10 Expectations Vs. Reality For WWE Royal Rumble 2020

1. Who's Going To Win The Men's Royal Rumble Match?

CM Punk Dolph Ziggler
WWE.com

Expectation:

Looking at the complexion of SmackDown's top tier brings into focus an uninspiring potential WrestleMania card.

Roman Reigns is the #1 babyface, Daniel Bryan #2. The Fiend is the top heel, King Corbin #2. At present, the 1s and 2s are feuding with one another, but on the Grandest Stage, the 1s will clash, leaving the 2s to wrestle a 15-minute midcard consolation. That means Daniel Bryan will work King Corbin in Tampa, and since Bryan is a vegan and SmackDown is big on prop comedy, King Corbin is going to borrow Jason Jordan's vegetable trolley and eat from it as he smears lamb mince in the face of the Planet's B+Player, which they'll probably call him.

But Roman Reigns doesn't have to win the Rumble match. That business can be settled at Elimination Chamber - or Greatest Elimination Chamber, or Greatest Fastlane - allowing WWE to put over a new face in January, because the prestige of the Rumble elevates the winner more than its less-celebrated February equivalent.

Reality:

Dun dun. Dun dun. Dun dun. DUN DUN.

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Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!