BlogTrest Wrestling Talk: WWE Fastlane 2018

WWE FASTLANE

PREDICTIONS

So here it is, the last mainline WWE PPV on the road to the 'Granddaddy of Them All' Wrestlemania 34.

The fourth Fastlane PPV will be taking place at the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio tonight and much like I feel like the crowd in the arena won't give off much of a hot atmosphere, I'm pretty much not very hot with excitement for this PPV as it is pretty much as rushed and cobbled together card that is just used to get us to the target destination that is Wrestlemania 34.

If i'm gonna be completely honest, Smackdown has not been an interesting show in a very long time, even though it did show huge promise way back when the WWE draft returned and split the two rosters once again, the booking on Smackdown in recent times has been very stale and has once again reverted back to being that show you can easily miss because you know nothing of importance is going to happen, which was the big problem that Smackdown suffered before the WWE draft came back in near the end of 2016 and gave the show a much needed boost injection after being such a tired product for so long.

But forward to the current day, the show finds itself having the same problem yet again.

Which is why WWE Fastlane is going to mostly be skippable material.

But it's not to say there aren't a few things that intrigue me about the card as it I am wondering how Ruby Riott will perform in the biggest match of her career in WWE so far when she takes on Charlotte Flair for the WWE Smackdown Women's Championship, as it ticks two boxes that you need when you hype up a PPV match: 1) It's a fresh match up 2) It has a big stake on the line going into Wrestlemania which is the WWE Smackdown Women's Championship.

Ruby Riott (left) taking on Charlotte (right) for the WWE Smackdown Women's Championship does hold some weight on the card as it will be Ruby Riott's first true test on the roster

The United States Championship match between champion Bobby Roode and Randy Orton is another fresh match up that holds weight on the card because it will be interesting to see how Roode and Orton will mesh against each other in the ring, even if the lead up into the match has been lacklustre between the two.

Randy Orton (left) and Bobby Roode (right) have traded blows with each other in the past weeks but I can't help but think a feud between these two should be so much more than what it is right now, it is however a solid fresh match up that United States Championship has needed for a long time

And then we have the Main event of what will be a WWE Championship Six Pack Challenge, which is a random cobble of superstars vying to have one last chance to capture big one and go into Wresltemania as WWE Champion, and will most likely provide a lot of near finishes and edge of your seat stuff.

In true modern WWE style we have a spur of the moment thrown together sic pack challenge main event for the WWE Championship but in this case, spur of the moment may just lead to an exciting match even though it has the whiff of the obvious when it comes to what the outcome will be

And now without further ado, let's run down the card and get into my thoughts and predictions for how I feel the event will play out on the night:

Tag Team Match:

Becky Lynch and Naomi vs Natalya & Carmella

Which team will win bragging rights?

As of writing this, I'm not too sure if this is going to be the Pre Show match as there seems to be no official announcement of one going into the PPV.

I don't think there is really much that can be said about this women's tag team match as there isn't really any stakes going into it  and I'm not sure why it isn't Becky Lynch and Naomi taking on the other two members of the Riott Squad in Sarah Logan and Liv Morgan as they should be the the stars of the Smackdown Women's roster getting a push.

I am however a big fan of Carmella so it's not really a big deal for me here.

This should be a solid women's tag team match for what it will be and it might just be a setup for the team that comes away with victory to be elevated into contention for a shot at the WWE Smackdown Women's Championship after Wrestlemania 34.

What Will Happen: Natalya and Carmella will defeat Becky Lynch and Naomi.

What I Want To Happen: Same as above.

Singles Match:

Shinsuke Nakamura vs Rusev

Will Shinsuke Nakamura (left) be able to get past a big roadblock in Rusev (right) on the way to the WWE Championship main event at Wrestlemania 34?

In what sounds like an interesting match up on paper, we have the No.1 contender for the WWE Championship Shinsuke Nakamura taking on perhaps the most entertaining superstar on the Smackdown roster, Rusev.

