WWE is in the business of making history.
The sports-entertainment giant has introduced, or made popular, the Elimination Chamber, Hell in a Cell, casket matches, inferno matches, and Money in the Bank, just to name a few.
However, 30 years ago professional wrestling fans were exposed to a new type of match that has become, arguably, the most popular match in all of sports-entertainment.
On Jan. 24, 1988 at Copps Coliseum in Hamilton, ON, the world was introduced to the “Royal Rumble,” won by Jim (Hacksaw) Duggan.
Duggan, while a fan favourite, did not have any championship success while with WWE. He’s instead, remembered for the following:
1.) His, “HOOOO” battle cry
2.) Getting the live crowd to chant, “U-S-A, U-S-A”
3.) Bringing a wooden two-by-four to the ring
4.) Winning the first ever Royal Rumble
Fast forward to the 2018 Royal Rumble, where history will made again.
For the first time in WWE history, two Royal Rumble matches will be held on the same day, as the women’s division will host their own for the first time.
History
While WWE has done well with the women’s division over the past couple of years, the way in which they have gone about creating some of those memorable moments has been questionable. The first ever women’s Hell in a Cell match was a great idea in theory, but Charlotte and Sasha Banks put on a match that left something to be desired. The first ever women’s Money in the Bank match was, again, cool in theory, but Carmella’s victory didn’t seem as monumental as it should have been.
The WWE needs to hit this one out of the ballpark.
Pro wrestling fans are all too familiar with the image of previous Rumble winners standing on the second rope, pointing at the Wrestlemania sign, singling that he is ready for a shot at the championship on the grandest stage of them all.
Which woman will be put on that poster on Sunday?
Decisions, Decisions
So who’s it going to be? Despite the importance of the decision, the WWE powers-that-be don’t appear to be inundated with options.
The women’s Rumble match will be governed under the same rules as the men, meaning 30 entrants will be vying for a title shot at Wrestlemania. One interesting observation that many fans have made made surrounds the fact that the women’s division, on both Raw and Smackdown combined, doesn’t add up to 30.
So how will WWE fill the match? Or rather, who will fill the match? There will be several women called up from NXT to make their main roster debuts, if only for just one night, and there will also, no doubt, be some surprises.
The heavy betting favourite heading into the Rumble is Asuka, the undefeated and seemingly unbeatable superstar called up to the main roster in the fall of 2017. If there is anyone, on either Raw or Smackdown, who comes across as a legitimate history-maker, it’s the Empress of Tomorrow.
There are some others who might be worth a side-bet or two including Sasha Banks, Bayley, Nia Jax, and Becky Lynch, but most fans portray Asuka as the woman to to beat.
But remember, there could always be some surprises.
Surprise, Surprise
It’s well documented that former UFC champion Ronda Rousey is a professional wrestling fan. Her nickname while competing in UFC was Ronda (Rowdy) Rousey, inspired by the late, WWE great “Rowdy” Roddy Piper. Rousey also made an appearance at Wrestlemania 31 alongside The Rock, where she got physical in the ring with Triple H. Her good friend, and former mixed martial artist, Shanya Baszler is a up-and-coming talent in NXT, and Rousey has even appeared on WWE television in support of Baszler.
All of this adds fuel to the already burning Rousey-to-WWE rumour fire. However, Rousey will reportedly be in Columbia at the time of the Rumble shooting a movie, and Triple H has said she hasn’t signed with the company. Having said all that, fans should still “stay tuned.”
30 For 31
On the men’s side, there is just as much uncertainty surrounding who will come out on top in the 31st edition of the Royal Rumble.
The betting field, like the women’s, is pretty wide open. However, there are a few noteworthy superstars who could make a splash with a victory.
Since arriving on the main roster after an incredible run in NXT, Shinsuke Nakamura hasn’t had a match or rivalry of any significance. The most noteworthy moment of Nakamura’s brief WWE career came at Money in the Bank in June of last year. Nakamura and current WWE champion A.J. Styles had a brief stare-down, followed it up by trading some offensive moves, and the WWE universe ate it up. That’s why Nakamura winning the Rumble makes a ton of sense. Nakamura and Styles have wrestled before, in Japan, but this is still a dream match for many fans, as it would take place on the biggest stage in sports-entertainment: Wrestlemania.
A Nakamura win would certainly send the Philadelphia crowd home happy. There’s one scenario, though, that would see the crowd devolve into anarchy, again.
Roman’s Philadelphia Empire
They wouldn’t do it again, would they?
Philadelphia hosted the Royal Rumble in 2015, and the crowd was hot for Daniel Bryan. But Bryan was eliminated about halfway through the match and the crowd went nuts. Each subsequent Superstar that came out was roundly booed as the crowd essentially knew what was coming.
Roman Reigns was going to win the Rumble and head to Wrestlemania to face Brock Lesnar for the WWE Championship, and that’s exactly what happened. Fans knew WWE was in favour of pushing Reigns as the top star in the company, and anointing him at the Royal Rumble was the next step in the process. Not even The Rock, one of the most popular Superstars of all-time, who came out to help Reigns and raise his arm in victory, could stop the Philly crowd from booing.
They wouldn’t do it again, would they?
Should Lesnar retain the WWE Championship in his triple threat match earlier in the evening, it would make sense to give Roman the win. It would set up another Wrestlemania match between the two, and give Reigns a chance to close some un-finished business from Wrestlemania 31, where Reigns never lost to Lesnar, but was instead pinned by Seth Rollins who cashed in his Money in the Bank briefcase.
They wouldn’t do it again, would they? The answer is: Yes, yes, yes!
Then again, there is also the opportunity to give the Philadelphia crowd the exact opposite of last time, and that is an epic moment for Bryan, who is currently the general manager of Smackdown Live, a role he took on after his forced-retirement due to injury. However, Bryan has outwardly stated his desire to wrestle again, and if WWE doctors clear the former champion to hop back in the ring, then this is a real possibility.
Betting websites currently list Bryan as one of the favourites to win the Rumble, and he’s not even a confirmed participant, let alone an active wrestler. If you want the Philadelphia crowd to forget the disaster from 2015, this is the way to do it. Daniel Bryan re-turns to in-ring action and wins the Royal Rumble. This would be one of the most historic victories in WWE history.
The Undercard
With two Rumble matches this year, the undercard is looking a little sparse, but it’s still full of intrigue.
The triple-threat match for the Universal Championship is essentially between Brock Lesnar and Braun Strowman, with Kane inserted into this matchup to take a pin from whomever the victor may be.
The WWE Championship match gives us the opportunity to see the first ever “Co-WWE Champion” when A.J. Styles defends against both Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn in a handicap match. While interesting, this match feels like a way to get to an Owens vs. Zayn match at Wrestlemania, while keeping the title on Styles, who is the best professional wrestler on the planet right now.
The other two matches are for the Raw Tag Team Championships and Smackdown Live Tag Team Championships. The unlikely duo of Seth Rollins and his unlikable partner Jason Jordan will be defending their Raw titles against Sheamus and Cesaro, in what is probably the least hyped match on the card. While the blue brand’s tag champs, The Usos, will defend against Chad Gable and Shelton Benjamin in what will likely be a pretty fun match.
The Royal Rumble is all about making history.
Who will make it on Sunday?