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Great debut for Samoa Joe, of course. He'll be a perfect stand-in for Triple H against Rollins at Fastlane, to build towards the big match at Wrestlemania between The Cerebral Assassin and The Architect.
It figured that Reigns was going to show up to DQ Braun Strowman's championship shot. I thought it was a little silly for Roman to not take any bumps from either Strowman or Owens in the process. But, let's be honest, the Superman Punch always has looked a little silly. This dinky air punch takes out the Eater of Alligators Strowman? I know, roll with it. #ItsRealToMe
Looks like the feud between Cass + Enzo vs. Rusev is over. Missed opportunity. Cass vs. Rusev should've been a money match. They pulled the trigger on this feud way too soon if they weren't going to do it right. Neither Cass nor Rusev gained anything here.
Pretty status quo otherwise. Paul Heyman is always fantastic. Off the cuff he can basically write a sports column with his promos. You could have him talk for the whole three hours and it would probably not get old.
My anger and "is this really f@#$@#$ happening?!" feeling at Reigns eliminating The Undertaker turned into relief with Orton winning it all. Surprising choice, but an inspired one. Orton hasn't had a big shot in awhile.
I was correct on predicting Bayley vs. Charlotte, Cena vs. AJ and Swann vs. Neville. I was not correct on KO vs. Reigns, but I couldn't be happier about that.
Interesting set ups with Reigns. He could feud BOTH with Strowman and with Undertaker going forward. Sounds like that rumored match between Reigns and Undertaker at Wrestlemania may indeed be the way they go. Which...is a swell idea, except that goddammit, Reigns still needs to be a heel. I don't know how long his presence can be the equivalent of a wet fart in the elevator until someone in Creative decides to make a change. How much fun can it be for Roman to always be the guy who's supposed to be cheered and yet is booed?
Pretty solid show all around. I thought all the matches delivered. AJ and Cena should just feud forever. Their matches never get old to watch, and the electricity in the crowd just shoots up several notches when they're in the ring together. Even from home I get goosebumps listening to it.
Since 1988 wrestlers of all backgrounds, shapes, sizes, and abilities have reached into a tumbler and selected a number.
A single number that could define not only their year but their entire careers.
Starting in 1993, the winner of the Royal Rumble received the grandest of prizes:
A World Championship match at Wrestlemania.
Suddenly friendships went by the wayside, tag teams began imploding, shocking returns took place as the lure of immortality is often too great to resist.
Tonight, 30 more men have entered into the 30 Man free for all, many having already declared their victory a foregone conclusion.
Who will ultimately be standing at the end? Let's break this down..
For the first time in quite some time, the Royal Rumble closely resembles the Land of The Giants that dominated the landscape of the World Wrestling Federation throughout the 1980s'
Some serious mass will be hitting the ring and one has to hope the squared circle is reinforced as never before.
The biggest shadow cast in inarguably courtesy of The Undertaker.
For the first time since 2008 (where he drew #1) The Dead Man has entered himself into a Rumble and he hasn't come back for anything other than victory.
Interrupting a job evaluation of Raw GM Mick Foley, Undertaker warned the 29 other wrestlers that holes had been dug already and they were all going to their final resting place.
That declaration instantly puts him at odds with several other intimidating forces that will be joining him in the fray.
Bill Goldberg embarked on the most shocking and unlikely comeback back at Survivor Series.
His quick dismantling of Brock Lesnar set shockwaves through the entire wrestling scene.
Originally intending to shut Lesnar down, the flame of competition was reignited and the following night Goldberg decided he had another title run left in him. Thus he was the first entry into the Rumble.
Not too long after, Lesnar's advocate Paul Heyman formally entered his Beast into the Rumble. He would be out to victimize everyone he comes into contact with, especially one Bill Goldberg.
It was an electric feeling when the three icons shared the shame ring for the first time ever.
Imaginations ran wild as to what will happen should the moment repeat itself at the Alamo Dome. Just who would win out in a colossal struggle?
If Braun Strowman has anything to say about it, all three would become his latest conquests in a long line of bodies left broken and battered.
Since being drafted away from the control of Bray Wyatt, Strowman has been an unstoppable monster.