I very much believe that Rusev should be in a much higher position on Smackdown as his 'Rusev Day' gimmick has been immensely entertaining and funny.

Sinsuke Nakamura on the other hand has not been setting the world on fire on the back of his Royal Rumble win and there have been some reports that WWE may just change his one on one  WWE Championship match with AJ Styles into a Triple Threat Match for the title, as faith and intrigue for Nakamura has fallen a bit.

This match could go either way from an in ring perspective, it could either be a entertaining stiff smash mouthed affair or end up being a really slow and flat affair that could end up being a drag.

What Will Happen: Shinsuke Nakamura will defeat Rusev.

What I Want To Happen: Rusev picks up a shock win over Sinsuke Nakamura.

WWE Smackdown Tag Team Championship Match:

The Usos(c) vs The New Day

Which team is the hungriest for going into Wrestlemania 34 as WWE Smackdown Tag Team Champions?

A great tag team feud has officially been re-ignited with The New Day once again finding themselves in line for The Usos WWE Smackdown Championships, and I for one don't mind that this match up is happening again, as it was thoroughly entertaining and the best tag team feud in the company in 2017.

I expect more of the same fast paced smashed mouth action in this one and i'm really hoping that The Usos will be walking into Wrestlemania as the WWE Smackdown Tag Team Champions.

What Will Happen: The Usos will retain the WWE Smackdown Tag Team Championships.

What I Want To Happen: Same as above.

WWE United States Championship Match:

Bobby Roode(c) vs Dolph Ziggler

Will it be a 'Glorious' United States Championship defence for Bobby Roode (left) against a hungry Viper Randy Orton?(right)

A feud that should be lighting up the upper midcard on Smackdown is that of Bobby Roode and Randy Orton, but in a way I'm not surprised that it hasn't really been anything to sniff at as it has been put together very randomly and out of nowhere just like Randy Orton hitting Bobby Roode with an RKO 'Outta Nowhere' which was making me think that Orton had made a heel turn.

But it turns out nope, Orton is still babyface and Bobby Roode is babyface and this has caused a stale and confusing feud between the two so far, there hasn't been an explanation as to why Randy Orton has suddenly set his sights on the United States Championship.

Not to mention that Bobby Roode as a babyface just does not work and Orton as a babyface has dragged on for a bit too long now.

I'm not really holding out much hope for this one, but it does have the fresh match feel going for it which may count for something.

Maybe just maybe this match might surprise me though, it has the potential to.

What Will Happen: Bobby Roode will find a way to retain the WWE United States Championship.

What I Want To Happen: Same as above.

WWE Smackdown Women's Championship Match:

Charlotte Flair(c) vs Ruby Riott

Can Ruby Riott (right) step up to the occasion and pull off a shocking win to become the new WWE Smackdown Women's Champion?

I've got to admit there is some intrigue in this WWE Smackdown Women's Championship match and it is down to the fresh match up feel, and we also have a fresh face in Ruby Riott going after the Smackdown Women's Championship.

I'm expecting Ruby Riott to put on a strong performance here against Charlotte and be the dominant of the two in the ring with Charlotte's veterinary instincts kicking in to unsurp her.

Despite an obvious outcome, this will definitely be one to keep your eyes on.

What Will Happen: Charlotte Flair will retain the WWE Smackdown Women's Championship.

What I Want To Happen: Same as above.

WWE Championship Six Pack Challenge Match:

AJ Styles(c) vs John Cena vs Kevin Owens vs Sami Zayn vs Baron Corbin vs Dolph Ziggler

Can AJ Styles (middle left) survive with the WWE Championship into Wrestlemania?

And here we have it, the main event, which should provide excitement and a bit of unexpectedness as we have a big wide mix of Smackdown superstars all gunning for AJ Styles's WWE Championship.

I have no doubt that this will most likely be match of the night with all the talent featured in this one and I expect strong performances from Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn & Dolph Ziggler especially as they will want to cement themselves as Main Event mainstays for the foreseeable future and beyond Wrestlemania 34.

