Ryan Dilbert's 10-Count: A Fresh Face Must Win at WWE Royal Rumble 2018

1. A New King for a New Era

Rather than make WWE Royal Rumble 2018 a trophy on someone's already-crowded mantle, the best bet is to let new blood reign at Sunday's pay-per-view.

In the last four years, we have seen Triple H, Batista and Randy Orton all win the annual 30-man match. That list sounds like the lineup for the closing segment of a 2003 Raw.

All three men had won the Rumble before. The former Evolution members had all been world champions and WrestleMania headliners previously. It's hard to blame fans who weren't thrilled about the old guard standing tall in the New Era.

The Royal Rumble has often been a launching point for stars on the rise, including Batista himself in 2005.

The match was a career-changer for Alberto Del Rio, Rey Mysterio and Shawn Michaels. That's the spirit the bout needs to embody in Philadelphia on Sunday.

John Cena winning his third Rumble would be a disappointment. A reprise of Roman Reigns' 2015 win would be a mistake. Orton winning twice in a row would have 17,000 fans groan in unison.

WWE should use the match to elevate an emerging star, to make it clear someone new belongs on the top tier.

This is a case where freshness will produce electricity. After so many sequels, it's time for an original story.

Shinsuke Nakamura breaking through the pack would be huge. The Japanese star is in need of a major moment. His stock would shoot up should he toss out Orton, The Miz and Cena from the bout and stand alone to claim the biggest victory of his WWE run.

Finn Balor would be an intriguing choice. Going further outside the box and crowning Rusev or Big E would make waves within the WWE fanbase.

When Batista won in 2014, the Pittsburgh crowd booed in collective disappointment. In 2018, WWE can instead leave the arena filled with stunned and psyched faces by venturing down a new path.

The company in recent years has been over-reliant on its past success, leaning on established names in big spots. Goldberg pushing past Kevin Owens as universal champ last year is a key example of that. It's no way to make new stars.

The Rumble can stray from that pattern, putting a new name on the marquee. 

2. The All-or-Nothing A-Lister

The Miz's Royal Rumble history has a bit of A Tale of Two Cities feel. He has played both one of the match's survivors and its tossed-aside fodder.

Per WWE.com, the intercontinental champion has battled in eight Rumble matches. Twice, he lasted longer than half an hour, and he pushed past the eight-minute mark four times. On the other hand, he's also been in the Battle Royal for just seven seconds (2007) and 17 seconds (2010).

And The Miz is no Kane when it comes to ousting foes. He has only two total eliminations to his name. He's more of a cockroach than a conqueror, apparently. 

3. Throwback Video of the Week: Royal Rumble 2004

The first time Philadelphia hosted the Rumble, Shawn Michaels and Triple H collided for the World Heavyweight Championship.

Theirs was one of the finest friends-turned-foes rivalries in WWE history. At the 2004 Royal Rumble PPV, they clashed in a Last Man Standing match, a precursor to their classic WrestleMania XX Triple Threat bout with Chris Benoit later that year. 

The promo recapping the tale of the D-Generation X members' feud is arguably better than their match at the Royal Rumble itself:

The top-notch storytelling there makes the stumbling tale SmackDown is telling with AJ Styles vs. Owens and Sami Zayn look even worse.

4. Fresh Start for 205 Live

Change is coming again for the cruiserweights.

The impetus is an uncomfortable and unsettling case of reality pushing its way into WWE's brand of fiction. The company released Enzo Amore amid sexual assault allegations on Tuesday. It then had to quickly pivot to booking concerns.

With Amore gone, the cruiserweight division needs to crown a new champion. Daniel Bryan announced there will be news next week concerning that and 205 Live getting a general manager.

Whatever lies ahead for the wrestlers from this brand, WWE would be smart to make sure Mustafa Ali and Cedric Alexander are at the center of it.

The two high-flyers tore down the house on Tuesday night, reminding us how beautiful and stirring cruiserweight action can be.

5. It's All in the Hat

Is Zayn tempting Becky Lynch to come to the dark side? 

He gifted his Mixed Match Challenge partner with a hat, and The Irish Lass Kicker found the accessory had transformative powers. She was dancing and annoying WWE employees within seconds.

