Another Royal Rumble is in the books. It was a night of great surprises, great wrestling, and a night that saw two fantastic wrestlers prevail in the Rumble matches.
Now that the Royal Rumble is over, we have officially stepped onto the road to WrestleMania. A road that has a clear path for others and some not so clear for the rest. Here are some directions for WWE coming out of the Royal Rumble and into WrestleMania 40.
The Story Is Almost Finished
Well, the American Nightmare has gone back-to-back. After tossing out CM Punk, Cody Rhodes became just the fourth man to win the Royal Rumble in consecutive years. Following his win, he did the obligatory sign point that made it abundantly clear what his intentions were.
Rhodes stepped on the middle rope and pointed right at the private box where Roman Reigns was sitting. This means that we will get a rematch from last year’s Wrestlemania where Cody failed to finish his story. Hopefully, the story will end this year, and Rhodes will reach the top of the mountain.
Damage CTRL Is Poised To Implode
Last Saturday night, Bayley accomplished one of the few accolades that eluded her. After lasting over an hour, she knocked Liv Morgan and Jade Cargill out to win the match. It got a massive response from the crowd and was the perfect way to start the show.
With the drama lingering just under the surface of Damage CTRL, one would think that an implosion is on the horizon. Sure, the tease of Bayley choosing Rhea Ripley will be used on television, in the coming weeks, but we all know that IYO SKY and Bayley will do battle for the championship at WrestleMania.
Where Does Rollins And The World Title Go From Here?
The Monday after the Rumble was a huge letdown. When CM Punk announced his injury the world title picture was turned on its head. Many expected the Second City Saint to take on The Architect at WrestleMania. But after all that, what now? Rollins demanding Rhodes face him on the Grandest Stage is just a smoke screen, but what options exist?
As of this moment, there aren’t many who could logistically be involved in the main event of WrestleMania, except for the Ring General.
Gunther is exactly the man WWE needs to put the title on. He is the best heel in the company and has put on five-star matches with everyone who opposes him. With Rollins nursing his injury now is the time for Gunther to go Ultimate Warrior walk into ‘Mania with one belt and leave with two.
Logan Paul And Kevin Owens Start And Finish The Road
WWE pulled off a great DQ finish at the Royal Rumble. Throughout history, WWE has used DQ finishes to further angles, but it has never been done well and is a hard sell for anyone. Paul and Owens used the brass knuckles in a brilliant way that gets a ton of heat on Logan Paul.
It also is going to be the way that WWE pushes this angle forward. Paul won’t be on television much but when March hits the program between him and Owens will get intense. They are both great talkers and Owens can always get a great reaction, especially when opposite a natural heat magnet.
Brother vs. Brother
Jimmy and Jey Uso have teased their showdown for a while now. Since Jimmy cost his brother the World Championship, at SummerSlam, we all knew that a match was on the horizon.
WWE has done a good job of keeping them close but not close enough in stories, so there is an ever-growing aggression. An aggression that came out as they entered numbers one and two at the Royal Rumble. It was a great way to start the match and one that will jumpstart their Road to WrestleMania.
Brother vs. Brother will be a great match on any night ofWrestleMania. It will be a great culmination of a long program, and maybe one that will rival Bret taking on his brother at WrestleMania 10.
Bron Breakker Smashes His Way Onto The Main Roster
Bron was poised for a main roster run for a while now, and Saturday night he broke through in a big way. Coming into the Royal Rumble, Breakker tossed out 4 men. Of those men, Ivar and Omos were massive individuals whom Breakker eliminated by himself. It was a massive feat of strength and one that established the call-up as the man to watch.
Breakker can slash his way through the lower-mid card on the main roster for a bit before he hits WrestleMania. At the moment it doesn’t seem like he will get a massive match at the Grandest Stage but having him win the Battle Royale would be a good move. He is going to be a force on the roster and the next few weeks are the time to start doing this.
The Judgement Day Falls Apart
The Judgement Day has been around for a long time. Long enough that the group has started to become stale. There isn’t much new ground to break with the group. Sure, the R-Truth angle has been entertaining but this isn’t helping the group to maintain their legitimacy. The time is now to break the group up.
There have been cracks in the armor already. Priest has butted heads with every member of the group, and his time as the leader is up. He and Finn Balor need to drop the tag titles a.s.a.p. to kickstart more dissension. This can lead to Priest putting his briefcase on the line against Balor at WrestleMania thus ending the reign of The Judgement Day.
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