It will be interesting to see how Baron Corbin capitalizes on the big opportunity that he has been given to redeem himself as a major player for the Smackdown brand in this match too.

What Will Happen: AJ Styles will retain the WWE Championship.

What I Want To Happen: Same as above.





And there you have my predictions for what should be a below average to decent PPV on the last main stop before Wrestlemania 34.


Feel free to leave your comments and opinions on what you think will happen at tonight's PPV.


-Simeon Barrett

BlogTrest Wrestling Talk: Elimination Chamber 2018

WWE Elimination Chamber 2018

Predictions

The next stop on the road to Wrestlemania 34 is the Elimination Chamber taking place at the T-Mobile arena in the Las Vegas Valley in Paradise, Nevada which is a location that I'm not sure will provide a much needed hot crowd for what I personally feel is going to be a below par PPV.

Looking at the match card going into tonight, I am finding it really hard to find a match that I can genuinely say I am interested in seeing.

The one match on  the card that does have potential intrigue is the first ever Women's Elimination Chamber match for the WWE Raw Women's Championship as we will see just how far the WWE will go with the Women's roster in a brutal environment like the chamber, will we see big bumps in the match to equal the Men's Elimination Chamber?

After a great Women's Royal Rumble match showing at the Royal Rumble PPV, the Women of WWE will now show that they can put on a stellar Elimination Chamber match

The Men's 7 Man Elimination Chamber for the no.1 Contendership for the WWE Universal Championship match at Wrestlemania 34, will no doubt provide some great thrills, bumps and epic action looking at the competitors that we have in there such as Seth Rollins, Finn Balor, Elias & Braun Strowman who I feel will all put in star performances in the chamber with Seth Rollins being my pick to put on yet another 5 star performance following on from his stellar showing in the gaunlet match on Raw this past Monday.

 All eyes will be on Seth Rollins (above) who will be expected to carry over his stellar performance in this past Monday's gaunlet match on Raw into the 7 Man Elimination Chamber

Other than that, I have seriously got nothing else to sink my teeth into going into this Sunday's card, and yes I'm aware that we're getting a Ronda Rousey contract signing with a possible appearance from The Rock and face off with Triple H, and "Woken" Matt Hardy making his PPV singles match debut.

A Ronda Rousey Contract signing is expected at the PPV as well as the possibilty of an appearance from The Rock to setup Wrestlemania 34 plans of a tag team bout against Triple H and Stephanie McMahon

So without further ado Let's get into tonight's match card and run down what I think will happen on what is very much looking like a flat PPV with some moments of great.

Pre Show Tag Team Match:

Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson vs The Miztourage(Bo Dallas & Curtis Axel)

Two Tag Teams that need momentum in the Raw Tag Team Division, Who will be victorious and push forward for a possible WWE Raw Tag Team Championship shot?

I am struggling to find just where this match has come from for the Pre Show, but hey, it's the Pre Show, there doesn't need to be any kind of build or reason for these two to go at it in a tag team match so just put a random face team against a random heel team and see what happens.

And that is pretty much the story of this PPV buffer.

I'm also not sure what exactly a win for either of these teams is going to do in the long run, but I sure do know the team that needs the win here to perhaps put themselves in a much needed position of being in the WWE Raw Tag Team Championship hunt.

What Will Happen: The Miztourage will find a way to defeat Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson

What I Want To Happen: Same as above

WWE RAW Women's Championship Elimination Chamber Match:

Alexa Bliss(c) vs Bayley vs Sasha Banks vs Sonya Deville vs Mandy Rose vs Mickie James

History will be made in the first ever Women's Elimination Chamber match, but who will make the ultimate history of being the first ever Women's Elimination Chamber winner?

So here we have it, the first ever WWE Women's Elimination Chamber match, but the big question is; will it deliver?

I'm scratching my head as to why Nia Jax was not included in this match instead of going against Asuka in a singles match on the card as I feel her destructive presence would of really added to this chamber match.

I'm pretty confident that we will get some good action in the chamber from these women, and the added dynamic of the new faces on the block in Sonya Deville and Mandy Rose, does make this match one to keep your eyes on.