Not only undefeated but aside from a duel spear from Goldberg and Roman Reigns, nobody has been able to pierce the armor of the big man.
His repeated assaults on Roman Reigns is a definite sign he is ready to incorporate championship gold into his daily life. A man that size can not be denied, can he?
Enter The Big Show.
While he has largely been away from the squared circle (his only match since the Draft being against Seth Rollins), The World's Largest Athlete hasn't been completely dormant.
Arguably in the best shape of his career, he has returned to remind everyone that at one point he was THE most powerful big man in all of wrestling.
His first immediate target turned out to be Strowman. The two shared an intense staredown and although Braun opted not to engage in a fight, that will not be the case in the Rumble.
All those men would be intimidating to a great majority. If the buzzer goes off and any of them, if not all, are already present, few would be in a hurry to get into the ring.
Baron Corbin is in the minority who isn't the least bit impressed by the size and accolades of any of them.
On the Smackdown Live side of the fence, The Lone Wolf has been busy introducing several superstars to their End of Days.
A proven winner of battle royals (His debut saw him claim The Andre Memorial Battle Royal trophy at Wrestlemania), Corbin has zero doubt he can outmuscle and outlast anyone regardless of their pedigree.
Should he wind up looking in the eyes of an Undertaker or Lesnar, it will be fascinating to see who blinks first and winds up sent to the arena floor.
All the above have brute force on their side to clear the ring whenever they feel like doing so.
However in the psychological warfare department, the most dangerous entity is The Wyatt Family.
Bray Wyatt has seen his fare share of ups and downs in the nearly four years he has sought to spread the word of Sister Abigail.
But one thing he has never lost is the ability to bring together lost souls and leave a trail of carnage in their wake.
On his own "The Eater of Worlds" has defeated the likes of Daniel Bryan, Ryback, Roman Reigns, Dean Ambrose, and many others. His unconventional style has left many puzzled and eventually left for the buzzards.
Add in a cohesive Family and it is him who could be the biggest threat to watch out for.
Therein lies the question? Just how unified will The Wyatts be?
Recent tension between Randy Orton and Luke Harper resulted in Wyatt ordering them to do battle on the January24 Smackdown Live. He wanted them to get all angst out of their systems in order to unite at the Alamo Dome.
Orton picked up the victory but the most shocking moment came when Bray delivered a Sister Abigail to his most loyal, trusted disciple.
Was it tough love or was Harper's time in the Family ended then and there?
That key question may be answered at the Rumble.
The other question is even if Harper and Orton arrive united at last, do they merely wish to help their patriarch win the match?
Orton hasn't tasted singles gold in three years while Harper is a former Intercontinental Champion fully capable of carving out his own path of mayhem. Do they stay loyal to Bray or does the Family fully implode?
If it's the former, the other participants may want to RUN.
The rest of the announced loaded field are not athletes to take unlikely or discount as potential winners in the least.
Intercontinental Champion Dean Ambrose and The Miz may be currently embroiled in a personal battle for pride and gold but their World Title aspirations have never fully gone away.
Ambrose enjoyed an 84 day reign as WWE Champion in 2016 while Miz experienced a career rebirth while simultaneously raising the stock of the IC Title The Lunatic Fringe currently holds.
If either is able to keep their focus on winning the Rumble if/when they come into contact, it is very possible one of them punches their ticket to Orlando.
Chris Jericho may spend part of the night hanging from a Shark Cage when best friend Kevin Owens defends the Universal Championship but the current United States Champion will no doubt aim to end the night giving the WWE Universe the Rumble of Jericho.
With a scarf and a list, Y2J has experience perhaps the best period of his stories career. He is one of the few with extensive Rumble experience and nearly won it in 2012 where he was the runner-up to Sheamus. If he can survive the trauma of being a sexy pinata, he just might secure the one accomplishment left for him in WWE.
The New Day and Sheamus & Cesaro have primarily been focused on the tag team ranks but as previously noted unity and friendship don't tend to survive a Royal Rumble. The competitive nature of all five competitors could lead to the very meltdowns the match has been known to create.
Dolph Ziggler recently returned to his evil roots and won't be looking to just show off. He will be out to run through the other 29 participants and restore himself to the glory he experienced as a former World Champion in 2013.
