WWE Royal Rumble: Projecting Next Feuds for Goldberg, Brock Lesnar, Undertaker

The three big draws for Sunday's 30th annual WWE Royal Rumble pay-per-view all came up short in the show's main event, so what's next for Goldberg, Brock Lesnar and Undertaker?

It's fairly easy to map out the future for two of those guys, but intriguingly, Undertaker's road to WrestleMania looks much cloudier.

Here's a look at what lies in store for three of the company's biggest names over a pivotal next few months.

Brock Lesnar and Goldberg

Make no mistake about it: Sunday night was not the end of the war between Goldberg and Brock Lesnar.

Anyone who thought their match at Survivor Series was the end of the rivalry did not see Goldberg's elimination of Lesnar in the Rumble match coming.

That, in itself, was dramatic enough. It looked for sure as if the two men would be in the Rumble for a protracted period, but Goldberg sending Lesnar tumbling over the top rope seconds after delivering a Spear only further enhanced the rivalry between the two men.

What's perhaps most interesting in the Goldberg-Lesnar dynamic is how strongly Lesnar comes back from this latest setback. 

He's not been made to look this vulnerable or weak since returning to the company several years ago—and to save face and get his heat back at WrestleMania, he will surely have to win well and win convincingly.

Whether the two giants of the ring collide again before WrestleMania remains to be seen, but Goldberg vs. Lesnar is definitely on the cards at the biggest show of the year.

Undertaker

While it's easy to work out where Goldberg and Lesnar are headed, things are quite the opposite for Undertaker. 

He was among the leading contenders in the eyes of many to win the Royal Rumble match, and despite making it to the final few competitors, he was ultimately eliminated by Roman Reigns—and was that a subtle clue as to what happens next for Taker?

The dynamic between the two—with Reigns declaring the ring was "his yard" after throwing Taker over the top rope—is one that can certainly be developed. There's the framework of a storyline there in many ways, with Taker looking to show he is still a force to be reckoned with against one of WWE's big main event stars.

"

People moaning about Reigns being in Rumble. 2 reasons he was in..

1) ensure crowd are happy with ending and winner

2) Set up Taker match

— Sunny Sanghera (@SunnyGearSolid) January 30, 2017"

But with Braun Strowman likely to be in Reigns' path before any potential match with Taker, does that mean The Deadman has to look elsewhere for a 'Mania opponent?

It looks like he will be staying on Raw, meaning someone from that roster has to be in mind for 'Mania. So what about a returning Finn Balor?

Balor will almost certainly be back in time for WrestleMania, and a dream bout against Undertaker would make sense.

The Deadman vs. The Demon King writes itself in a lot of ways and would certainly be a brilliant way for Balor to debut at WrestleMania.

Elsewhere, there are other options—Samoa Joe if he debuts in time for 'Mania, for example. But while Taker vs. Balor would be great and create a big buzz, it feels like WWE is leaning toward a feud with Reigns right now. Their confrontation on Sunday night said as much.