However this match does have a smell of the obvious when it comes to the outcome.

What Will Happen: Alexa Bliss will find a way to retain her WWE Raw Women's Championship

What I Want To Happen: Same as above

Singles Match:

"Woken" Matt Hardy vs Bray Wyatt

Will the "Woken" One walk away with a victory or will 'The Eater Of Worlds' stop Matt Hardy's awakening?

In what should have been a thoroughly entertaining and epic mid card angle between two strange and captivating characters of the wrestling world, we have seen it completely fall flat week after week with nothing but countless and non memorable matches just thrown away on TV.

Yep, it's the signature WWE way!

Back when fans were yearning for Matt Hardy to revert back to his immensely popular "Broken" gimmick from TNA in WWE, I was very reserved as to how the WWE would handle the character as it is very clear that the WWE does not care for anything that is not a creation of their own.

And yet again we have case and point with "Woken" Matt Hardy who has been creatively stifled and has done NOTHING of interest in what feels like months.

As for Bray Wyatt, I just don't know what else to say that hasn't already been said about the total misuse and damage of a character that could of and should of been the WWE's Phenom for the new era, as it's pretty much another year of more shovels of dirt on his character and booking.

And with two hugely mistreated characters you end up with a PPV match that no one is excited for and in my case couldn't care less about.

And it's a huge shame.

What Will Happen: "Woken" Matt Hardy will defeat Bray Wyatt

What I Want To Happen: Bray Wyatt defeats "Woken" Matt Hardy with help from a returning Jeff Hardy "Brother Nero" who betrays his brother.

WWE Raw Tag Team Championship Match:

Cesaro and Sheamus(c) vs Titus Worldwide (Apollo and Titus O'Neil)

Can Titus Worldwide pull off an upset and become the new WWE Raw Tag Team Champions? Or will 'The Bar' be too high a reach?

I can't deny that this is a very fresh match up for the WWE Raw Tag Team Championships, which is very much needed due to the division just seeming to fall by the wayside lately.

Cesaro and Sheamus have been a very solid tag team ever since they were first conceived as a team over a year ago and have pretty much been the lifeblood of the division ever since, which WWE have done a very good job with.

The team of Apollo and Titus O'Neill is still a head scratcher for me as I'm not sure what exactly the WWE originally had planned for or where they were going with this collective as it first started out with Titus O'Neil as a scout looking for superstars to form a brand of 'Titus Worldwide' which has suddenly fizzled out to Titus O'Neil now just being a active in ring competitor and tag team partner of Apollo with Dana Brooke as a valet.

But I am willing to give this team a chance to see if they can be entertaining and unexpectedly get over with the crowd.

This match could somewhat prove to be entertaining, and I do smell a whiff of a championship change here.

What Will Happen: Titus Worldwide will defeat Cesaro and Sheamus to become the new WWE Raw Tag Team Champions.

What I Want To Happen: Cesaro and Sheamus retain the WWE Raw Tag Team Championships

Singles Match:

Asuka vs Nia Jax

Will Nia Jax's (right) Physical prowess cause Asuka (left) her first ever loss in WWE?

I am pretty much expecting this match to be very smash mouthed and entertaining between two explosive and dangerous women in all of WWE.

And there is a interesting stipulation of Nia Jax being entered into the WWE Raw Women's Championship match at Wrestlemania 34 to boot on the line here too.

This match will pretty much be Asuka's hardest test yet in the WWE as she will be physically dominated by Nia Jax for the majority of the match, very much making it look like she will get her first loss in WWE.

This is very much a match where Nia Jax can put in a star monster heel performance.

The ingredients are pretty much here for a thrilling Women's bout.

What Will Happen: Asuka will find a way to defeat Nia Jax after being dominated for majority of the match

What I Want To Happen: Same as above

7 Man WWE Universal Championship No.1 Contender Elimination Chamber Match:

Braun Strowman vs Elias vs Finn Balor vs John Cena vs Roman Reigns vs Seth Rollins vs The Miz

Who will carve their place in the Main Event of Wrestlemania 34 with a win in the Elmination Chamber?

