Our 3 Cents - Royal Rumble 2022
Welcome to our second year of Our 3 Cents where myself, Jesse, and Lonnie give you our predictions on what's going to go down. We're officially starting the "Road to WrestleMania". Without further to do......
John: 61-12 (84%)
Jesse: 53-20 (73%)
Lonnie: 52-21 (71%)
Let's take a look at the card:
Mixed Tag Team Match
Edge & Beth Phoenix vs. The Miz & Maryse
Jesse: You know what, I’m going to say it, this has been an entertaining angle for everyone involved. You can tell Edge is over the moon that he gets to have a match with his wife as his tag partner, and Miz is having the time of his life in a feud with a legend. This match will be meh, but I see Edge and Beth coming out with the victory.
W: Edge & Beth Phoenix
Lonnie: The Miz and Edge are always great. And when it comes to celebrities or things like this Miz especially shines as he is good at selling the lead up segments. That being said, this match is clearly here because both these guys want to wrestle with their wives. I find it hard to imagine a way that Miz/Maryse can win here. Beth came back to have a match with Edge for their girls and they should get a clean win here. A clean win allows Edge to move onto someone else for Mania.
W: Edge & Beth Phoenix
John: Well, I picked against Edge at Day 1 because I thought Miz would pick up a win via some heelish tactics and then Beth would come back to even the odds. Instead, Beth came back at Day 1 to assist Edge in getting the victory. I'm thinking this match marks the end of this feud and both men can begin to focus on who their WrestleMania opponents may be. I can see either team winning this but I think Edge and Beth is the right choice.
W: Edge & Beth Phoenix
WWE Raw Women's Championship Match
Becky Lynch (champ) vs. Doudrop
Jesse: I have to give credit where credit is due, Doudrop has surprised me. She came to the main roster and got a shitty name and storyline, but she has impressed me so far. She’s obviously not going to win this match, but I can see her as having a Vader type presence on the women’s roster in the future with a title reign coming soon.
W: Becky Lynch
Lonnie: It is always nice to see someone new get a chance in the title picture. But this really feels like Lesnar and Bob Holly at the Rumble from years ago. There was no chance in hell Bob Holly would beat Lesnar, and Doudrop probably has even lower odds. Becky will be the champ going into Mania.
W: Becky Lynch
John: The easiest pick of the night in my opinion and that's not mean to be a knock on Doudrop. However, there's absolutely no way the WWE takes the title off of Becky as we head into WrestleMania season. Consider this the lock of the night as "Big Time Becks" takes the gold to Mania.
W: Becky Lynch
WWE Championship Match
Brock Lesnar (champ) vs. Bobby Lashley
Jesse: Cowboy Brock is the best thing to happen to Raw in years. I will gladly take this Brock over all his M.I.A title reigns in the past. I enjoy him whopping ass, and doing his own promos while Heyman watches on. With that being said, I have a bad feeling Roman is going to screw him over in this match and cost him the title. A Lashley title reign won’t be the worst thing right now for Raw, especially if he starts a feud with Seth or KO.
W: Bobby Lashley
Lonnie: I really think these two guys could have an awesome match… I just don’t think it is going to happen here. I totally expect a terrible finish that screws Lesnar out of his championship. Basically I think Roman or Lesnar will get screwed and then enter and win the Rumble to set up the championship match we didn’t get at Day 1. And from that perspective it's more likely to have the face get screwed. I believe Heyman will turn back to Roman here and set up a Lesnar against all odds storyline heading into WrestleMania. Also, even if it is cheap, this would be a huge win for Lashley.
W: Bobby Lashley
John: This is a match that fans have been clamoring for now for years. However, am I the only one who thinks it may disappoint?! To me, it feels like this match is happening a few years too late and it's lost it's luster in my eyes. Lesnar isn't even taking Lashley seriously and still has his eyes on Reigns. I expect Lesnar to go over. I'm just hoping it's not a squash because that would make Lashley look weak as hell after having a good 2021.
W: Brock Lesnar
WWE Universal Championship Match
The Usos are banned from ringside
Roman Reigns (champ) vs. Seth Rollins
Jesse: Ignoring the whole Seth belonging to Raw thing, what a freaking feud these guys are having. Both of these guys are at the peak of their characters and it is showing in this storyline. I really hope they let these guys go for 30 minutes with no interruptions, because they will bring it. I can see an exciting ending with Roman retaining.
W: Roman Reigns
Lonnie: I am shocked this match is at the Rumble. This match is a WrestleMania main event level match up. I believe these guys will open the show and set the bar pretty damn high for everyone else. Unfortunately, due to Roman’s unfinished business with Brock I feel he will keep the championship even though in my heart I really hope I am wrong and Seth wins.
W: Roman Reigns
John: I truly believe Seth Rollins has a better chance to beat Reigns than anyone to date since Reigns switched to the "Head of the Table" character. Reigns appears to be on a collision course to face Lesnar again at Mania. However, that doesn't have to be for the Universal Championship since Lesnar is WWE Champion. I, for one, would rather not see a unification match at Mania because I don't trust WWE to only stick with one world title. I feel they would eventually bring a second one back so no sense in unifying them. Also, Reigns recently broke Lesnar's record for longest reigning Universal Champion. Reigns has seemingly done all he can do with the title which makes a Rollins win seem possible (especially with Usos banned from ringside). The titles could then switch shows. All the points I've made would suggest a Rollins victory but if there's anything I've learned over the past year, it's don't bet against Reigns on pay-per-view! Oh wait! Sorry! This is a premium live event! Anyways, until shows me it can be done, I'm not picking against the Tribal Chief.
