Welcome to 2017! A WWE Hall of Famer is in the White House! Rejoice! Well, maybe not...Anyway, it's the first big PPV of the year which means it's time for a Takeover/Big Four weekend! Yay! WWE will be in San Antonio for the weekend. NXT will Takeover the Freeman Colliseum on Saturday while the main roster will be in the Alamodome for the first time in 20 years. This is going to be a great weekend. As always, let's discuss NXT first.
Takeover San Antonio is probably one of the weakest NXT Takeovers to date. I'm not saying that it won't be good but it's not as packed as Brooklyn II or Toronto. Five matches on the show, three title matches, two matches kind of thrown together just because and NO Samoa Joe...Hmm...Anyway, let's break it down!
The Perfect 10 Tye Dillinger will face the leader of Sanity, Eric Young in what could potentially be Dillinger's last match. It's obvious that they'll never put the title on Dillinger and he's uber popular. Why keep him down in developmental any longer? This will be a good match as Dillinger keeps getting better and better with every appearance. His match with Roode was definitely a huge shocker, the quality of it I mean. Definitely much better than expected. This will be more of the same. It could go either way. Will Dillinger finally get a win on Takeover before moving on or will he be like every other NXT star and lose in their final match? Or maybe it's not his last appearance at all? 8 spots are currently open in the Rumble. Let's give Dillinger one. I'm going with Eric Young getting the victory.
The best match on Takeover San Antonio will be the clash between Roderick Strong and Andrade Cien Almas. Hands down. The match just makes my mouth water. Two hard hitting stars, looking to make a strong impact into the NXT Title picture. It will be a war. I expect this to be a high speed affair that will surprise everyone. Roderick Strong is a tough guy and I think a match with Nakamura would be fantastic for the entire NXT brand. To start that journey, he'll need big wins over top NXT stars. It starts Saturday. Roderick Strong wins with the Sick Kick.
#DIY will have their first big challenge as NXT Tag Team Champions as they will defend the titles against The Authors of Pain, the winners of the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic in 2016. AOP are undefeated. They are big. They are freaking monsters. #DIY are tiny indie guys. If this was a promotion strictly run by Vince McMahon, we know how this would end. Seeing how it's NXT, #DIY have a slight chance here. The tag division took a major hit with TM-61's Shane Thorne suffering an injury. Without them, there isn't that much depth in the division. It's literally just The Revival left. I'm sure they could make some make shift teams if they wanted but this is still bad. #DIY will make the AOP look good and I think they will give the team their first loss. I'm going with #DIY with a surprising victory.
Asuka will defend her NXT's Women's Championship against three women this time, Nikki Cross, Peyon Royce and Billie Kay. Asuka, in her record breaking longest reign as NXT Women's Champion, she has defeated Bayley twice in big matches, chopped down the redwood that is Nia Jax and defeated Mickie James in her return match. Asuka has done a lot of good for NXT's women's division in the loss of the Four Horsewomen. Let's be honest; we all know the money match for this division is Asuka VS Ember Moon and WWE is clearly waiting for Wrestlemania weekend to finnaly do it. This is filler. While it will make Asuka look more dominant by beating these three women, it's all about the end game, which is Asuka/Moon. Asuka wins, probably pins all three at once, because, you know, Asuka.
The main event is the battle of the entrances; Shinsuke Nakamura will defend the NXT Title against Bobby Roode. The best part of this match may just be the dueling entrances. Which guy will have the crowd more into it; Roode or Nakamura? This should be a good contest between the two most over guys in NXT. Nakamura is currently filling the role Finn Balor had in NXT, as the franchise player. As much as I would kill for a Nakamura surprise entrant in the Rumble, his place is needed in NXT for the time being, especially after Chris Hero or sorry, Kassius Ohno, basically told Nakamura he was coming for the NXT Title. He didn't say that but the motion was clear! This is obviously the next big feud for the brand, one that will be a hardcore slugfest between two vicious strikers and one I want to see ASAP. Roode will definitely continue to float around the main event and I do see a NXT Title run for him but it won't start on Saturday. Nakamura retains.