And here we have it, the main attraction of tonight's PPV, the 7 Man Elimination Chamber match.

I feel that there is a very good mix of talent in the chamber this year and we are bound to see big drama, huge bumps and iron man performances from the likes of Finn Balor and Seth Rollins.

Braun Strowman will surely put on a monster performance and wreak havoc all over the place in the chamber.

Elias will surely have a shining performance and I expect him to sneak in a guitar with him in the chamber.

The Miz will also do what he does best and that's being a no nonsense tactical presence and opportunist.

And last but certainly not least we will have the "franchise players" the polarizing figures that are John Cena and Roman Reigns doing what they do best, making the crowd not want them to win.

As good as this match could potentially be tonight, I can't help but be deflated and not care for what is going to be the obvious outcome as whether we like it or not, we are going to get THAT match that has been rumoured for a year as the main event WWE Universal Championship match at Wrestlemania 34.

(sigh)

What Will Happen: Roman Reigns will emerge victorious in the Elimination Chamber and become the no.1 contender for the WWE Universal Championship at Wrestlemania 34.

What I Want To Happen: Seth Rollins emerges victorious as the no.1 contender for the WWE UNiversal Championship at Wrestlemania 34.




And there you have my predictions for what I feel will be a below average PPV with potential for some good moments.

Feel free to leave your comments and opinions on what you feel will go down at the PPV tonight.



-Simeon Barrett

Blogtrest Wrestling Talk: WWE Royal Rumble 2018

WWE ROYAL RUMBLE 2018

PREDICTIONS

It's that time of the year again In the WWE, the road to Wrestlemania starts tonight at the 2018 Royal Rumble which will be in the vocal city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

My hype for this year's Royal Rumble is just not as high as it has been in other years, and it's probably down to the fact that the WWE have  not created any hype or major intrigue going into the Men's Royal Rumble match itself (let's face it, it's the main reason that we are tuning in for). We should have gotten some Royal Rumble Qualification matches to cement a few superstars on the roster as sure fire entrants for the upcoming Rumble, backstage segments with superstars staking their claim as to why they will win this year's Royal Rumble and go on to main event Wrestlemania and even a qualification match featuring legends for a spot in the Rumble match.

But we literally got nothing the attention was all on the nostalgia of Raw and not the upcoming PPV. You really can't be blamed if you had no idea that their was a Royal Rumble PPV this Sunday.

Looking at the roster that we have in WWE in 2018, I don't know who I want to really root for, there isn't any major star on the rise who would benefit majorly from a Royal Rumble win and going on to main event Wrestlmania 34, and to me that's a problem.

According to sources Shinsuke Nakamura (left) and Roman Reigns (Right) are the two top favourites to win the 2018 Royal Rumble, with Shinsuke Nakamura the No.1 pick to win and Roman Reigns as the No.2 pick to win

The very underwhelming 25th Anniversary of Raw also did intrigue and hype going into this PPV no favours as it was a huge opportunity to create segments around 'Who Will Win The 2018 (men's) Royal Rumble Match and tease the possibility of legends entering the fray.

But it's really a double sided coin because not knowing who to root for does make for a unpredictable situation and unpredictability is ALWAYS a good thing because it genuinely keeps you tuned in (and not wanting to take a nap)

However it will be very interesting to see the new dynamic of having the first ever Women's Royal Rumble match as it is very important that the women participants knock this one out of the park and it doesn't just become a blink and you'll miss it affair when it comes to eliminations and the length of the match which WWE have been guilty of doing with the women's roster for years upon years now, the Women's Royal Rumble match needs to be on par or slightly on par with the Men's one.

The first ever Women's WWE Royal Rumble needs to deliver on the hype that it has been building and give us the same excitement and thrills that the Men's Royal Rumble match has given us over the years, which means a well booked and paced out over the top rope showcase

And speaking of the Women's Royal Rumble match, it would be great to see some female legends jump into the fray as well, and it would also be great to see some women that are free agents such as an Angelina Love or a Velvet Sky make a fantasy appearance in a WWE ring for the first time.