Sami Zayn makes his second Royal Rumble appearance. Last year his obsession with Kevin Owens cost him but with KO out of the field, the Underground Underdog can fully focus on the task at hand.
He was nearly left out of the match by Stephanie McMahon which should only further fuel his desire to headline the Showcase of The Immortals.
Newcomers Big Cass and Mojo Rawley may not make the list of those most likely to win but both will be looking to leave a lasting impact.
With eight positions yet to be filled, the WWE Universe is abuzz with the endless possibilities of who may walk through that curtain.
Newly added Hall of Famer Kurt Angle, NXT's Samoa Joe, Tye Dillinger, Shinsuke Nakamura, former Universal Champion Finn Balor are just some of the many names thrown out as potentially showing up.
The unknown factor of who will arrive and what number they have made be the key to victory for the mystery participant.
Since 1988 The Royal Rumble has provided innumerable memories and lasting impressions on every single fan who has ever bared witness to one.
Amazing title defenses, shocking turns to good and evil, and everything in between.
And that's not bringing the Royal Rumble match itself into account.
30 (and 40 in 2011) men enter the squared circle at intervals spanning between 90 seconds and two minutes relying on strength, conditioning, and the luck of the draw to propel them to not only a massive victory in the record books but a spot at the top of the card at Wrestlemania.
Shocking returns, cameos, eliminations, and outcomes of all varieties have thrilled audiences for nearly 30 years.
Tomorrow night's event with a loaded field of participants and several championship matches should prove to be a worthy addition to the best this PPV has always had to offer.
A Kickoff show will begin at 5 P.M. with a panel featuring Charly Caruso, Jerry Lawler, Shawn Michaels and others breaking down all the action and offering their predictions.
There are eight matches scheduled for the show.
Two will take place on the Kickoff Show and five will be contested for championships representing both Monday Night Raw and Smackdown Live.
With the Kickoff Show already previewed, I will now examine the Cruiserweight Championship Match!
When Rich Swann captured the Cruiserweight Championship on the debut episode of 205 Live in late November, the last thing he likely ever imagined having to do was go to war against a former close friend and mentor.
Yet headed into tonight's show, that is exactly what he must do to hold onto the title he fought so hard for.
It all seemed innocent enough when Neville, who has been absent for some time, suddenly returned at Roadblock: End of The Line following Swann's victory over Kendrick and TJ Perkins.
Swann looked downright thrilled to see his close friend coming down the ramp. But things quickly took a deadly turn. For the Neville who was about to strike wasn't the man Swann had known for so long.
Neville unleashed months of anger and rage on everyone in his sights.
In the subsequent weeks The Man Gravity Forgot ripped into Swann, the Cruiserweight Division, and WWE for forgetting him as well.
Citing that he should have been included in the Cruiserweight Classic, Neville declared he would set out on his own personal mission to be crowned the King of Cruiserweights.
With Swann holding onto the title that would cement that self-proclaimed moniker, Neville continued the brutal assaults on the Outlandish one.
On December 19, Swann confronted Neville about his new change in attitude and informed him that without the title, he was just a pretender.
It proved to be an unwise move in provocation, especially when Kendrick inserted himself into the conversation.
A two on one beat down ensued though Swann stood his ground. Perkins attempted to make a save but was swiftly kicked in the head by Neville.
Neville and Kendrick stood tall but the worst was yet to come for Swann.
On the subsequent edition of 205 Live, Kendrick and Neville defeated Swann and Perkins in an intense grudge tag team encounter.
But what Neville really wanted was Swann all to himself and issued the challenge on the next edition of Raw. Swann, eager for retribution accepted on the spot.
On the December 27 edition of 205 Live, Neville and Swann engaged in heated battle. It was a non-title bout but no less important to either.
Neville continued to employ his new technique of hard striking mixed with the occasional high risk maneuver.
Swann rallied and nearly knocked off his dangerous challenger but it was a Superplex that secured Neville a victory and a step closer to accomplishing his long-term goal.
However he wasn't satisfied with a mere three count. He continued attacking Swann until a group of officials were finally able to pry him away.
