10 Expectations Vs. Reality For WWE Royal Rumble 2021

8. Edge Starts A Feud With...

Daniel Bryan Brock Lesnar
WWE.com

Expectation:

AJ Styles!

Edge has talked up several dream matches on the press circuit, and has brought up the name of AJ Styles quite often. It would make for a hell of a match; Edge was a fabulous defensive wrestler in his prime, and AJ himself is tremendous at hoying himself into moves designed to be reversed. The thought of Edge ducking that rapid spinning back elbow and nailing Styles with a neckbreaker, at the heat of the crescendo, is wrestling purist nirvana.

And quietly, WWE might just be building towards it; Edge has suddenly declared his intentions to enter the Rumble match on the go-home RAW, and AJ has spent a decent amount of time complaining about assorted wrestlers doing precisely that in recent weeks.

Are these things connected?

They might be, but Vince McMahon's elbow and ar*ehole are not, so it's just as likely that these narrative developments have unfolded in accidental parallel - much like debuting a group of vandals and an as-yet-not-vandalised ThunderDome at the same time.

The ThunderDome is expensive, in fairness, and the Performance Center is just a giant net that exists to trap BOLA standouts.

Reality:

Randy Orton!

There's unfinished business here. They are tied 1-1 after the longest and most hyperbolic matches of all time.

The rubber match - the slowest! - awaits.

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!