Could we maybe see British Strong Style this weekend? Apparently, the first ever United Kingdom Champion Tyler Bate, Pete Dunne and Trent Seven all pulled out of their bookings for events this weekend due to 'WWE commitments'. Hmmmm...what could that mean? I'd love to see an invasion style angle, have them completely destroy Nakamura and Roode after the match or even cause the match to be thrown out entirely. A Royal Rumble appearance would be nice but how many people watched the UK Tournament? I did but who many hardcore WWE fans will be at the Rumble? Actually, scratch that, I think it might be best to debut them there but we'll see.
For the first time ever, the Royal Rumble is 4 hours this year. 8 matches on the show, three being on the pre show, two Raw matches and one Smackdown match. Gallows and Anderson will face Sheamus and Cesaro for the Raw Tag Team Titles while Sasha Banks will battle Nia Jax. Over on Smackdown, we have Smackdown's Women's Champion Alexa Bliss teaming with Natayla and the returning Mickie James taking on Becky Lynch, Naomi and Nikki Bella. I don't think it's quite time for Sheamus and Cesaro to lose the titles as they just won them, but I would certainly love to see it. I'm going with the champs to retain. As for the women's match, I think you have to keep Nia looking like a monster and she marches towards Wrestlemania. She needs a good victory over a well known and popular star of the division. Sasha is the perfect scapegoat as she bids her time. It may be the unpopular vote, or maybe not, but I'm going with heel Sasha on the Raw following Mania. If they can't get Bayley/Sasha at Wrestlemania, then a full blown feud following is just as good. Not really but it's a consolation prize. As for the 6 women tag, I'm going with the heels. Mickie just came back so I don't think her team will lose.
The Cruiserweight Championship will be on the line when Rich Swann defends against a new heel Neville. Neville turning heel was the thing I didn't know I wanted but I'm glad he has. He has looked like a true beast. Neville's heel actions are justified though, citing frustration over not being included in the Cruiserweight Classic in the summer and even the UK Tournament. After big victories over former champ TJ Perkins and the actual champion himself, Neville was granted his shot to back up his claim of being the King of The Cruiserweights. Neville is always great in the ring. I love his small man but strong man style, mixed with his high flying abilities. And his new submission is vicious. Does all this equal out to a Neville victory? Not yet. I think Neville will win the strap down the line, but not here. Swann retains in a hard fought victory, most likely by roll up.
Bayley will get her first shot at the Raw Women's Title when she faces Charlotte. The awesome first ever main roster meeting between Sasha Banks and Bayley at Wrestlemania dream is over. The plans moving forward point toward a Fatal Four Way for the title, which isn't a bad thing. It's just not the match I wanted. Bayley needs to have her moment there, not at the Royal Rumble. While I'll take it as it's on a big stage, the face needs to go over on the biggest show of the year and that's Wrestlemania. Charlotte will retain using some type of heel tactics but Bayley will definitely win at Mania, followed by winning a rematch on Raw and then having Sasha turn on her.
Roman Reigns is looking to become the first man to have held the WWE Championship and the Universal Championship when he faces Kevin Owens. Owens survived at Roadblock thanks to a DQ finish from Jericho but Jericho will be suspended high above the ring in a shark cage and the match will be contested under No Disqualifications. With it being Mania season, things don't look good for Kevin Owens. Raw is filled with part timers right now, like Goldberg, Lesnar, Taker, etc and Vince is so desperate, he'll put his part timers first and his work horses second. And Jericho is holding onto the United States Championship so if Jericho and Owens are to feud, it would be over that while Vince's part timers take all the main event shots. I'm afraid this might be the season finale for the Kevin Owens Show for now. Or maybe it's not. Maybe Owens will retain.....I just don't see it though. Owens/Jericho won't be for the Universal Title. Ugh, Roman Reigns will win his first Universal Championship.... NEXT!
Easily the biggest match on the card besides the actual Rumble itself is the WWE Championship match. AJ Styles will defend the title against John Cena in their third one on one match. That should be enough to sell the PPV by itself. AJ has been a great champion but he suffers from the same problem as Kevin Owens; he's not a part timer. With all the rumors of John Cena facing The Undertaker and that Styles will be facing Shane McMahon, it looks likely that Styles will be dropping the title before Mania. While I'm 100% AGAINST Styles/McMahon, Cena/Taker is one of those matches that just sells Wrestlemania. It's a marquee match that is needed. Rumors have begun to circulate that even THAT match won't happen and it will instead be Reigns/Taker. Regardless, Cena going into Mania as champion is more of what Vince would want. And Cena hasn't beaten Styles yet. There's just a lot of things against Styles in this match but guess what, I'm picking Styles. If they are going with the god awful idea of Styles/McMahon, Styles will lose at the Elimination Chamber, get mad at Shane for making him defend his title in the match and boom, there you go. But I think Styles will have help....I don't know who, but someone will interfere on Styles behalf, setting up Cena's WM opponent. Corbin, Samoa Joe, someone. Styles will retain.