Swann would miss a week of action as a result of the beating. When he resurfaced, it became apparent Neville had unlocked the serious side dwelling within him; Neville would soon discover he didn't particularly like it either.
On the January 9 edition of Raw, Neville defeated Lince Dorado and delighted in further punishing his fallen opponent.
That's when Swann ran down and took the fight to Neville, driving him from the ring.
The look on both man's faces told the story. There was pure hatred at play and nothing was fully settled on that night.
The next night on 205 Live, Swann was back in action and picked up a win over Tony Nese.
He then called out Neville but the angry Brit wouldn't set foot in the same ring as him again until the Cruiserweight Championship was on the line.
Swann accepted and the match was made for the Royal Rumble.
With the opportunity secure, Neville continued carrying out his game plan and attacking Swann every chance he got.
As Swann danced his way into a return match with Nese on the January 16 Raw, Neville ran through the crowd and blindsided him. Another layer of aggression was revealed as officials once again had to pull Neville away.
This time though Swann was able to recover long enough to mount a comeback, something Neville wasn't used to. It took the intervention of Nese to put an end to it.
Unlike the previous partnership with Kendrick, Neville didn't wish for a companion and removed Nese from the scene. That didn't stop him from taking advantage of the situation and delivering a final blow to Swann though.
On the January 23 edition of Raw, Swann picked up a key victory over Noam Dar.
Afterward he called out Neville to get a piece of him when they were eye to eye, not a sneak attack from a cowardly man.
Surprisingly Neville came out from the back and seemed ready to oblige. At the last minute though he retreated to the floor much to Swann's anger.
Taking matters into his own hands, Swann took to the air to wipe out Neville and send a direct message in the process; he wasn't going to lay down and simply hand Neville his "crown". Their title match would be a dog fight.
The next night on 205 Live, Neville defeated Cedric Alexander with an assist from Noam Dar.
As had become customary, Neville sought to inflict more punishment; when Dar tried to further assist he was sent to the floor just as Nese was previously. Undaunted, Dar still got in his shots until Swann made the save.
If the interactions have been any indication, this match will be an explosive ball of dynamite with potential to be one of the more memorable encounters of the night.
Both athletes likely take pride in the fact this will be the first Cruiserweight Championship mach held at a Royal Rumble since 2006 where Gregory Helms began his record setting title reign.
With that in mind, they will go to any lengths to be the man who emerges victorious at the Alamo Dome.
Neville will need to make Swann wrestle his match and keep him on the defense. He has the advantage in height and overall striking ability. If he mixes in the latter with a select few aerial moves, he stands a very good chance of capturing his first singles title since his NXT Championship run.
Swann will have to ramp up his speed and kicks to keep Neville at bay. He can not afford to allow the match to be taken to the ground or the corner where Neville does his best damage lately.
Swann will also need to keep his emotions in check. When on the offense he has to keep victory at the forefront of his mind rather than dole out a beating.
In the end, Neville has laser focus on sitting atop the Cruiserweight Division and while it will be a nip and tuck battle, I see him coming out on top.
If he does, who will truly be able to overthrow the King?
Since 1988 The Royal Rumble has provided innumerable memories and lasting impressions on every single fan who has ever bared witness to one.
Amazing title defenses, shocking turns to good and evil, and everything in between.
And that's not bringing the Royal Rumble match itself into account.
30 (and 40 in 2011) men enter the squared circle at intervals spanning between 90 seconds and two minutes relying on strength, conditioning, and the luck of the draw to propel them to not only a massive victory in the record books but a spot at the top of the card at Wrestlemania.
Shocking returns, cameos, eliminations, and outcomes of all varieties have thrilled audiences for nearly 30 years.
Tomorrow night's event with a loaded field of participants and several championship matches should prove to be a worthy addition to the best this PPV has always had to offer.
A Kickoff show will begin at 5 P.M. with a panel featuring Charly Caruso, Jerry Lawler, Shawn Michaels and others breaking down all the action and offering their predictions.
There are eight matches scheduled for the show.
Three will take place on the Kickoff Show and five will be contested for championships representing both Monday Night Raw and Smackdown Live
In this preview, I will examine the three matches to take place on the Kickoff!
