It's almost time for the first WWE PPV of the year, and it's also one of the most important ones for 2020. The Royal Rumble is coming to the WWE Network and PPV on Sunday, January 26, and what's special about this event is that it features two 30-person over-the-top battle royal matches, pitting Smackdown and Raw rosters against each other.
This year's event is coming to Minute Maid Park in Houston, Texas. Per usual, the main card for the event will start at 7 PM ET, and there will be a Kickoff Show starting on the WWE Network two hours before that. Check out the start times for the main card below.
Main card start time:
- 4 PM PT
- 6 PM CT
- 7 PM ET
- 12 AM GMT (January 27)
- 11 AM AEDT (January 27)
While there are only eight matches on the card--as of this writing--two of these bouts are Royal Rumble matches, which typically run for an hour. There are four championship matches on this card, but none of the tag team championships are being represented. Check out the card below.
Royal Rumble match card:
- Andrade (c) vs. Humberto Carrillo (United States Championship)
- Shorty G vs. Sheamus
- Bayley (c) vs. Lacy Evans (Smackdown Women's Championship)
- Roman Reigns vs. King Corbin (Falls Count Anywhere Match)
- Becky Lynch (c) vs. Asuka (Raw Women's Championship)
- "The Fiend" Bray Wyatt (c) vs. Daniel Bryan (Universal Championship)
- Women's Royal Rumble Match
- Men's Royal Rumble Match
Like everyone else on the internet, some of GameSpot's employees have strong opinions about who will win and lose each match of the PPV. Wrestle Buddies Mat Elfring and Chris E. Hayner are prepared to take you on a predictions journey for the event, and you can find all of our silly opinions below.
Make sure to come back to GameSpot on Sunday, January 26 for live coverage and a review of the event.
Andrade (c) vs. Humberto Carrillo
(United States Championship)
Mat: Hey, at least the United States Championship will be a good match. Humberto Carrillo has had a great run on WWE programming the past few months, and Andrade is one of the most underrated performers in the company. Normally, I'd throw a couple dumb jokes in here about the wrestlers or WWE's stories, but this match will be a barnburner. Unlike other title matches at the Rumble, I see a title change being a very possible thing, with the two having a Wrestlemania rematch with a crazy stipulation. So I'm giving the win to Carrillo.
Chris: I'm puzzled by this match. But, at the very least, I know it'll be a quality bout. The ongoing drama between Andrade, Humberto, and Rey Mysterio has been drawn out for a very long time. While we've gotten quality bouts out of it, I'm ready to move onto something new. With that in mind, I'm saying Andrade retains and it's time to build him as a strong, heel champion.
Shorty G vs. Sheamus
Mat: When this match between Chad Gable and Sheamus was first booked, I was a tad annoyed. The Shorty G gimmick isn't growing on me and putting him in a match with Sheamus seems like an easy squash for the returning Celtic Warrior. However, the more I think about it, this will be a nice match in the middle of the PPV. It's very much a David vs. Goliath story, and who doesn't like watching that? Regardless of how hard Shorty G fights, Sheamus will come out on top though. Also, Shorty G is still a very dumb name for Chad Gable.
Chris: Like Mat, I still think the Shorty G thing is stupid. As stupid as, say, the Rusev/Lana/Lashley feud. "He's short, isn't it funny?" is a lame gimmick for anyone to have. Then there's Sheamus. Chris Jericho has long said the key to his longevity is reinvention. Once something gets stale, he drops it quickly and manages to come up with a brand new character. Sheamus, on the other hand, has reverted to the look he first had when he joined WWE. He's moved backward in time and, for me, it's about as impactful now as it was then--not at all. I don't care about this match, honestly. Or who wins because it'll mean nothing in the grand scheme. Sheamus is going to squash Shorty G and pick up the victory.
Bayley (c) vs. Lacy Evans
(Smackdown Women's Championship)
Mat: Heel Bayley is the best version of Bayley. I love it. The battle between her and Lacy Evans will be hard-hitting and brutal. And while it's true that I'm personally not a fan of Evans, that doesn't mean that this won't be one of the better matches of the evening. However, when it comes to this match, and looking forward to Wrestlemania, I don't see the title changing hands. That being said, Bayley will get the win here.
Chris: This is where Mat and I agree. Bayley as a heel is possibly the best thing going on Smackdown at this point--and not because the rest of the show is weak. Smackdown is actually kind of great right now. But Bayley's new attitude is a total blast. Then there's Lacey Evans' new outlook. She's a bit out of place as a babyface, in my eyes. She was a great heel and thrived there and now she simply hasn't found her groove as a good guy yet. Bayley will win and hopefully go on to face Charlotte or something at Wrestlemania.
Roman Reigns vs. King Corbin
(Falls Count Anywhere Match)
Mat: Long live the king, am I right? It doesn't matter where you face King Corbin, he will reign supreme! Listen, I know I'm being extremely biased, but my favorite movie about wrestling is Ready To Rumble, and my favorite character from said film is Jimmy King, portrayed by master thespian Oliver Platt. He will rule you, just like Baron Corbin will. And a fall can happen anywhere in the King's kingdom. Why root for Roman Reigns when Corbin has had such a meteoric rise? He went from "baron" to "king." No one else in the history of monarchy has done that! King Corbin wins.
