WWE Royal Rumble 2019 - Final Card & Predictions
The time is nigh. With a cold spell dominating much of the United States, it might be difficult for many to fathom, but soon the winter winds will slow, the icy snow will melt, and spring will be upon us. Spring flowers mean one thing to wrestling fans: WrestleMania.
WWE's annual Royal Rumble is always the beginning, the very first step toward the march to the annual Show of Shows. By the end of January 27th's winter extravaganza, wrestling fans will have a clearer picture of what to expect for WrestleMania 35.
Wrestling's four most prestigious titles will be defended at the event. Asuka puts her SmackDown Women's Championship on the line against the resurgent Becky Lynch. On the red brand, Sasha Banks challenges Ronda Rousey for the RAW Women's Championship, as the two clash for the very first time.
On the men's side of things, AJ Styles gets another WWE Championship rematch against the new environmentally friendly heel, Daniel Bryan. Playing the role of Goliath, Brock Lesnar will defend his Universal Championship against WWE's David, Finn Balor.
Of course, there are also the two matches many wrestling fans call their very favorite: the Royal Rumble matches. In each bout, thirty competitors will enter the ring every 90 seconds. Those who will be thrown over the top rope with both feet touching the Chase Field ground will be eliminated. Ultimately, one competitor will stand victorious in each match earning the opportunity to challenge for a world championship at WrestleMania.
There will be swerves, surprises, guest appearances, and faces wrestling fans haven't seen in some time. New men & women will step up to assert their own dominance and to let the wrestling world know that their time is now.
The landscape of professional wrestling will change and WrestleMania will come into focus. We unpack it all in this special WWE Royal Rumble 2019: Final Card & Predictions.
SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Bar vs Shane McMahon & The Miz
For a duo that wasn't ever supposed to be a team, Sheamus and Cesaro have cemented quite the legacy for themselves. The two started off in a personal feud in 2016, but when neither foe could gain the upper hand, mutual respect was earned and The Bar was formed.
Now five time WWE tag team champions, Sheamus and Cesaro have brought consistency and legitimacy to a tag team division that has often failed to attain either.
Shane McMahon and The Miz shouldn't be friends. Like their opponents, they also shouldn't be a tag team, but as demonstrated by The Bar's three year run, that doesn't mean they won't find success.
The Bar suffers from a lack of competition and their dominance over a weak WWE tag team field might be their undoing. What Shane McMahon and The Miz lack as a tag team, they definitely have in abundance as single competitors.
Either man is capable of defeating Sheamus and/or Cesaro in a one on one match, so they may actually fare quite well in tag team action. Plus, Shane McMahon has proved that he is willing to do absolutely anything to attain victory and that's a huge benefit to have, especially against a team that may have grown complacent in their dominance.
The Royal Rumble may as well be the opening round of a 2.5 month tournament that leads to WrestleMania. Shane McMahon has been a staple at the Super Bowl of wrestling. Over the last several years he has faced a who's who of wrestling legends like The Undertaker, AJ Styles, Kevin Owens, & Sami Zayn.
This year Shane McMahon's opponent will be The Miz, but the feud must begin somewhere. Their friendship will solidify with a tag team championship victory over The Bar, but will end sometime before WrestleMania with a tag team championship loss.
The loss will draw the ire of The Miz, or even Shane McMahon and one man will turn against the other, setting the stage for a wild WrestleMania 35 showdown.
Winners and NEW SmackDown Tag Team Champions: Shane McMahon & The Miz