Sasha Banks has made a career out of scratching and clawing her way through obstacles and defying every conventional wisdom that tells her she can't win.
The former three time Raw Women's Champion showed true heart and resilience during her epic series of championship matches against Charlotte Flair. On three occasions she forced Flair to submit on Raw (two of those matches being the broadcast's main event) and claimed the gold.
However it has been a tough go for The Boss dating back to the end of 2016.
Banks and Flair met one last time at Roadblock: End of The Line in a 30 minute Ironman Match which pushed them to their breaking points. In the end it was Flair who secured ultimate victory and her fourth Women's Championship.
Banks suffered a severe knee injury and was utilizing a crutch when she asked Flair out to the ring on the December 19 edition of Raw.
Instead of Flair however, Nia Jax arrived and she was interested in more than just a simple chit chat.
Jax called Banks weak, pathetic, and worst of all a broken little girl. She proceeded to cowardly assault her and target the injured knee.
After several minutes of punishment, Jax felt satisfied her message had been sent. Banks sat in the ring in immense pain and left wondering where she went from there.
For a short period of time, she wouldn't go anywhere. The additional damage kept Banks sidelined but it wasn't the last Jax would see of her new rival.
Fueled by her destruction, Jax moved on to a #1 Contender's match against old rival Bayley on the January 2 edition of Raw.
Though Raw's resident hugger had spurts of offense, Nia dominated the majority of the action; victory seemed well at hand.
That is, until Sasha Banks reappeared and got a measure of retribution in the process.
Just the mere sight of the woman she thought she sent out to pasture was enough to distract Jax who was perched on the middle turnbuckle. It was enough to allow Bayley to recover and hit a super Belly to Bayley suplex and score the pinfall.
Satisfied at costing Jax a title shot, Banks smirked from the top of the ramp. Jax seethed and viewers knew retaliation was coming.
After Jax and Charlotte defeated Banks and Bayley on the January 9 edition of Raw, it was determined Sasha's knee required further evaluation.
So just before the January 16 edition of Raw went on the air, Banks was preforming the standard tests for the medical staff when the callous Jax struck again.
For a second time Nia Jax had caused massive damage to the limb of Banks. It seemed as if The Boss had finally encountered someone who she couldn't figure out an answer to, no matter how underhanded the tactics were.
On the January 23 edition of Raw Jax demolished local competitor Ray Lyn and looked to rub salt in Sasha's wounds in a post-match interview.
In the midst of her mocking, Banks reemerged and this time she wasn't going to sit back and take anymore crap from her larger nemesis. She just started swinging her crutch like a home run derby champion.
This time it was Jax left on the mat battered and bruised setting the stage for the grudge match set for Sunday.
The two key components of this match center around Sasha Banks.
Is her knee dependable enough to compete in what should be a high impact match up?
Can she overcome the size and power disadvantage?
Smaller wrestlers like Asuka and Bayley have shown previously that Jax can be beaten but it took everything but the kitchen sink for it to happen.
If Banks is acting on pure emotion, both looking for revenge and to get back in the title hunt, she leaves herself vulnerable to Jax's spine crushing offense.
For Nia Jax, this will be the biggest match of her tenure on Raw since being drafted. A win over someone of the caliber of Banks will put her right at the front of the line to challenge the winner of Bayley vs.Charlotte.
She will need to press any advantage she has during the match and not fall to overconfidence, something that has been her downfall before.
In the end I think experience trumps size. Jax will have an impressive showing but The Boss will exact sweet revenge and pick up the win.
Raw World Tag Team Championship Match with two referees assigned
Sheamus & Cesaro vs. Karl Anderson & Luke Gallows
When former IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Champions Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows made their Raw debut in the spring of 2016, many observers felt it was a matter of when, not if they would become Raw World Tag Team Champions.
Surprisingly, it didn't pan out that way. Though they received many opportunities to knock off then-champions The New Day, the good brothers were unable to prevent the clap happy trio from becoming the longest reigning tag team champions in WWE history.
One could only imagine their dismay when enemies turned somewhat friends Sheamus and Cesaro were able to capture the gold at Roadblock: End of The Line.
