WWE Royal Rumble 2022 predictions

WWE Royal Rumble is all set to take place tonight (Sat., Jan. 29, 2022) from The Dome at America’s Center in St. Louis, Missouri. It begins at 7:00 pm ET with the Kickoff show leading right on into the main course at 8 pm ET on Peacock in the U.S., WWE Network everywhere else, or your local cable pay-per-view provider.

Luckily for you Cagesiders, our staff of learned wrestling blowhards is here to help figure out just how the event is going to play out with predictions for each match on the card.

Let’s get to it.

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WWE ROYAL RUMBLE PREDICTIONS

Women’s Royal Rumble

Geno Mrosko: Here’s what I’m thinking — Alexa Bliss returns as the Goddess and wins the whole damn thing. Then she moves to SmackDown to wrestle Charlotte Flair. Pick: Alexa Bliss

Sean Rueter: Just because this year’s “By The Numbers” video pointed out how long its been since we’ve have back-to-back to winners, and (don’t listen to Cain) Edge isn’t winning the men’s Rumble... Pick: Bianca Belair

Kyle Decker: If Ronda Rousey is in the Rumble, she’s probably winning. But prior to the rumors of her winning, I had a name in my head that I decided I was going to pick as a dark horse. And that’s Lita. The women’s Rumble is only about five years old and a lot of women who deserved to win it just never have a chance. With this year not having an obvious winner, why not let one of those badass women from before win it. Plus, she has a little thing going with SmackDown champion Charlotte Flair already. Not that I want to see Charlotte get another match with a past women’s star outside other women on the roster, but the seed to this match has been planted. Pick: Lita

Claire Elizabeth: I hate hate hate picking wide open matches like this, especially when I’m pretty confident all the fun options (Mickie “Even more Forbiddener Door” James, Lita, Nikki Bella, even Summer Rae as part of some weird crypto promotion, which would be sad but seems right up WWE’s alley) aren’t going to win, so there’s no “ooh I’m gonna stake my claim on this wildcard!” joy to be had here. And I don’t want to make a pick that will make me sad, so I’ll stick with Sensational Sean here... Pick: Bianca Belair

Cain A. Knight: Babyface Ronda Rousey will join the match and eliminate Flair at the end to ensure she doesn’t get booed. It might just be time for a twice in a lifetime winner-take-all triple threat main event at WrestleMania. Pick: Ronda Rousey

Stella Cheeks: grumble grumble grumble Pick: Ronda Rousey

Marcus Benjamin: So before the rumors hit about the return of WWE’s golden child, Ronda Rousey, I was all in for Bianca Belair. Especially since WWE told us as much during the recent number one contender’s triple threat match on Raw. But, sadly, I’m going with a newly-minted babyface Ronda coming in late, winning late, pointing to the sign, and getting the one-on-one Becky Lynch wants more than her daughter wants food. Pick: Ronda Rousey

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Men’s Royal Rumble

Geno Mrosko: I could see them starting the night with the Universal title match, then having Rollins pull double duty with an Iron Man performance that turns him even more babyface en route to winning it all. Pick: Seth Rollins

Sean Rueter: Could there be something to the betting lines? Probably not, but I want to believe. (SHUT UP CAIN) Pick: Big E

Kyle Decker: There’s really no obvious winner in the announced field. I love Big E, but I expect him to be moved down the card as opposed win the Rumble. (I want him to win the Rumble.) Instead, I think Roman screws Brock out of the WWE title and Brock wins the Rumble to get back on course for their showdown at WrestleMania. Now watch the men’s Rumble open the show to make this entire prediction moot. Pick: Brock Lesnar

Claire Elizabeth: Calling a big, wild shot here— Roman loses earlier in the show due to Kevin Owens helping his new best friend out, enters the Rumble, wins, and challenges Brock at WrestleMania because that’s the biggest match they can make sure why not. Pick: Roman Reigns

Cain A. Knight: The winner will be either Brock Lesnar or Omos. If WWE wanted Big E to be in the WWE championship match at WrestleMania 38, they would’ve kept the title on him at Day 1. Pick: Brock Lesnar

Stella Cheeks: There has been virtually no build up to this match. Most of the excitement has been focused on the women’s rumble with the announcement of the legends returning and the potential for a Rousey return. Fact of the matter is most of the men’s roster is an after thought. It’s almost definitely going to be one of the men that loses earlier in the night. They don’t want to write a new storyline. That or it’s Omos. So...eh...let’s say Pick: Brock Lesnar

Marcus Benjamin: Sigh. Actually, no, Le Sigh. I wish it was Big E. I really do. But the man’s face is on the back of a milk carton since losing CLEANLY to Seth Rollins. I picked him on our podcast (that’s CageSide Seats: The Podcast), so I have to stick with my call. Pick: Omos

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WWE Championship: Brock Lesnar vs. Bobby Lashley

Geno Mrosko: I find it next to impossible to accurately predict Brock Lesnar matches, seeing as Vince McMahon has such a soft spot for him. If the plan is to go back to Reigns, he has to lose somewhere and it would make sense here. But I just can’t see it. I don’t know. Pick: Brock Lesnar

Sean Rueter: If Brock wasn’t even supposed to win this title, having him drop it seems like a logical course correction. Plus, he’s not hurt by a loss while it will be a big deal for the All Mighty. Pick: Bobby Lashley

Kyle Decker: In order for my Rumble pick to make sense, Bobby has to win here. Pick: Bobby Lashley

