Welcome to another edition of Triple Threat from Smark Out Moment, where three of us get together to discuss three questions based on one big topic going down in the week of professional wrestling.
This week, Dallas Allsopp, Tony Mango and Ben Williams preview WWE Royal Rumble 2022.
It is that time of year again - the Royal Rumble is upon us. But who do feel will win, and start their journey on The Road to WrestleMania?
Question 1: Will we see a new WWE Champion or WWE Universal Champion crowned at the Royal Rumble?
ALLSOPP: I expect Bobby Lashley to go over Brock Lesnar, especially as he has been presented as a strong adversary over the last few episodes of Raw. It is clear WWE want to present Roman Reigns vs Brock Lesnar at ‘The Granddady of ‘Em All’, but there is absolutely no logical reason for it to be a title vs title match.
MANGO: I'm 99% sure one of those belts is changing hands. Right now, I'm leaning toward Roman Reigns dropping his title, as Brock Lesnar's been the one picking a fight with him and The Usos are banned from ringside. That opens an opportunity for Lesnar to interfere, which keeps Reigns strong in his loss.
WILLIAMS: I think Bobby Lashley could and should walk out of the Royal Rumble with the WWE Championship in hand! Whilst I would love to see Seth Rollins as WWE Universal Champion once again, it just doesn’t feel like the right time for Roman Reigns’ legendary run to come to an end just yet. Expect to see The Tribal Chief finally toppled at WrestleMania this year.
Question 2: Who will win the Women’s Royal Rumble? Will they be victorious at WrestleMania 38?
MANGO: It entirely depends on Ronda Rousey. If she's in the match, she wins it. If she's not, I'm fully confident Bianca Belair is the winner, and she'll beat Becky Lynch for the belt at WrestleMania.
WILLIAMS: The only obvious choice was Sasha Banks, who sadly won’t be appearing in this match now due to injury, therefore outside of her, the options are pretty slim. Charlotte Flair should be nowhere near the final four of this match, never mind winning the damn thing, and outside of maybe Bianca Belair, there are virtually no other potential candidates. I’d be happy to see a returning Asuka take this home, but I’m way beyond trusting WWE to utilise The Empress of Tomorrow properly at this point. Gun to my head, I guess im going with Belair, but I'm not thrilled about it.
ALLSOPP: I would love for Bianca Belair to make a stir and win the women’s Royal Rumble for a second year in a row. She has remained relevant on Raw, and it seems to be quite clear that Becky Lynch will enter WrestleMania as WWE Raw Women’s Champion to face Belair. This would be the perfect manner to crown Belair and truly make her The EST of WWE, serving as a fair conclusion to the story that started at SummerSlam. Alexa Bliss, a returning Asuka, and Rhea Ripley are all dark horses, but Belair is my pick.
Question 3: Who will win the Men’s Royal Rumble? Will they be victorious at WrestleMania 38?
WILLIAMS: The answer to this question is whomever of Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns loses their title earlier in the night. The men’s Rumble is filled with tag teams and mid card talent, none of whom have the slightest of chance of winning. Neither Lesnar nor Reigns are a particularly exciting choice, but at this point, WWE just does not have enough big stars they can call upon.
ALLSOPP: As a callback to my answer to the first question, I cannot see past Brock Lesnar as the men’s Royal Rumble winner. It would be the easiest way to get to Lesnar vs Roman Reigns. I also feel that there has been little build for a dark horse to win, which means a truly established name is the best option. I genuinely feel this year’s men’s Rumble is less open than recent editions.
MANGO: Roman Reigns or Kevin Owens. I'm on the fence about whether WWE will want Reigns to win because it's the most interesting scenario and shocking outcome, or if that's what they want the Elimination Chamber to revolve around. Currently, I'm leaning more toward the former, with Owens winning the Chamber match, as that kind of sells itself. And yes, Reigns beats Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania.
BONUS QUESTION: Who will be the Iron Man and the Iron Woman of the 2022 Royal Rumble matches?
ALLSOPP: Bianca Belair for the women, and Sheamus for the men.
MANGO: Bianca Belair or Charlotte Flair for the women. AJ Styles for the men.
WILLIAMS: Definitely Bianca Belair, or potentially Liv Morgan too for the women. Finn Balor is probably my guess for the men.
Those are our thoughts on the issue, but where do you stand?
Let us know your answers to these questions in the comments below!
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