To be sure, the Swiss Superman and Celtic Warrior have turned into one of the best tandems to form in recent memory. Though they still engage in a game of one trying to upstage one another on occasion, they still come together when it matters most.
And coming together has never been more vital than at present time. The Club have sought to conquer and divide just as their theme song spells out.
On the January 2 edition of Raw Anderson put he and Gallows into contention with a hard fought victory over Cesaro.
The following week Sheamus regained some momentum for the champs with an impressive victory over Gallows as Cesaro and Anderson espoused the greatness of their respective teams on commentary before brawling on the stage.
The Club received another crack at tag team glory on the January 16 edition of Raw. It was their most determined effort to date in the back and forth struggle.
For much of the match neither team was able to get a concrete advantage until The Club isolated Sheamus. But the Irish tough man rallied and made the tag to Cesaro who ran wild.
Late in the match Sheamus was in the process of giving the challengers a beating when he accidentally struck the referee.
When Anderson and Gallows delivered the Magic Killer to Cesaro, a second official ran to the ring and administered the three count.
It appeared new champions had been crowned until the original official was revived and delivered some bad news for The Club.
His ruling was that since Sheamus had made contact with him, intentional or not, that was grounds for a disqualification. That left The Club still with a victory but no titles to show for it.
Sheamus took the brunt of their outrage and also fell victim to the Magic Killer.
On the January 23 edition of Raw it was announced the two teams would collide a second time with the tag titles on the line at the Royal Rumble Kickoff.
Only there would be a twist thrown in; to ensure a fair winner, two referees would be assigned to the match.
Later that night Gallows defeated Cesaro in a match that saw liberal involvement from Sheamus and Anderson.
Going into the match, The Club have the edge with three different wins over the champs.
The additional referee in theory is meant to keep things fair and to make sure there is no confusion when the final bell rings.
Given the animosity between the champions and challengers, seeing that premise through will be an arduous task for the two officials assigned to the match.
This promises to be a smash mouth match with plenty of displays of power coming from all angles.
Anderson and Gallows have the advantage when it comes to longevity as a team from their days running roughshod over New Japan Pro Wrestling with the rest of The Bullet Club. They think alike have mastered the art of cutting the ring in half.
If Sheamus and Cesaro can remain as united as they have been in recent weeks they will be more than able to display their own brand of unity and impressive tandem maneuvers.
If the second referee keeps a watchful eye on the match, the shortcuts neither duo are above resorting to will be negated and the match will be decided on by skill and who executes solidarity better than the other team.
To that end I see Sheamus and Cesaro retaining the gold when it's all said and done.
The Club will be more motivated than ever but after the long struggle it took the Champs to jumpstart their respective careers and win gold, they won't be giving them up any time soon/
Becky Lynch, Naomi, and Nikki Bella vs. Smackdown Women's Champion Alexa Bliss, Mickie James, and Natalya
Intersecting rivalries with bad blood and bad intentions will come to a head on collision on Sunday.
Since winning the Smackdown Women's Championship from Becky Lynch in a Tables Match at TLC, Alexa Bliss has gone out of her way to make sure she's made exactly one friend throughout her reign.
When that one friend is a former Women's and Diva's Champion, it becomes quality over quantity in this case. The new alliance has helped her stave off the Irish Lasskicker's repeated attempts to knock her off her throne.
For weeks on end Lynch was relentless in her quest to regain the title and put the cocky Bliss in her place at the same time.
She even resorted to a masked persona, La Luchadora, to gain a non-title win on the 12/20 edition of Smackdown Live.
From there on, the Luchadora ruse became a nightmare Lynch was unable to wake up from.
On the December 27 edition of Smackdown Live, Lynch challenged for the gold and after decimating the arm of Bliss, she was poised to take back the title when..
La Luchadora interfered?!
It sure wasn't Becky Lynch but someone had donned the disguise and threw a monkey wrench in everything fans thought they know about the situation.
The mysterious, disruptive woman in question not only broke Becky's concentration but pulled her head first into the ring post. That allowed Bliss to spike Lynch with a DDT and retain her gold.
Lynch got a measure of revenge against La Luchadora though not in the way she initially imagined.
On the January 3 edition of Smackdown Live, the two met in singles action.