Chris: I wish I were more entertained by King Corbin. My issue was I liked the version of his character he was before winning that bad King of the Ring tournament. I liked Business Corbin. The king gimmick for a King of the Ring winner has only worked once in my eyes--All hail King Booker. Corbin isn't willing to dig into just how silly it all is, which I think makes him look weak in the role. That said, I still think he's going to win this bout via cheating and a whole lot of shenanigans. Get ready to see the Usos, Dolph Ziggler, and Robert Roode all get involved, with Corbin sneaking out a pin.
Becky Lynch (c) vs. Asuka
(Raw Women's Championship)
Mat: Heading into Royal Rumble, Lynch vs. Asuka is the strongest and most important feud on the entire card. The story has been built exceptionally well, and Asuka as an unhinged heel is one of my favorite characters currently on television. Don't get me wrong, I will ALWAYS love Becky Lynch, but I'm looking forward to this match the most. However, you know the drill if you've ever read one of these predictions pieces. I always pick Becky Lynch to win.
Chris: This is the match I'm most excited about, honestly. These two have put on incredible matches in the past, and with Asuka going full-on super heel in recent months, I'm stoked to watch this one unfold. I'm predicting green mist, many submission holds, a bunch of very stiff-looking kicks from Asuka, and, ultimately, a victory for Becky Lynch. Becky is keeping that title until Wrestlemania.
"The Fiend" Bray Wyatt (c) vs. Daniel Bryan
(Universal Championship)
Mat: When The Fiend drags you to Hell, you come back with a brand-new haircut and new attitude. "American Dragon" Bryan Danielson is back… wait… I mean Daniel Bryan. Sorry, the haircut is throwing me off. The longstanding rivalry between these two wrestlers has been a fascinating one, and it will be interesting to see how many finishers Bryan uses against Wyatt before Wyatt ultimately pins him. Wyatt wins because "The Fiend" is unbeatable, as we've already seen numerous times.
Chris: I love Daniel Bryan, and I was a big fan of his stint as the planet's champion. Him reverting back to the "Yes Movement" feels like a regression, though not as extreme a one as Sheamus. Still, with the shave and haircut, Bryan looks fresh. Beyond that, he will undoubtedly have a great match with The Fiend. Meanwhile, The Fiend continues to be creepy and over-the-top. However, soon enough he's going to have to add a new dimension to the character to keep evolving it, so it doesn't grow stale. That said, The Fiend will win in the end and keep the WWE Championship around his waist until Wrestlemania.
Women's Royal Rumble Match
Mat: Unlike the men's match, there haven't been many wrestlers confirmed for the Women's Rumble match. More than likely, WWE may take a big chance with someone that hasn't been in the main event spotlight for the Women's Championships. This could be the time for Nikki Cross to shine. However, what is much more likely is Charlotte winning the Rumble, only to challenge Becky Lynch at Mania for what will surely be a great match.
Note: This prediction was featured in the match card article.
Chris: Given WWE has revealed almost no entrants in the women's Rumble, picking a winner here is tough. Or, it would be if the answer weren't obvious. Charlotte Flair is going to win. I don't think she'll challenge Becky, though. I think that slot will go to Ronda Rousey and Charlotte will ultimately face Bayley at Wrestlemania. Both of those matches would be incredible, honestly.
Men's Royal Rumble Match
Mat: Everything is pointing to Lesnar winning the match, which leads me to believe there will be a unification of both Raw and Smackdown's main event championships. There is nothing I want less than Lesnar to win, but with the build up to the match, that's where it seems to be headed.
However, this would be a great time for WWE to pull of something really cool like giving Drew McIntyre a big push. At the end of the Rumble, it could come down to McIntyre and Lesnar, and McIntyre could eliminate the beast, becoming this year's Rumble winner. Ultimately, he would then challenge Lesnar for the title at Wrestlemania, already setting up a nice story between the two.
Note: This prediction was featured in the match card article.
Chris: I just… I don't know, man. Brock being in this does absolutely nothing for me. I'm sure it'll set up a rematch with Cain Velasquez at Wrestlemania, which also does nothing for me. I don't think either man will win. The winner is going to be Roman Reigns, who will go on to challenge The Fiend at Wrestlemania. I'd love to be wrong and have something exciting and fresh happen--like Mat's suggestion of Drew McIntyre winning. Let's be honest, though. Roman is winning.
Chris Pereira: I've fallen out of watching wrestling in recent years, but I did spend a Sunday night last January watching what I thought was the 2019 Royal Rumble. The new PPV was, in fact, happening the following Sunday, and I was watching a replay of 2015's main event. Based on what I gleaned from this experience, I think Sin Cara has a real shot this year.
Editor's note: No one tell Chris P. that Sin Cara isn't with WWE anymore. We don't want to break his heart.
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