Let's not also forget those rumours of the former UFC Women's Division badass Ronda Rousey (above) making an appearance in the Women's Royal Rumble match tonight, which is very much a given to happen

As for the two World Title matches that we have on the card, I am more intrigued for one over the other as I feel one of those matches are just a formality as to who will walk out with the championship.

The WWE Championship match is the bout that interests me the most out of both defenses as we have the interesting dynamic of AJ Styles having to defend his championship in a handicap match against Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn which leaves a lot of potential to be setup around the WWE Championship going forward which I will get to in my predicitons in a little while.

It will be very interesting to see how AJ Styles (right) will handle the task of having to defend the WWE Championship against a very hungry pairing of Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn (left), but could either Owens or Zayn winning the WWE Championship cause friction between the pair?

The WWE Universal Championship bout however does not really stand out to me or have 'must see' written all over it, despite me being a huge fan with Braun Strowman and how he has been booked as the top monster (not named Brock Lesnar) in the WWE as a character like his is very much needed to fill a huge void that both Kane and Big Show will leave when they retire.

A Monster's Ball: Three monsters among men Brock Lesnar (left), Kane (middle) and Braun Strowman (right) will duke it out for the WWE Universal Championship, but it may just be a formality of who will walk away from the battle as THE monster in WWE

The dynamic between these three monsters has run it's course in my opinion and to me their bout for the Universal Championship has the most obvious outcome out of all matches on the card, hopefully the chaos that Brock, Strowman and Kane should cause in the match should make for a thrill ride.

Now without further ado let's get into how I think matches on the card will play out on what should be a decent Royal Rumble event:

Six Man Tag Team Match:

Kalisto, Lince Doraldo and Gran Mtalik vs TJP, Gentleman Jack Gallagher and Drew Gulak

Will the team of unified Luchadors get the win or will ego driven team of TJP, Gentleman Jack Gallagher and Drew Gulak (right) back up their confidence?

The Kickoff show will be featuring a Cruiserweight showcase six man tag team showcase which is always a good way to start a PPV as we are sure to get fast paced acrobatic action to hype up the crowd.

I am not a big follower of WWE's 205 live and tend to miss it most weeks than I do watching it, but it is still good to see that the WWE are still doing everything in their power to keep the division running even with the many setbacks that seem to keep coming it's way with the latest casualty being the recent fiasco of the then reigning Cruiserweight Champion Enzo Amore being fired resulting in a planned title defense between him and Cedric Alexander being cancelled at this event.

It's a massive blow to the Cruiserweight division as Enzo Amore's larger than life character was really injecting much needed life into the division as a whole and made it something you had to pay attention to.

Where WWE go with the Cruiserweight division now is beyond me.

As for this match, I expect a very fun little opener as we have a three team full of masked luchadors in Kalisto, Lince Doraldo and Gran Mtalik, which I believe is a first in WWE taking three of the Cruiserweight division's most cocky and arrogant members of TJP, Gentleman Jack & Drew Gulak which can make for great in ring chemistry.

The ingredients are all here for something to keep you in your seat as you start to dig into that bag of potato chips.

What Will Happen: Kalisto, Lince Doraldo and Gran Mtalik will defeat TJP, Gentleman Jack Gallagher and Drew Gulak.

What I Want To Happen: Same as above.

Tag Team Match:

Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson vs The Revival (Scott Dawson & Dash Wilder)

Two Teams with something to prove: Which team will make their case for a future Raw Tag Team Championship shot with a win tonight?

In what is set to be another Kickoff showcase for the PPV, we have a interesting Tag Team match between two rough and rugged teams, which could easily provide a smash mouthed in ring affair that could prove to be another strong taster match  in what is looking like a strong Kickoff PPV card

I'm not the strongest fan of either of these teams as I feel they both could be booked a lot stronger as the badass rough and tough teams of the WWE Raw tag team division.