Lynch was able to submit her with the Dis-Arm-Er and for added measure remove her mask to reveal..
Alexa Bliss?!
A confused WWE Universe didn't have long to try and figure out what the heck was going on before the real tormentor of Lynch appeared for a two on one assault.
It all came to a head on the January 17 edition of Smackdown Live.
GM Daniel Bryan granted Lynch a title match given she did submit Bliss the week prior. In order to keep out La Luchadora though, the match would be contested inside a steel cage.
The intentions were good but wound up being for naught.
While the two gifted athletes put on a clinic inside the cage, it was indeed La Luchadora who was once again the deciding factor.
Luchadora first prevented Lynch from exiting the cage.
Then when Lynch opted to try and submit Bliss one more time, a well placed kick to the head once more put an end to her hopes and dreams.
Though stinging with yet another defeat, Lynch fought off her assailaints long enough to FINALLY unmask Luchadora to reveal..
MICKIE JAMES
Not seen since her loss to NXT Women's Champion Asuka in November, James was now at the side of Bliss. The balance of power within the Smackdown Women's Division took an even more dramatic shift.
A week later, a very bitter Mickie explained to Renee Young that she took great exception to Lynch and many others acting as if the Women's Revolution began with them and not her back when she defeated Trish Stratus at Wrestlemania 22 in 2006.
The only person to truly recognize who she is and what she can do was Alexa Bliss which is why she opted to assist her in keeping the title away from Becky.
Lynch wasn't interested in complaints, only throwing fists. Unfortunately without backup, she fell victim to another two on one assault when Bliss made the save for Mickie.
Not content with bringing down one challenger, Bliss would return later in the night to try and mock and degrade the returning Naomi.
Back from injury, Naomi saw her scheduled match with Natalya go by the wayside when Nikki Bella attacked her arch nemesis backstage. Being proactive she issued an open challenge to woman in the back wanting to take her on.
The Smackdown Women's Champion came out but not to compete. Rather, she questioned just who Naomi thought she was or how anyone would even remember her name since she'd been away for so long.
Naomi urged Bliss to step in the ring and defend her title but Alexa had zero interest. She told Naomi to say hello to obscurity for her and arrogantly sauntered off.
Rounding out the chaotic scene is the ongoing bitter rivalry between Natalya and Nikki Bella.
For months Natalya's frustration with being overlooked and left out of the spotlight in favor of her fellow Total Divas cast mate have resulted in a very personal war of both words and physicality.
When relegated to being the official Coach of the Smackown Women's team at Survivor Series (following a loss to Nikki to determine the team captain) Nattie decided to take matters into her own hands.
Bella was mysteriously attacked backstage and the initially suspected culprit was her then-rival Carmella given the prior history between the two. But the Princess of Staten Island pleaded her innocence.
At TLC after her loss to Bella, she outed Natalya as the guilty party. Nattie repeatedly denied this citing the bond she and Nikki had formed while appearing on the E! reality series.
On the December 20 edition of Smackdown Live after more finger pointing from Carmella, Natalya finally confessed with sinister glee that it was in fact her who took out Nikki backstage.
Going on a soul cleansing tirade, the Queen of Harts told Bella she deserved the spotlight over her and that she was only even around based only on who she was sleeping with. But even John Cena would eventually leave her and she'd die alone.
The revelation set off a chain of events that resulted in several vicious brawls between the two former Divas Champions.
It will be interesting to see who gets the upper hand in this intriguing encounter.
In what should be an action packed match, there are plenty of moving parts and emotions in play.
The team of Lynch, Naomi, and Bella will have to find a way to work together against their common enemies rather than go into the match with a singular mindset.
Easier said than done given what their opponents have done to them but very vital to their path to victory.
Bliss, James, and Natalya will look to further push those buttons and stay in their rivals' heads.
The important thing they must do is isolate one of them and not allow any of them to get into an offensive rhythm. Lynch and Naomi in particular are very difficult to slow down once they get rolling. This is where Natalya's expertise in submission will come in handy if she can ground either one.
In the end I think the team work of Team Bliss will be superior to that of Team Lynch and they will walk out victorious. Payback will have to wait another day for the opposing side.