Claire Elizabeth: As per my outline above, I expect Brock to hold the title until WrestleMania, and it’s really only fitting, because they always know exactly what they’re doing with Lesnar, and they never seem to really have a clue how to present Bobby Lashley as the walking armageddon that he is for very long, so... Pick: Brock Lesnar

Cain A. Knight: I don’t know how it happens, but I think Bob is winning the title. Otherwise all of Lesnar’s jokes about not knowing who Lashley is kind of bury the guy. The loss then gives Brock a better reason to enter and win the Royal Rumble match. Pick: Bobby Lashley

Stella Cheeks: They gotta get back to Roman vs. Brock somehow. Fortunately, that means my boy Bobby Lashley gets the W. Pick: Bobby Lashley

Marcus Benjamin: THE. ALL. MIGHTY. GETS. THE. W. Pick: Bobby Lashley

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Universal Championship: Roman Reigns vs. Seth Rollins

Geno Mrosko: I think Rollins is losing here but winning later in the night, as mentioned previously. Pick: Roman Reigns

Sean Rueter: They could swerve us with a title change here, but there has to be a more concrete plan for Roman’s reign. I feel dumb just typing out something about WWE having a plan, but there has to be in this case, right? Pick: Roman Reigns

Kyle Decker: Roman shouldn’t lose the belt for any short period of time. And if he wins tonight, I expect him to win something back in the next few months. There’s no reason for him to lose just now. Pick: Roman Reigns

Claire Elizabeth: Seth Rollins and his new best friend Kevin Owens are gonna outsmart the Tribal Chief, bring the Universal Championship back to Raw, and start him on his road to WrestleMania. And if you think about it, this is WWE, and Roman’s title reign was always going to end like this: awkwardly and abruptly and to someone who doesn’t really need the rub but won’t waste it, either. Pick: Seth Rollins

Cain A. Knight: Roman Reigns never loses on pay-per-view premium live events. Even if the Usos aren’t there to interfere, Seth Rollins can always get screwed over by someone else. Will Paul Heyman get involved and save his Tribal Chief? Pick: Roman Reigns

Stella Cheeks: They made sure to remind us over and over and over again that Roman has never beaten Seth one-on-one so that we would know how big of a deal it is when Roman does. Pick: Roman Reigns

Marcus Benjamin: I mean, come on. Romie Rome isn’t losing at the Rumble. Tribal Chief is the fan favorite in this match since no one likes Seth Rollins—or his drip—so let’s not overthink this. Pick: Roman Reigns

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Raw Women’s Championship: Becky Lynch vs. Doudrop

Geno Mrosko: Good for Doudrop to be in this position but there’s next to no chance she wins this match. Pick: Becky Lynch

Sean Rueter: fka Piper Niven’s been more impressive in this spotlight than Becky’s last challenger, but the only non-Horsewomen (MMA or NXT) Big Time might drop the belt to is Bianca. Pick: Becky Lynch

Kyle Decker: Weird going heel vs. heel here. But it should allow Doudrop to show how good she is on a really big stage. That won’t result in a win though. Pick: Becky Lynch

Claire Elizabeth: I appreciate that they’re not letting Vi “Piper ‘Doudrop’ Nivens” per get lost in the shuffle after her main roster debut, but she ain’t winning here. Pick: Becky Lynch

Cain A. Knight: As is often the case in WWE, the challenger’s push began far too late to believe she is an actual threat to the champ. This is the easiest match on the card to predict. Pick: Becky Lynch

Stella Cheeks: I like a lot of what Doudrop is doing in this feud. She’s been tough and has held her own on the mic with the champ. Hopefully that means that she has gotten herself over with the crowd and the execs enough that she can survive this upcoming loss from Big Time Becks. Because she is DEF losing this match. Pick: Becky Lynch

Marcus Benjamin: Doudrop is shining in this role and proving she can play in the main event sandbox. But she’s losing because her story is the same story Liv Morgan had, and basically the same story for most championship contenders: It’s my turn and I deserve a shot. Yeah, that ain’t enough to beat Becky Lynch on the big time premium live event stage. Pick: Becky Lynch

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Edge & Beth Phoenix vs. The Miz & Maryse

Geno Mrosko: There’s really no reason at all for the heels to go over here. This is a one-off type of match, and the babyfaces will get lots of shine and good times will be had by all. Pick: Edge & Beth Phoenix

Sean Rueter: Miz & Maryse couldn’t beat John Cena & Nikki Bella, and they weren’t even married. They don’t stand a chance against true love. Or Grit. Pick: Edge & Beth Phoenix

Kyle Decker: There’s no reason the babyfaces shouldn’t win here. There’s no need to protect the Miz and Maryse. Pick: The Copelands

Claire Elizabeth: The Big Boss is right in that there’s no reason for the heels to go over, but this is WWE and things do not have reasons. The It Couple over by chicanery and then Beth gets a weird spotlight match where Maryse does her best Toru Yano impression for forty seconds before getting squashed with the Glam Slam, because that’s better than just winning in your comeback match, right? Pick: The Miz & Maryse

Cain A. Knight: It would be very strange for Edge to lose against some mid-card guy. Hopefully they do the obvious thing here and Beth wins in her return match. Pick: Edge & Beth Phoenix

Stella Cheeks: GRIT COUPLE Pick: Edge & Beth Phoenix

Marcus Benjamin: Beth Phoenix isn’t coming back to lose. Pick: Edge & Beth Phoenix

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That’s how we see the card playing out.

You?