The main event is the Royal Rumble match. 30 superstars, all competing for the chance for a World Title match at Wrestlemania. Of the 30 spots, 22 are confirmed and it's a huge Rumble this year, Part timers The Undertaker, Goldberg and Brock Lesnar will be competing. Braun Strowman, Dean Ambrose, Randy Orton and many others are in the field as well. Let's break it down.
Surprise Entrants
8 spots remaining means two things. One, a couple spots will go to random stars on the roster who aren't in, like someone from American Alpha, James Ellsworth, etc. The other spots are for surprise entrants. I got five picks this year as surprise entrants. Not all five will compete but they should, if available. I think the biggest one is Finn Balor. Balor was injured back in August and as soon as they announced his return window, I instantly thought Royal Rumble winner. If Balor doesn't compete, I'll be shocked. Next two are from NXT, Samoa Joe and Tye Dillinger. Joe is nowhere to be found on the Takeover card. Isn't that strange for Joe, who's the first ever two time NXT Champion? Come on, a debut here would be amazing. Dillinger needs to come out at #10. If he doesn't, you will definitely hear about it. He's pretty much done everything on NXT, except win any titles but that doesn't look likely. Debut him on Smackdown and have him apart of the IC Title scene. Next up, Kurt Angle. His Hall of Fame announcement was definitely so they could start selling tickets but how about a Rumble appearance? Throw some Angle Slams on the new talent. It would definitely go over big. The last is the most unlikely and that's Kenny Omega. Omega is coming off the amazing main event match he had with Okada at Wrestle Kingdom 11 and he absolutely had the Internet going crazy when he said he was stepping away from Japan. In the latest interview, he said he wasn't going to be in the Rumble and he was planning to resign with NJPW. Obviously, that's still a red flag for us fans. Omega being apart of the match is unlikely but just because of all the rumors, I put him in this part.
Number Game
Usually, the first two entrants are either big, feuding or completely random. 2016 had Reigns and Rusev as #1 and #2, both guys feuding with each other. It doesn't always happen that clean though. 2015 had The Miz and R-Truth as #1 and #2, two guys, who at that point, were completely far from each other. What if #1 was Lesnar and #2 Goldberg? Then #3 The Undertaker? Hahaha, yeah right. I do think all three of them will see each other in the match. I think a new number will finally win this year. Last new number that won was #19 by John Cena in 2013. Reigns won his Rumble from the same number. A lower number, like #7. 4, 6, 7 and 9 are the only single digits number to have never won. #3 will be a surprise entrant. 2015 it was Bubba Dudley. 2016 it was AJ Styles. 2017? Kurt Angle. Maybe...
Likely Winners
The Undertaker, Brock Lesnar and Goldberg all being in it makes them favorites. While Goldberg VS Lesnar looks to be set for Mania, it could definitely be for the Universal Title unfortunately if WWE wants. I've already talked about Cena/Taker so Taker's chances are very high. Rumors have been going on recently that Randy Orton will win, while Wyatt will win the title at Elimination Chamber, setting up for their Wrestlemania clash. Braun Strowman has been an absolute powerhouse and it's been a long time since a monster heel has won the Rumble. If Balor returns, he's an instant favorite, simply because he had to relinquish the title. Here's my top five picks in order.
1. Finn Balor
2. The Undertaker
3. Braun Strowman
4. Goldberg
5. Randy Orton (simply because it would lead to either Styles/Orton or Wyatt FINALLY winning the WWE Title)
Are you ready? The Road to Wrestlemania will be much more clear after Sunday! There's a lot of history on the line here this weekend. WIll Reigns be the first man to hold both World Titles in WWE? Will Cena win World Title #16? Will a new star emerge from the Rumble match or will another veteran main event Wrestlemania?
Be on the lookout this Sunday!
No comments:
Post a Comment