This kind of silly fare has been the early hallmark of the Mixed Match Challenge. The wrestlers are clearly having fun with their partners and letting loose backstage. It's helped create a welcome buzz around the inaugural event.

6. Kaitlyn's Comeback

One of pro wrestling's most inspiring stories is playing out well outside the WWE spotlight.

Former Divas champion Kaitlyn (Celeste Bonin) is sweating and grinding in a Florida gym as she looks to make her comeback to the ring. She has battled drug addiction and self-doubt along the way.

Denny Burkholder wrote a great feature on Fightful (NSFW note: contains profanity) on her journey.

It's sobering to see what Kaitlyn has been dealing with since her WWE exit. It's easy to put the company's larger-than-life figures out of our minds once they aren't on TV anymore.

7. The Difference a Year Makes

The WWE landscape shifts in a hurry. Looking back at the 2017 Royal Rumble lineup is a reminder of that.

As seen on the Internet Wrestling Database, Amore, James Ellsworth, Rich Swann and Goldberg were among the talents on that PPV. Fans won't see any of them come Sunday. 

WWE released Amore this week and let go Ellsworth last November. Goldberg is gone after a short run. Swann remains suspended.

Mark Henry and Big Show battled in last year's big Battle Royal, but neither has worked a match in months. And other than his Raw 25 cameo, Chris Jericho hasn't been a part of WWE of late. It's doubtful he shows up in Philly on Sunday.

Meanwhile, Elias, Nakamura and Balor will be among those making their debuts at the event.

8. Raw's Early Hits

WWE celebrated 25 years of Raw being on the air on Monday. A number of the show's most memorable moments flashed on the screen, but there wasn't enough time to really dig into its history.

For a deeper understanding of Raw's electricity in its early years, one should take in some of the best bouts from that time period:

• Shawn Michaels vs. Marty Jannetty: July 19, 1993 (Intercontinental Championship)
• Bret Hart vs. 1-2-3 Kid: July 1, 1994 (WWE Championship)
• Bret Hart vs. Hakushi: July 24, 1995
• Owen Hart vs. British Bulldog: March 3, 1997 (European Championship)
• Mick Foley vs. Terry Funk: May 4, 1998 (Falls Count Anywhere)

A few patterns emerge when listing the best Raw had to offer in the first part of its lengthy run. For one, Michaels' and Bret Hart's names pop up again and again. And the high stakes that come with title bouts often elevated these contests.

Great athletes fighting for tangible rewards is a smart recipe in any year.

9. Hopes for the 1st Women's Royal Rumble

Ahead of Sunday's women's Royal Rumble, fans are bound to hear the word "history" in reference to the match hundreds of times.

WWE can't rely on that aspect, however. The 30-woman bout has to be more about moments and story than novelty. The announcers should let the historic aspect be a subplot while instead focusing on who the Iron Woman of the contest is, what rivalries get sparked in the fight and the stakes at hand.

The company can't short the women on time, either.

The 2018 Royal Rumble card has just six matches. WWE has four hours to work with, not including the pre-show. There's no excuse for hurrying the women's Rumble.

And the match has to feature substantial surprises. Trish Stratus returning. Kairi Sane trading blows with Asuka. Kharma making an appearance. That's the kind of conversation starter fans should see.

The first women's Money in the Bank ladder match didn't hit all the notes it should have. Here's hoping the Rumble is a more rousing song. 

10. A Most Confident Boss

Sasha Banks pulled a Roman Reigns and made a bold pronouncement about her place in the wrestling hierarchy. The former Raw women's champ told Ash Rose of TalkSport in a recent interview: "In my heart I know I'm the greatest women's wrestler ever."

Credit: WWE.com

Manami Toyota would like a word.

Banks may well earn that title when she's done, but her assessment is off as things stand. Toyota excelled for a long stretch at an unparalleled level. Banks' old rival, Charlotte Flair, has a good argument to be above The Boss for now, too.

WWE has to want its stars to have this level of self-assurance, though. Banks should believe she's the all-time best and spend her career trying to prove it. 

Ryan Dilbert is a WWE Lead Writer for Bleacher Report. You can find him on Twitter @ryandilbert.