WWE Royal Rumble 2023: Predicting All 30 Entrants

29. Chad Gable - #2

The Rock Royal Rumble
WWE.com

The idea here is to build Sami, strongly, as the babyface - and working a brisk and dynamic 90 seconds or so with Chad Gable is an ideal means of achieving that.

Gable is a tremendous prelim heel - he's better than that, but also great at the role - and their exchanges will immediately convey to the audience that Zayn is the man they are to get behind. They're already behind him. Zayn might well be the most over man in the company at this point. But a further hint, articulated by some liquid professional wrestling, won't hurt that messaging one iota.

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 surefire Undisputed WWE Universal 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!