PREVIEW
THE HEADLINER
The man who shocked the wrestling world at the last Big 4 pay-per-view (PPV) is back to sell us on the next one. Not that Royal Rumble, beaming into our homes this Sunday, Jan. 29 on WWE network, needs much selling. But just the fact Goldberg’s still around, let alone that he has a reasonable shot at winning the 30 man battle royal and punching his ticket to WrestleMania 33 main event, is intriguing. What else might he get up to in Ohio tonight?
Last time we saw him, he was staring down Kevin Owens and Roman Reigns, then teaming up with the the former Shield member to spear a guy could be facing in San Antonio - Braun Strowman. Will we see more partnerships and rivalries teased?
Or will we get right down to brass tacks? Goldberg’s chief adversary, the man he defeated in less than two minutes at Survivor Series - Brock Lesnar - is listed as appearing tonight, as well. This could be the first time the two men are face-to-face since Toronto. And that would certainly be a combustible situation.
THE TITLE SCENE
► Universal champion Owens didn’t even need his best friend, United States champion Chris Jericho, to get the last laugh on Reigns last week. After Strowman picked up a win for the heels by pinning his possibly-in-hot-water nemesis Sami Zayn in the six-man main event, KO hit the Big Dog with one of his signature maneuvers when he powerbombed the man he’ll fight at Royal Rumble right through the announce table. Look for Roman - and Sami, and Seth Rollins - to be looking for a little payback tonight.
► WWE went out of their way (again) last week to show us that Bayley is just “an average fan” with the Hugster’s promo battle with Women’s champ Charlotte. It was a segment that didn’t seem to go over well with the internet, but did it resonate with actual “average fans”? And how will the ladies (and Creative) look to build/course correct heading into Sunday?
► Current tag team titleholders Cesaro & Sheamus are in the Rumble match. So are former champs The New Day. Might as well go ahead and put the guys both teams have screwed out of the belts, Karl Anderson & Luke Gallows, in too.
► Rich Swann has a date with the King this weekend... that is, if Neville will let the Cruiserweight champ even get to the ring without jumping him as he did last Monday.
OTHER STUFF TO KEEP AN EYE ON:
► We’ve got 12 open spots in the Rumble (check here for the latest list of official entrants)... who’s joining them?
► There are bound to be some surprises. Are those surprises going to include the entire order to entry? Usually we know who’s starting by now, right?
► That Triple H sure has been chatty lately. With football out of the way and ratings rising on the Road to WrestleMania, it’s probably time for the King of Kings to make some time in his busy schedule to resume his feud with Rollins.
► It’s the soap opera-iest thing ever, but Alicia Fox is so darn good at it. Last week she helped ex(?)-boyfriend Cedric Alexander win, but it didn’t change his mind. And she stays slapping Noam Dar, and it’s not changing that little creep’s mind, either.
► Enzo & Cass and Jack Gallagher both had the kind of wins that should end feuds last week, so keep your eyes out for them (and Rusev, Jinder Mahal & Ariya Daivari) to possibly be doing new things soon. Or more of the same.
► She’s not like most girls, because most girls wouldn’t attack Sasha Banks in the parking lot and target her already bum knee. And Nia Jax totally did that.
► He’s probably not showing up, but I’ll still mark out for however many seconds of “Medal” they play in any new Kurt Angle Hall of Fame videos they want to run tonight.
► Emmalina?