W: Roman Reigns
30 Woman Royal Rumble
Sasha Banks, Bianca Belair, Liv Morgan, Charlotte Flair (WWE Smackdown Women's Champion), Naomi, Rhea Ripley, Nikki A.S.H., Brie Bella, Nikki Bella, Carmella (WWE Women's Tag Team Champion), Queen Zelina (WWE Women's Tag Team Champion), Lita, Michelle McCool, Kelly Kelly, Dana Brooke (24/7 Champion), Natalya, Mickie James, Tamina, Shayna Baszler, Summer Rae, Aliyah, Shotzi, Sonya Deville & 7 TBD
Jesse: As some of you may know, I live in Alaska and each year we get “paid” by the oil companies for living here. It’s called the PFD and it comes the first week in October, usually in the $1,500-2,000 range for each person and child. One year I made the mistake of going to Costco the weekend that it hit our bank accounts and it was an absolute shit show. That feeling is the same feeling I have for this women’s rumble match. Why in the living hell is Charlotte in it? Is Bayley coming back for it? Paige? I was going to pick Asuka to win until Sasha returned early from injury, so she is my pick because she deserves it.
W: Sasha Banks
Lonnie: We have all seen/heard how desperate WWE is to fill all the spots up here. With a thinned out roster this match really should be like 20 women. Realistically, only 5 women should have a chance (Charlotte, Bianca, Sasha, Bayley, and Ronda). I don’t see Charlotte or Bayley winning because Charlotte shouldn’t win again, and I think it's too early for a Bayley return. I also think Bianca won’t win back to back years. So honestly it comes down to do you think Ronda is returning. Because if not, Sasha deserves a Rumble win and has proven she will deliver a big match at Mania when given the chance. Unfortunately, I believe Ronda will return and win to set up her revenge match with Becky.
W: Ronda Rousey
John: I'm looking at the field for this and no one stands out as the clear favorite. I don't see any of the returning "legends" winning. The term legends has been used rather loosely lately in regards to some of these ladies. That's neither here or there though. There's absolutely no reason for Charlotte to win this nor should she. Her Mania opponent can be decided by who eliminates her. Of those announced, Belair seems to be the favorite but I like the idea of a returning superstar to win more. Rumors have been running of Asuka, Kairi Sane, and Bayley potentially returning (I'd love to see Bayley win it). However, there's been late rumors of a certain "Baddest Woman on the Planet" returning and if she does, there's no way she doesn't win this thing. She would have a ready made high profile feud set with Becky Lynch for Mania. Book it!
W: Ronda Rousey
30 Man Royal Rumble
Omos, Randy Orton, Riddle, Otis (Raw Tag Team Champion), Chad Gable (Raw Tag Team Champion), Dolph Ziggler, Robert Roode, Kevin Owens, Big E, AJ Styles, Damian Priest (WWE United States Champion), Johnny Knoxville, Sami Zayn, Kofi Kingston, Happy Corbin, Madcap Moss, Sheamus, Angelo Dawkins, Montez Ford, Rey Mysterio, Dominik Mysterio, Austin Theory, Ricochet, Shinsuke Nakamura, Rick Boogs & 5 TBD
Jesse: I will keep this short. Brock is going to be pissed he lost the title due to Roman, so he is going to come in and absolutely destroy everyone like you have never seen before. Brock wins while setting the record for most people eliminated and shortest rumble.
W: Brock Lesnar
Lonnie: I think this Rumble match will be a lot of fun. I have been wrong for months, but this could be where we finally see the break up of RK-Bro and the Mysterios. We should get to see a decent stretch of Big E looking strong. But in the end I think Brock Lesnar will happen. I predicted him getting screwed out of the WWE Championship and then winning here to fight Roman for the Universal Championship. It would be a pleasant surprise if he retained and then still won the Rumble to set up a championship unification, but I just don’t believe we are at that point yet, even though with the slimming roster we may be getting close. If there is no Lesnar, I am hoping for someone out of left field to surprise everyone like a Finn Balor or Bron Breakker.
W: Brock Lesnar
John: The men's rumble match is a little more up in the air for me. Of those announced, I see Styles, Owens, and Big E as possible winners. Orton would be the hometown pick but I don't see him winning it. Johnny Knoxville should provide some comedy and it's probably a safe bet that he eliminates Sami Zayn. Rumors are going around that Bad Bunny and Shane McMahon will make an appearance. That will create a buzz but neither of them are winning. I'd like to see Theory have a deep run and Vince seems to be taking a liking to him. Maybe even a final four but not a chance of winning. On the small chance Lesnar or Reigns lose, I see them entering to win and challenge the other. Otherwise, I think Big E gets the win and goes to Mania.
W: Big E
That does it for this edition of Our 3 Cents!! Check back to see how we did!
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