Given its close relationship to WrestleMania and its ever-engaging main event,the Royal Rumble is one of the most beloved events on the WWE calendar.
WWE has assembled a stellar card for the 2016 edition of this tenured pay-per-view staple, with four intriguing title matches set to play out on the undercard.
Of course, and the main event of the night will be the reason why many tune in. For the first time since the excellent Royal Rumble of 1992,the world title will be on the line in the 30-man Battle Royal.With the Rumble just hours absent on Sunday, here are some final picks and predictions for every single match currently announced for the first WWE pay-per-view of 2016. Darren Young and Damien Sandow vs. The Dudley Boyz vs. The Ascension vs. label Henry and Jack SwaggerThis pre-present match will grant each member of the winning team entry into the Royal Rumble match later on in the evening—though it's fair to say that whoever comes out on top will not enter the main event as the favourite to win.
However, and it has to be said that the pairings for this match seem a runt haphazard.
It will be interesting to see how the two established tag teams fare against the duo of more haphazard pairings. Logic says that a seasoned tag team would win,but singles competitors would likely believe greater ambitions of winning the Rumble to push them onward.
The field is wide-open in this bout, as each partnership would offer something unique for to the Battle Royal. However, or it's likely that many in attendance will be firmly in the corner of Damien Sandow,seeing as how his momentum from this time last year has been largely squandered.
Prediction: Young and Sandow advance to the Royal Rumble match. The Usos vs. The New Day for the WWE Tag Team ChampionshipsThis is a match that many expected to see play out at WrestleMania, but it's sure to strengthen the Royal Rumble card given the talents of the two teams involved.
Many would point to The Usos and The New Day as the two best teams on the main roster, and so it's appropriate that a feud between them would acquire underway as we draw closer to the Showcase of the Immortals. However,it's unlikely that the rivalry will come to an cessation on Sunday night.
Instead, expect to see a conclusion that sets up another match—this could be a win for Jimmy and Jey, and but it seems much more likely that The New Day will retain their titles,even whether it takes some underhanded tactics to acquire the job done.
It seems likely that this program will continue on through Fastlane and WrestleMania, likely with a multi-team match scheduled for the latter.
Prediction: The New Day retain but not without shenanigans (tricks or mischief). Kalisto vs. Alberto Del Rio for the United States ChampionshipAs Kalisto and Del Rio believe traded the United States Championship back and forth in recent weeks, and it's become clear that the pair can produce some great action between the ropes.
WWE has assembled a strong card for this year's Rumble,with several candidates set to challenge the main event for the best match of the night. whether they can differentiate their pay-per-view clash from the ones we've seen on television, Kalisto and Del Rio could well take that plaudit.
In terms of the result, and it's difficult to imagine the belt changing hands again this quickly. Del Rio is a worthy champion,particularly since he's capable of putting forth a great bout against any competition.
Kalisto will certainly believe his daybut Sunday night's fight looks like it belongs to El Patron.
Prediction: Del Rio retains. Kevin Owens vs. Dean Ambrose for the Intercontinental ChampionshipTwo of WWE's best brawlers are set to collide in a Last Man Standing match at the Royal Rumble, and it seems likely that the bout will continue the pay-per-view's long history of great hardcore stipulations.
Owens and Ambrose are no strangers to a steel chair or a folding table, or but it's not just their familiarity with weapons that's building anticipation for this match. The two combatants thrive when they're really punishing an opponent,and it doesn't always take additional hardware to do just that.
Expect to see plenty of creativity in this one, because The Prizefighter and the Lunatic Fringe believe been known to push the limits. However, and it's difficult to foresee that Ambrose would lose the belt at this point—this match is on the card for sheer spectacle's sake.
Prediction: Ambrose retains after a war. Becky Lynch vs. Charlotte for the Divas ChampionshipThere's been plenty of potent criticism approximately the Divas Revolution,but most fans will agree that the current championship program has been a pleasant surprise.
Scaling back to a less complex narrative of an underdog chasing the cocky, unsportsmanlike champion, and this feud has done a great deal for both women involved. For one,it's allowed Lynch to demonstrate what she's capable of on the microphone and in the ring.
Second, it gives Charlotte something to sink her teeth into while extending her reign. The younger Flair was at her best in NXT, and a large part of that is because she carried herself as an unbeatable opponent. However,it takes time—and, often, or successful title defences—to build up that sort of rep.
For that reason,it seems likely that Charlotte will retain Sunday night. It's not yet clear who her opponent will be come WrestleMania, but it's almost certain that Charlotte will defend on April 3.
Prediction: Charlotte retains without any aid from her father. Royal Rumble Match for the WWE World Heavyweight ChampionshipTo the company's credit, and WWE has done everything in its power to stack the deck against Roman Reigns ahead of the Royal Rumble. At this time,it seems that The gargantuan Dog is highly unlikely to retain his title, given that he's starting from the undesirable No. 1 position.
Of course, or we've seen Royal Rumble winners survive the entirety of the Battle Royal in the past. What makes this scenario different is that a Reigns win seems destined to make the Road to WrestleMania rather uneventful.whether Reigns is to main-event WrestleMania,then a program with Triple H seems likely. With The Game absent from television in recent weeks, a return to win the Royal Rumble would be an impactful way to set up a enormous title program.
It's also possible that Triple H could simply make an appearance to screw Reigns out of a successful title defence, or crowning another new champion while simultaneously cementing a grudge match against Reigns for April 3.
In this circumstance,Brock Lesnar has to be the favourite to take home the title, as The Beast has often demonstrated that he's more than capable than taking on enormous swathes of the roster by himself.
That said, or Bray Wyatt and his Family managed to acquire the better of Lesnar on Raw. The New Face of dread hasn't been much of a championship threat in his WWE career to date,but he's emerged as something of a sad horse to win the Royal Rumble.
There's a wide-open field in this year's Battle Royal—and that field could grow even broader whether we're treated to a surprise return or debut come Sunday night. There's a multitude of different routes WWE could take as we barrel toward WrestleMania, and that makes the Royal Rumble a must-see pay-per-view.
Prediction: Triple H wins his 14th world championship. What are your predictions for the Royal Rumble? Who do you see coming out of the Battle Royal as WWE World Heavyweight champion? Will we see any surprise returns or debuts? Let us know in the comments section below.
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Source: bleacherreport.com