WWE Royal Rumble 2023: 10 Nightmares That Could Come True
Comebacks falling flat, returning "heroes" being booed and other WWE Royal Rumble nightmares!
Well, this is it.
Royal Rumble will either be a mighty leap towards potentially one of the most emotional WrestleMania cards ever, or it'll be a humdrum reminder that Vince McMahon is back in town. Look, that's not quite the bash on Vince it may appear; McMahon has produced countless special moments at 'Mania, but him returning could harsh Triple H's creative buzz.
Maybe he'd change some stuff planned for the Rumble too, and favour old favourites over pushing modern heroes. Speaking of which, WWE must be careful not to over-rely on cameos in both titular matches. Although blending retro in does work, it shouldn't be the only trick fans see on Saturday night.
You know the drill by now. There's just no room for positivity here. This aims to look at the worst things that could possibly happen on WWE's next pay-per-view. Unwanted title switches, a gimmicky match that conjures up images of past failures, Rumble winners being booed out of the building - it's all here.
WWE better not turn a blossoming babyface into 2023's biggest afterthought either. He's a 'Mania smash hit waiting to happen!
Tread carefully...
10. “Pitch Black” Is Reminiscent Of Past Failures
No, that image above wasn't picked because Bray Wyatt's 'Fiend' is about to make a comeback. It was chosen because of the ruddy red lighting that tortured eyeballs during the character's peak. WWE, playing on the Mountain Dew sponsorship and "Pitch Black" name, may go for something similar in San Antonio.
"Pitch Red" doesn't fit the branding, y'know?
Seriously though, it'd be a nightmare if Bray's bout vs. LA Knight was played through a filter of spooky lighting. Fans who lived through those matches several years ago still have PTSD from them, and it'd outright suck if Wyatt's first in-ring crack since returning was a flop.
Knight deserves better too, because he's been a real credit to this feud and has the chance to spin out of it into something else meaningful on SmackDown. That should be WWE's goal, and they can't afford to let goofy production f*ck everything up.
Of course, Bray vs. LA isn't the only worry there...