This week’s Wrestling with Mediocrity will be a little bit of a different format. I will incorporate my thoughts on this week’s WWE TV into my preview of each match on the Royal Rumble show. Anyone who remembers my old preview articles will remember I try to lay out these previews in order of how I think the show will be presented, so let’s start with the kick off show.
I’m sure it will be a good match. In-fact it’s got the potential to be one of the best matches on the show. Unfortunately very few people, including myself, care. With RAW being 3 hours every week, SmackDown taking up a further 2 hours and then the likes of the excellent NXT high on the agenda as well it’s just too difficult to find time to watch 205 Live. I’m going to take a stab in the dark and say Hideo Itami will get the win and the title here as I have heard he has been doing really well lately.
Winner (AND NEW): Hideo Itami
It really saddened me that Vince didn’t even find it important enough to have either man on the go home edition of SmackDown. Nakamura has been disappointing since his main roster debut for sure, but Rusev has always performed to a high level and deserves so much more. I’d love to see him get a big push with Lana by his side reprising her role as the best valet in the business. For that reason I think Rusev retains.
Winner (AND STILL): Rusev
I have a feeling that WWE may open the main show with one of the two featured matches. It would be a good idea to break up the two 30-person contests and with the women’s match closing the show last time around I think it could take a bit of a backseat this year. I also fear it won’t be a very good match. At this time WWE have a lot of average female performers and with Becky Lynch, Ronda Rousey, Sasha banks and Asuka competing in singles matches it could lack star power.
Obviously some old talent will be brought back for cheap pops, but most of them are no great shakes in the ring and lack any genuine chance to win. The hot favourite has to be Charlotte and I think she will come away with the win, although I wouldn’t be surprised if they threw a curve ball in given how obvious it seems. At the moment I’d be happy with anyone other than Naomi. She proved again on SmackDown this week that she is one of the absolute weakest performers under contract.
Winner: Charlotte
I haven’t spoken much about the Shane and Miz storyline yet on Wrestling with Mediocrity and the reason is that I honestly couldn’t give a shit about it. Anything to do with Shane McMahon in a wrestling capacity can get in the bin. He is the male Naomi. Given how things panned out on SmackDown I have a bad feeling the direction is Shane going heel on Miz, setting up a match between the two at Mania. Unfortunately I also think that might happen after a short title reign, which will commence at this show. If I did have to say something positive about this match it would be that it is really nice to see a SmackDown tag title match that doesn’t involve New Day or the Uso’s.
Winners (AND NEW): Shane & Miz
I would like to see this match get top billing as far as the women go, but I think that spot will go to Rousey and Sasha. I’m torn here, because I have a way I want this match to go and a way I think it will go. I’ll start with what I want. I want Becky to win the title back, Ronda to retain the RAW title and the two to face each other in the main event at WrestleMania. Champion vs Champion… in the main event… to unify the belts, and Becky comes out on top. No Charlotte. Just Ronda giving Becky the rub.
Instead though, I think we see Asuka retain. Likely due to outside interference involving Charlotte or Rousey. I then think Charlotte wins the Rumble, chooses to challenge Rousey and Becky somehow gets involved making it a triple threat match. I can’t see Vince conceiving of such a big match at WrestleMania and not making sure Charlotte is involved in it. In my opinion it will weaken the match, but this is what Vince does unfortunately.
Winner (AND STILL): Asuka
I’m looking forward to this one. I think the two will have good chemistry together. Unfortunately though if you had told fans 18 months ago that Bálor would get this shot against Lesnar with such a weak build they would have been horrified. Vince has done the old cut and paste with the small guy who can’t compete and it’s laughable to think otherwise crap. I don’t give Finn zero since he is currently being pushed to try and keep him happy at his job, but I’d say it is still very unlikely that Lesnar drops the strap. I think we’re looking at a 10 minute gutsy performance with Brock retaining.
Winner (AND STILL): Brock Lesnar
Sasha is the second of three championship challengers on this show who you are reported to be getting pushed in an attempt to keep them happy in the wake of AEW starting up and showing interest in any potential available talent. I do not think that push extends to handing Ronda Rousey her first singles loss though. Sasha is one of the best workers in the women’s division, but at times she gets a little too excited and can get sloppy (usually in her own landing). As with most of Rousey’s matches though you have to assume this will be heavily scripted and I think that will benefit both athletes. In terms of a finish I’m going Rousey with the arm bar, with an small chance of outside interference resulting in DQ or the likes.
Winner (AND STILL): Ronda Rousey
AJ Styles as of a week ago was still negotiating a new WWE contract. Vince is also really high on him and has been for some time. You’ll remember back in November the only reason Bryan became an unlikely champion on SmackDown the week before SurvivorSeries is because Vince didn’t want AJ losing to Brock again. Now Bryan’s reign has been great and his new heel persona is brilliant. If it were up to me he would retain here, but after what I just said and the fact that it doesn’t seem like any of the other main titles are changing on this show I fancy AJ to regain the SmackDown title. AJ is also a 13/8 underdog with the bookies and may be worth a bet.
Winner (AND NEW): AJ Styles
Before I start I would just like to point out the picture above. I should note; all these images are provided by WWE.com – I do not create them myself. Now with that in mind, what the fuck? Elias, Corbin, Cena (who isn’t in it) and JINDER MAHAL. Imagine this was still a PPV and you had that poster advertising the match! Zero buys. Where is Seth? Drew? Strowman? Orton? Samoa Joe? Andrade? Really, really bizarre. Anyway on paper it looks like a three horse race between Seth, Drew and Strowman with Seth the clear favourite.
I do think there is an outside chance of Roman Reigns making a shock return and winning though. Reigns illness is a horrible thing and in no way do I not think it is legit, but I also think there is a reason WWE has avoided talking about the severity of his condition and scripted Dean Ambrose to say horrible things about the former Universal Champion. Gun to my head, I don’t think Reigns returns until the RAW after WrestleMania, but with RAW ratings in the gutter and the knowledge that Reigns has been in Hawaii training and has now accepted an action movie role alongside the Rock I don’t think it is out of the realms of possibility we see him this Sunday.
Winner: Seth Rollins
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Well that wraps up the Royal Rumble preview. I think it has the potential to be an excellent show. For the first time ever the non Rumble matches may totally steal the show and excitement. I can’t see it matching up to NXT Takeover on Saturday night though. I won’t be previewing the full show, but I will say even if you aren’t a regular NXT watcher you should go out your way to watch Ricochet v Johnny Gargano. It has the potential to be the best WWE match in 2019.
At the moment I catch NXT whenever I have spare time, but there’s a chance of me focusing on it more post Mania and incorporating it into the regular weekly Wrestling with Mediocrity articles. I will be back on Wednesday or Thursday next week to discuss the fallout from the Royal Rumble and the subsequent RAW/SmackDown shows. Until then enjoy what should be a great weekend of wrestling and feel free to drop me a tweet @VizualDze where I am always happy to converse on all things wrestling, gaming and more.
