Roundtable: Greatest Royal Rumble

After watching two already this year, are you burnt out yet on Royal Rumbles?

David Gibb: Yes. It feels like the knife is perilously close to the goose’s belly. (Don’t forget there were two battle royals on the day of Mania as well!).

Calvin Gibbon: No way. It’s my favorite wrestling match type. The exhilaration of finding out who the entrants are and when they come in combined with the drama of rooting on your favorites! The Royal Rumble is always exciting.

John Corrigan: Absolutely. Especially when they’re beginning to mean nothing: Nakamura lost, Asuka lost, Hardy won the Andre to team with Bray and Naomi won the former Moolah to dance for the Bludgeon Bros.

Jack Goodwillie: Too much of anything ain’t a good thing! Cheeseburgers, sleep… sex. You get my drift. My interest hasn’t waned; however, I’m really curious to see what exactly will make this the “greatest” Royal Rumble. Is it the surprise entrants? Is it the prize? I’ll definitely be tuning in to find out.

Anthony Mahalis: I’m not burnt out on rumbles, but I suppose I eventually will be if they make this event every year. It seems weird that you are calling this the Greatest Royal Rumble, though. Could no one come up with another name? Now, you have to make sure this rumble is good, and you are essentially saying that the real Royal Rumble is a lesser event than this, which makes no sense.

Troy Taroff: I never give sick of good old fashioned rumbles.

How do you feel about Undertaker competing again?

Gibb: I have mixed feelings about him competing again because I thought the match with Cena was so perfectly executed, but I also think it makes perfect sense for one of the company’s most iconic stars to make an appearance at a crucial show in a new market.

Gibbon: I don’t like it. The Undertaker beating John Cena was fine. It felt better to see Taker leaving on top. This match at the GRR seems superfluous.

Corrigan: I’m always a sucker for seeing Undertaker in person, but since I’m not flying to Saudi Arabia, I wish the Deadman would rest in peace.

Goodwillie: Not great. I’m not sure how much of this card is going to be canon. It might be the whole thing. But as is the case with a sect of the current roster, I am “out” on The Undertaker. His legacy has reached such a point that I don’t think it can be bettered, but I also think it’s susceptible to irreparable damage if the book doesn’t close soon. It’s a nothing to gain, a lot to lose sort of situation.

Mahalis: Hate it. I’m on record that I think Undertaker should have retired years ago, that lousy match with John Cena certainly didn’t make me change my tune. Now we get to have another young guy lose to the Undertaker…keep up the good work.

Taroff: In a match that means absolutely nothing for his legacy? Honesty, I don’t care that much.

Does Reigns finally slay the Beast?

Gibb: I mean, that’s what’s supposed to happen based on all the garbage we consume on the ‘net, right? Here’s a hot take: I don’t care. That Universal Title feels cold and dead to me, and the booking of this feud, regardless of the fact that both guys are great performers, is what killed it.

Gibbon: Yes and please let this miserable main event program be over. Reigns is so bad he’s bringing Lesnar down into his pit of mediocrity. I’m hoping that it’s quick but I fear it won’t be.

Corrigan: Of course not. Neither animal nor mere mortal can conquer the current, reigning and defending WWE Universal Heavyweight Champion.

Goodwillie: (laughs) No. If I were to fantasy book this, I would put my winner of the Greatest Royal Rumble over Lesnar at SummerSlam when he leaves to appear before USADA and prove he’s clean and ready for one more go-around the octagon. Who do I have in mind, you ask? Keep reading!

Mahalis: I’m really flabbergasted about this one. I have thought Reigns was going to beat Lesnar the last two times, and that didn’t happen. It would have been a much bigger deal to have Reigns win at WrestleMania, so you would be robbing him of that moment. I guess if he does win, he wouldn’t get that harsh of a reaction in Saudi Arabia. I am hoping that Roman wins still because I just want Lesnar to not have the title…and also not be around for a while…but I think Lesnar retains again.

Taroff: He has to, right? Right???

Which match are you most looking forward to?

Gibb: In spite of what I said above, Undertaker-Rusev. I’m intrigued to see how much of a match they do versus how much it’s a chance for ‘Taker to do his entrance, hit a move or two, and have a signature Deadman-style win on the big show. Regardless of how it’s structured, if Undertaker can deliver at the level he did at WrestleMania one more time, it will be excellent.

Gibbon: AJ vs. Shinsuke. It’s the match with arguably the most at stake. This rivalry is on fire. What happens on Friday will definitely be important for this feud.

Corrigan: The four-way ladder match is going to steal the show.

Goodwillie: I’ll preface by saying I will be weighing this card directly against WrestleMania, as it has a couple common matches with even more pizazz. Example: Enjoy the Intercontinental Championship match at WrestleMania? Well add Samoa Joe and some ladders and wham-o! You have a really intriguing match. Personally, I’m looking forward to seeing John Cena and Triple H lock up one more time. It may be more or less an exhibition, but I tend to take the bait on nostalgia more often than not.

Mahalis: This is a toss up. I am looking forward to seeing AJ/Shinsuke 2. Shinsuke being a heel makes a more interesting dynamic. Shinsuke has to win though, he needs to be fully legitimized as a heel and as a character really. He needs the title more than Styles does at this point. I am also looking forward to Reigns vs Lesnar. That is strictly because I am really curious about the outcome. I have little faith that the match will be good. In fact, I expect it to stink, because Lesnar is lazy and most of his matches are the same thing.

Taroff: Styles vs Nakamura going at it again? Maybe this will finally be Nakamura’s crowning moment.

Who will win the 50-man Royal Rumble?

Gibb: I think it will be someone from Raw, since Smackdown’s Nakamura won the traditional Royal Rumble earlier this year. Rollins and Balor feel like good choices. (Prop bet prediction: One of the Saudi guys they tried out is in the final five.)

Gibbon: That’s a tough one. I think Daniel Bryan would be a great pick. I could also see Strowman winning it. I don’t know and that’s the best part.

Corrigan: After Reigns fails to vanquish the Beast, he will enter at #50 and win the whole damn thing.

Goodwillie: A big criticism from the 4/16 Raw was how WWE made Bobby Lashley look like just another member of the roster after a stellar debut on the post-Mania episode. He can very quickly, however, go back to looking like a future world champion if the WWE uses the 50-man rumble as a launching pad to build to a Lesnar-Lashley match in August. And if that happens, I’d put Bobby over clean. I still think he has enough momentum to go on a serious roll this summer and could be someone the fans buy into as a potential solution to the Brock Lesnar problem (sorry, John).

Mahalis: I mean, Daniel Bryan is the obvious answer, right? Doesn’t that make the most sense? It actually makes too much sense, which is probably why he won’t win. Whatever, I am picking him anyway.

Taroff: It means nothing. Who cares?