Whoever wins this bout should be able to make their claim to be the next in line to challenge for the WWE Raw tag team championships.

I must say this one is a hard one to call as i think both of these teams need a win and momentum going forward in the Raw tag team division.

What Will Happen: Luke Gallows & Carl Anderson will defeat The Revival (Scott Dawson & Dash Wilder)

What I Want To Happen: Same as above.

Open Challenge WWE United States Championship Match:

Bobby Roode(c) vs TBD

Who will step up to the plate to take on a fresh and hungry United States Champion Bobby Roode? (above)

I've got to admit that I'm not the biggest fan of the decision to put the United States Championship on Bobby Roode as I felt that Jinder Mahal would of been the perfect fit to reign as heel United States Champion under his gimmick.

But nether the less I am a Bobby Roode fan and have been since his early days in TNA and it's good to see him win his first main roster championship.

The intrigue here of course is the dynamic of a open challenge United States Championship defence which means literally anyone can step up and see if they can cut Bobby Roode's championship reign short.

As to who it will be? I just have a gut feeling it will be...... Dolph Ziggler

Dolph Ziggler has been away from the WWE for a while now after relinquishing the United States Championship on 'his terms', Ziggler has most likely been at home watching Bobby Roode triumph in the United States Championship tournament and is now hungry to take on a 'credible' opponent in Bobby Roode to prove that he is the 'best at what he does'.

This match should be the icing on the cake of what could be the strongest kickoff show for a PPV there has been in a very long time.

What Will Happen: Bobby Roode will retain his United States championship via a Dolph Ziggler disqualification.

What I Want To Happen: Dolph Ziggler defeats Bobby Rood to once again become the WWE United States Champion.

2018 Women's Royal Rumble Match:

Which woman will make history by becoming the first ever WWE Women's Royal Rumble winner?

So here we have it, the first ever WWE Women's Royal Rumble match, and I must say this is perhaps the most intriguing match on the card as this will be the proving ground for if a Women's Royal Rumble match can be just as much of a spectacle as the Men's Royal Rumble match.

This match will most definitely need to hit it out of the park as we have seen the WWE on countless occasions over the years refuse to book a nicely paced over the rope contest between women.

I want to see a highly competitive match with all the surprises, thrills, bells and whistles that the Men's Royal Rumble match has given us on a daily basis.

This should prove to be very fun and edge of your seat stuff.

What Will Happen: Asuka will win 2018 WWE Women's Royal Rumble match.

What I Want To Happen: Same as above.

WWE Raw Tag Team Championship Match:

Seth Rollins & Jason Jordan(c) vs Cesaro & Sheamus

Will Seth Rollins & Jason Jordan (left) be able to stay on the same page and successfully defend their Raw Tag Team Championships against a dangerous team up of Cesaro & Sheamus? (right)

There is something interesting in the air going into this WWE Raw Tag Team Championship match tonight, and it's that of one particular Jason Jordan as seen on RAW 25 this past monday the Manhattan crowd really let Jason Jordan have it with a nuclear rain of boos, which is the biggest reaction that Jason Jordan has gotten in the company which tells me that the seeds are starting to grow on the much needed Jason Jordan heel turn, also add in the accidental Seth Rollins flying elbow meant for Sheamus that ended up hitting Jordan on Christian's special edition of the Peep Show segment, the signs are most definitely there for dissolution and miscommunication  between the odd pairing of Jason Jordan and Seth Rollins here.

There are also rumours that a long feud between Seth Rollins and Jason Jordan will soon start in the WWE which will see Jason Jordan complete his heel turn.

I feel that Sheamus & Cesaro are definitely due another WWE Raw Tag Team Championship reign.

This match will surely be the most interesting out of the two tag team bouts on the card in terms of the dynamics that could explode. We're in for a thrilling Raw Tag Team Championship defence here.

What Will Happen: Sheamus & Cesaro will defeat Seth Rolins and Jason Jordan to become the new WWE Raw Tag Team Champions due to miscommunication between Seth Rollins and Jason Jordan.

