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Royal Rumble Outcome Crucial To Successful WrestleMania 31

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By @sdmeyers1

Brock Lesnar John Cena Seth Rollins

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The WWE’s January pay-per-view, the Royal Rumble, always serves as the kickoff event on the road to WrestleMania. Last year, the WWE was heavily criticized after Batista won the Royal Rumble match, cementing his spot in the WrestleMania main event. As a result, the months leading up to WrestleMania 30 were very tumultuous, and forced the company to make last-minute adjustments.

For this year’s event, it is crucial that the company makes the right choices in who prevails at the Rumble to ensure a top-notch card for WrestleMania 31.

Between the 30-man over-the-top-rope battle royal and the triple-threat match for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship, the WWE has an array of options for who will come out on top. For months, the consensus was that Brock Lesnar would retain his championship until WrestleMania. Lesnar’s title reign has been disappointing, though, and his sporadic appearances have made it very difficult to properly promote the championship.

So, it might make sense for someone else to hold the most prestigious title in all of wrestling.

Lesnar’s opponents, John Cena and Seth Rollins, are complete opposites. Cena is a proven commodity who has enjoyed 15 title reigns. He’s a larger-than-life personality, but his in-ring skills are less than stellar. Conversely, Rollins is a rising star who has never held the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. His presence does not transcend the wrestling industry, but he’s perhaps the very best competitor in the squared circle today.

The Rumble match itself has no less than five competitors who have a realistic chance to prevail. Many experts have considered Roman Reigns the front-runner to challenge for the title for quite some time, so a victory in the Rumble would cement his spot in the main event at WrestleMania 31. Reigns has struggled mightily on the mic though, and while he has the physical attributes to be a future champion, it may be too early to feature him so prominently.

Daniel Bryan shocked the world when he announced his entry into the Royal Rumble after a serious neck injury threatened his career. Bryan won the championship in the main event of WrestleMania last year, but had to forfeit the title due to injury. He’s still as popular as before his injury, and he looks to be the same incredible performer inside the ropes thus far as well.

If Randy Orton returns at the event as expected, he could instantly become the favorite to win the Royal Rumble. Orton has been out of action for the past few months, but he’s already proven to be an all-time great. He will be seeking revenge against Rollins, Triple H and The Authority, and Orton might be the best blend of in-ring skill and charisma in the WWE.

Dolph Ziggler, Dean Ambrose and Bray Wyatt all bring unique elements to the table as well, and all of them would be fresh faces in title picture.

Lesnar retaining the WWE World Heavyweight Championship and Reigns winning the Rumble match seem to be the most likely outcomes. That feud would draw parallels to Batista’s victory and rivalry with Orton heading into WrestleMania 30 though. There’s a real chance that the WWE Universe, voicing its preference for another outcome, would turn against both competitors.

With so many options, it’s vital that the WWE finds the right combination for the outcomes on Sunday. If not, the potential success of WrestleMania 31 could be greatly compromised.

Sean Meyers is a professional wrestling writer for RantSports. Follow him on Twitter and “Like” him on Facebook.

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