As I sit writing this piece; we are mere days away from the 2019 Royal Rumble.
This means that wrestling fans are speculating more than normal…which is admittedly hard to do. With two Rumble’s being par for the course now, the theories and booking within the heads of fans are running rampant and I’m not different. So please find below my top 5 picks to win this year’s Men’s Royal Rumble match.
1. Mustafa Ali
Right. This is, admittedly, the least likely of all the picks to actually happen but it’s one that would be the biggest shock for at least a decade, and perhaps more, in the lineage of WWE. Mustafa Ali spent over a year proving how he’s one of, if not the, best part of 205 Live and has recently been rewarded with graduating full time to the main roster and now resides on Smackdown Live. Putting on legitimate Match of the Year candidates and garnering a sympathy from the fans the like we haven’t seen since 2014-era Daniel Bryan; Mustafa would be an incredible shock and would give the underdog’s underdog the biggest win of his career to date. It’s not happening…but it would be lovely if it did.
2. Samoa Joe
Sticking with the blue brand and the man who Ali is currently feuding with- Samoa Joe’s time on the main roster has been the definition of rocky. Whilst he is arguably the best promo in the company (with everything he says feeling real) and he undoubtedly brings a big fight feel to everything he’s a part of; Samoa Joe has never won a meaningful feud on the main roster. Ever. To date. It’s mad when you think about it; especially when you can see Joe is the complete package. Again, an admittedly out there prediction but it would be damn cool to see Big Samoan Joseph standing tall at the end of the night.
3. Andrade
Apart from apparently forgetting two thirds of his name; it’s been a pretty incredible start to 2019 for El Idolo. Currently wrapped up in a feud with his idol turned foe, Rey Mysterio; the pair are producing some of the best TV matches the WWE Universe have seen for years. Apparently allowed to just throw a couple of Canadian Destroyers into the mix; it’s clear management, to some extent, are high on the handsome Mexican man. At a sickeningly young 29 years of age, Andrade is the future of the company and should be primed for a main event level push that could be sustainable for years to come. With Vega by his side, the man has no ceiling. And a perfect way to kickstart this push? Winning the best stipulation there is- the Royal Rumble. Again, as the two previous men mentioned on this list, it’s looking incredibly unlikely as there are basically two favourites for the match but I don’t see many people complaining if Andrade takes centre stage.
4. Drew McIntyre
I know I’m going to get accused for being biased here purely because I’m Scottish myself, as is Drew, but Drew McIntyre would be my pick to win the Royal Rumble. The man who was let go by the WWE several years ago after being deemed surplus to requirements, McIntyre has become, undoubtedly, the highlight of Monday Night RAW. He’s got it all; the physique, the look, the promo ability, the marketable nature and the in-ring work to ensure that Drew is the face of the company for years to come. As I said in my Andrade pick- there are two main favourites to win this year’s Rumble and Drew is absolutely one of them. It would also be lovely to have the first British champion be from Scotland because yaaaaaaaaaaaaas. But whilst Drew would be my pick…I think some-one else is winning.
5. Seth Rollins
Seth Rollins is the absolute favourite to win this year’s Royal Rumble and it makes complete sense. The man that, whilst Monday Night RAW has been toiling with their lowest ratings ever, has been the single best part of the company for the past twelve months. Whilst his underwhelming feud with Dean Ambrose over the IC Title and Ambrose apparently becoming a germaphobe for some reason; it shouldn’t be forgotten that on every PPV WWE put on in 2018, bar TLC, Rollins was involved in the top two matches on the night without fail and often taking the top spot. The man has been adored by fans for years now and we’ve been crying out for a change of character to ensure his babyface run has fire (ironically) behind it. The recent change in cadence that Seth has brought to his promos has meant exactly that- he has a mission and a game-plan to execute it. So, come this Sunday, I believe Seth Rollins is going to win the Royal Rumble and burn Brock Lesnar’s title reign down.