What I Want To Happen: Jason Jordan cements a heel turn by attacking Seth Rollins and handing the Raw Tag Team Championship victory to Sheamus & Cesaro.

WWE Championship Handicap Match:

AJ Styles(c) vs Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn

Will The Phenomenal One AJ Styles be able to show why he is just that by surviving and retaining the WWE World Championship against the cunning duo of Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn?

The most interesting World Championship defence of the night is most definitely this one for me as it will be a mountain for AJ Styles to climb to retain the WWE Championship against both a hungry and cunning team up of Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn.

I'm pretty much expecting Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn to dominate the majority of the match, with AJ Styles making the classic babyface come back throughout 

Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn are going to pull every trick in the book to take the WWE Championship from AJ Styles, meaning the referee is going to have a very hard time in this one.

What Will Happen: AJ Styles will find a way to retain the WWE Championship.

What I Want To Happen: Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn defeat AJ Styles to become the new 'co WWE Champions'.

2-Out-of-3-Falls WWE SmackDown Tag Team Championship  Match:

The Usos(c) vs Chad Gable and Shelton Benjamin

Will Chad Gable & Shelton Benjamin be able to knock The Usos (left) of of their Perch?

This WWE Smackdown Tag Team Championship match is sure to be the workhorse match of the night and you can pretty much expect a Match of The Year candidate already here with this one as we have the superb Usos who are the best Tag Team in wrestling period going against the super athletic freaks of nature that are Chad Gable and Shelton Benjamin.

Expect every bag of tricks in the book when it comes to athleticism, expect smash mouthed action, and expect a lot of near falls which is sure to be another epic Smackdown Tag Team Championship defence by The Usos.

What Will Happen: Chad Gable & Shelton Benjamin will go 2 falls to 1 against The Usos and become the new WWE Smackdown Tag Team Champions.

What I Want To Happen: Same as above

WWE Universal Championship Handicap Match:

Brock Lesnar(c) (with Paul Heyman) vs Braun Strowman vs Kane

Who will walk away as the dominant monster of the WWE in this Monster's Ball WWE Universal Championship match?

I've got to be honest and say that I'm not really looking forward to this WWE Universal Title match on the card and it's down to the me being very sure of who will walk out with the title, and it also has the potential to be a slow and short match.

I've been a huge supporter of Braun Strowman getting a run with the Universal title for a while now as I feel his character has been built up excellent by WWE to the point where he can be bought as a viable babyface or heel monster champion, but I feel that WWE are still a bit away from pulling the trigger on that. I expect another Braun Strowman superstar performance in this match also.

Also with the rumours swirling around that Bobby Lashley has signed with WWE, there is only one person I see walking away with this match for certain.

I do have hope that for what this match will be, we will get three monsters going all out in a chaotic and thrilling match.

What Will Happen: Brock Lesnar will retain the WWE Universal Championship.

What I Want To Happen: Braun Strowman becomes the new WWE Universal Champion.

2018 Men's Royal Rumble Match:

Who will book their place in the main event of Wrestlemania this year?

And last but certainly not least is the main attraction and spectacle of this PPV, the 2018 WWE Men's Royal Rumble  which is a very hard one to call this year as there isn't anyone who really stands out as a runaway winner, but I do have a gut feeling that WWE are planning a World Championship match for Wrestlemania that fans have been clamouring for since early last year and my pick to win is based on that (you can have a nice guess as to what match I'm possibly alluding to when you're done reading this)

I feel this year's Rumble match will be a slight improvement over last year's and it's mainly down to the huge unpredictability factor that we have going into it.

What Will Happen: Shinsuke Nakamura will win the WWE 2018 Royal Rumble.

What I Want To Happen: Same as above.

And there you have it, my predictions and thoughts on what should prove to be a alsightly above decent Royal Rumble PPV that hopefully will deliver plenty of surprises and twists.

Feel free to leave your comments and thoughts on what you think will happen on the night.

-Simeon Barrett