Nothing stirs up WWE fans’ emotions quite like the Royal Rumble.
Will their favorites, such as Becky Lynch last year, get their long-awaited push toward a WrestleMania main event or will WWE serve up a corporate pick and see him or her booed out of the building, like Roman Reigns was back in 2015? Careers could be made or short circuited at Minute Maid Park in Houston on Sunday (preshow 5 p.m., main card 7 p.m., WWE Network).
Unlike the stadium’s usual residents, the Astros, WWE won’t be banging any garbage cans to tell you what’s coming next. Instead, The Post’s pro wrestling writer, Joseph Staszewski, will prognosticate how the matches will transpire at the Royal Rumble 2020 and who will be heading to WrestleMania.
Shorty G over Sheamus
Sheamus returned to WWE earlier this month and attacked Shorty G (Chad Gable). This is just the start of this feud, one in which Sheamus will likely go over in the end to keep him looking strong now that he’s back. In order to get some life out of it, Shorty G will win with a roll up to ensure future Sheamus beatdowns and matches on SmackDown.
Bayley over Lacey Evans to retain the SmackDown women’s championship
At some point you would think Evans needs to win a match like this to establish some legitimacy. This might be her spot if the women’s Royal Rumble winner is someone other than Shayna Baszler or Naomi. Still, the far more interesting WrestleMania storyline is someone trying to finally take the belt away from heel Bayley. Evans also got the dreaded win over the champion in a non-title match last week on SmackDown to set this bout. Her time will come, it’s just not now.
Becky Lynch over Asuka to retain the Raw women’s championship
Lynch is likely the key piece to a huge WrestleMania storyline and there’s a good chance she faces the Royal Rumble winner in April or maybe a returning Ronda Rousey. Beating Asuka and collecting her “debt” — though this could see a rematch with a stipulation at FastLane — will have her rolling into Raymond James Stadium in April. Asuka will push Lynch to her limit, the green mist will be a factor, but The Man will prevail.
Humberto Carillo over Andrade (C.) by DQ (United State championship)
Having this be the ladder match between Andrade and Rey Mysterio, which took place on Raw, would have been so much better, giving you a chance to see it commercial free and then move to a feud with Carillo for WrestleMania. Andrade is in the middle of a big push and regularly having some of the best matches on whatever show he appears. He will leave with the United States championship either by DQ, help from manager Zelina Vega or failed Mysterio interference that sets up an amazing WrestleMania triple-threat match. Andrade’s and Carillo’s talent easily make this a steal-the-show candidate.
Roman Reigns over King Corbin (Falls Count Anywhere)
The falls-count-anywhere stipulation is the best and worst thing that could have happened to this match. We don’t have to see Reigns and Corbin actually wrestle, but it opens the door for plenty of interference from Dolph Ziggler and Robert Roode again. That’s what cost Reigns the match with Corbin at TLC, but this time The Usos are there to get their cousin a different outcome.
Shayna Baszler wins the women’s Royal Rumble match
The two-time NXT women’s champion beat both Raw women’s champion Becky Lynch and SmackDown champion Bayley in a triple-threat match at Survivor Series. Baszler has talked about getting a rematch with Rhea Ripley for the NXT belt, but unless her friend Ronda Rousey is ready to return, having The Queen of Spades go over in the main event of Survivor Series makes little sense if you aren’t going to pay it off here.
If not Baszler or Rousey, a returning Naomi or Nia Jax would make some sense unless WWE has a bigger surprise planned.
Drew McIntyre wins the men’s Royal Rumble
A surprise winner of Edge or CM Punk is very tempting here, especially with Paul Heyman’s promo hitting on the fact the WWE champion Brock Lesnar — the match’s No. 1 entrant — doesn’t have any worthy challengers left in WWE.
McIntyre, who has started to trend babyface, can make the claim that he is. The Scotsman was deemed “The Chosen One” by Vince McMahon year ago, Lesnar has never faced him in a singles match and his Claymore Kick legitimately looks like it could take The Beast out. Fans have been clamoring for a McIntyre push and he has an incredible story to tell. Isn’t that what WrestleMania moments are all about? WWE sets us up for a big one here.
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