here but I can see him going too far and getting disqualified. A disqualification loss is not something that will hurt Lesnar. If nothing else it will make him look more vicious. I will say though, that I have enjoyed the more intense attitude out of Show during this brief feud. I think this will be a better match than many are expecting it to be. Look at the great matches Big Show had with Mark Henry a couple years ago. This might be the sleeper hit of the non-rumble matches.
Daniel Bryan vs. Bray Wyatt
Winner
DeHaan, Wilken, Contant, Carlucci and Wrotkowski: Daniel Bryan
Thoughts by Shawn Wilken: There is no doubt in my mind that Daniel Bryan will be involved in the Rumble match. I can see a DQ result, where both Eric Rowan and Luke Harper jump into the ring, beating Bryan down and helping Wyatt take Bryan out. My theory is that after they are done with their assault, they carry Bryan to the back with Wyatt yelling, “You brought this on yourself.” This will lead to Bryan returning later on that night, for the Rumble match, to eliminate the three members of the Wyatt Family. The Pittsburgh crowd would eat it up.
WWE World Heavyweight Championship
John Cena vs. Randy Orton (c)
Winner
Carlucci, Wilken and DeHaan: Randy Orton
Wrotkowski: John Cena
Thoughts by Adam Contant: Neither John Cena nor Randy Orton are in an enviable position. Despite the fact that they have one of the greatest rivalries of this era’s WWE, by this point it must be difficult to come up with something compelling for the fans that they haven’t seen before. Lucky for us, Randy Orton and John Cena are two of the hardest working superstars on the roster and even as recently as last month at TLC they proved that there is still some gas in the tank of their rivalry and they haven’t showed us everything they have yet. That is what separates guys like Cena and Orton from other talent. Their ability to keep things fresh and interesting, even in matches we’ve seen before. It has got to the point where it could be too close to call, which is why I’m calling this match a draw. With Elimination Chamber looming, I think WWE will want to wring one last drop of blood from the Orton vs Cena stone, and the non finish will be the motivation The Authority needs to place Orton in the chamber with his greatest foe…And four others. It could be something as simple as Orton taking the easy way out, further establishing his cowardly heel champion persona, or maybe Cena’s emotions get the best of him over what happened to his father, either way, I predict Randy Orton will retain the WWE World Heavyweight Championship… in less than honourable fashion.
Main Event
30 Man Royal Rumble Match
Batista, CM Punk (No. 1), Alberto Del Rio, Big E Langston, The Miz, R-Truth, Xavier Woods, Kofi Kingston, Cody Rhodes, Goldust, Rey Mysterio, Fandango, Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, Dean Ambrose, Erick Rowan, Luke Harper, Damien Sandow, Jimmy Uso, Jey Uso plus 10 more.
Most Eliminations
Wilken, DeHaan and Carlucci: Roman Reigns
Contant and Wrotkowski: Big E Langston
Surprise Entrant
Wilken: Hulk Hogan
DeHaan, Wrotkowski and Carlucci: Sheamus
Contant: Ric Flair
Carlucci: Jericho, Rob Van Dam and Jake Roberts
Number 30
Wilken and Carlucci: Daniel Bryan
DeHaan: Rey Mysterio
Wrotkowski: Triple H
Contant: Roman Reigns
Runner-Up
Wilken: Daniel Bryan
DeHaan: CM Punk
Contant: Roman Reigns
Carlucci: Batista
Wrotkowski: Triple H
Winner
Wilken and Contant: Batista
DeHaan: Damien Sandow
Carlucci and Wrotkowski: Daniel Bryan
Thoughts by Aaron Wrotkowski: “It’s gonna be a Rumble tonight!” I quote that West Side Story inspired Rumble ad because it is pure fun and that’s what I hope for out of my Royal Rumble. Looking at the current 20 wrestlers listed in the Rumble, there’s certainly a name missing and that name is Daniel Bryan. It feels like it isn’t just Bryan turning on the Wyatt’s that causes a turn but the treatment of Bryan by WWE Creative. There’s a real feeling that they finally woke up and it’s time to appreciate him. I’m going to go back 20 years to the 1994 Royal Rumble when Lex Luger was the golden boy but Bret Hart was the guy working hard without the focus all on him and it led to a crowd giving Hart a bigger pop than Luger in the double elimination finish. With The Authority teasing a change in opinion on who their “face of the company” it makes sense to finally close the book on that story by making Bryan the thorn in the side that this time drops Triple H to his knees. And I mean that literally since I feel Triple H will make himself #30 to try and stop Bryan from winning the event. So yes, my entire Rumble prediction is leaning on two men who haven’t been announced for the event but I feel it’s the best way to close the chapter on the idea of HHH wrestling Bryan story wise and allowing Triple H to say he got Bryan over at the Rumble by being eliminated by him politics wise. Yes chant in Pittsburgh all around.
See you at the Rumble Sunday, January 25 with kick-off (anyone else feel it should be called kickout?) at 7:30PM EST.
Photo via WWE.com
Feel free to comment below, and follow the site @lastwordonsport. Also follow @AaronWrotkowski, @AdamContant, @DeHaanoffate, @LWOSCarlucci, and @CrimsonSkorpion on the Last Word on Sports Wrestling team.
