WWE Royal Rumble 2018: Match Card, Potential Spoilers, Predictions and More

WWE Royal Rumble 2018 will be a night of firsts.

Asuka, Sasha Banks, Becky Lynch and others are set to collide in the first women's Royal Rumble match. It's poised to be a watershed moment for the ongoing evolution in women's wrestling.

WWE has aired the Royal Rumble event annually since 1988. Of the hundreds of wrestlers who have competed in the event's namesake Battle Royal, only three were women. Now, Raw and SmackDown Live's women's divisions will get their own over-the-top-rope spectacle.

Sunday's pay-per-view in Philadelphia will mark the first time there have been two Royal Rumble matches on the same night, and the event may produce history elsewhere too.

It's possible we see co-champions hold the WWE title for the first time, as AJ Styles has to defend his crown against both Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens. Shinsuke Nakamura could become the first Japanese wrestler to claim victory in the Royal Rumble match.

The Royal Rumble, even when it's not at its best, is one of the most fun shows WWE puts on. It's the start of The Road to WrestleMania and a scene like no other thanks to its signature match.

That will be doubly true this time around.

Potential Spoilers

The Royal Rumble match may be where Ethan Carter III makes his in-ring return to WWE.

The former Impact Wrestling star is a free agent, and it's hard not to speculate that he will show up in Philly.

PWInsider's Mike Johnson reported that Renegade Wrestling Revolution informed fans Carter would no longer be a part of its event Sunday. Johnson also noted: "The former Impact Wrestling champion was spotted at the WWE Performance Center this past Tuesday, days after finishing up with Impact."

Ronda Rousey, on the other hand, doesn't appear to be headed to the Rumble. 

The UFC star will be shooting a movie in Colombia when the PPV unfolds, as she revealed during an interview with TMZ Sports. And in spite of all the rumors about her inking a deal with WWE, Rousey said: "I haven't signed anything."

A less notable name is poised to miss the fun too. Samir Singh revealed via Instagram he recently tore his ACL.

On the other hand, WWE could bring back a cruiserweight in time for the Royal Rumble. The company suspended Rich Swann in December following his arrest for domestic violence. On Thursday, though, Joseph Currier of Figure Four Online reported: "All charges against Rich Swann stemming from his December arrest were dismissed today."

Match Card

• Seth Rollins and Jason Jordan vs. Cesaro and Sheamus (Raw Tag Team Championships)
• The Usos vs. Chad Gable and Shelton Benjamin (2-out-of-3 Falls, SmackDown Tag Team Championships)
• AJ Styles vs. Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens (WWE Championship)
• Brock Lesnar vs. Braun Strowman vs. Kane (Universal Championship)
• Women's Royal Rumble match
• Men's Royal Rumble match

Predictions

• Rollins and Jordan over Cesaro and Sheamus.
• The Usos over Gable and Benjamin.
• Styles retains.
• Lesnar retains.
• Stephanie McMahon wins the women's Royal Rumble match.
• Shinsuke Nakamura wins the men's Royal Rumble match.

What is SmackDown Brewing?

Shane McMahon and Daniel Bryan have been as prominent on SmackDown as the brand's top in-ring stars. The commissioner and general manager continue to bicker and question each other's decisions.

Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn have been at the center of all of it.

It was Bryan's idea to place Styles in this one-on-two situation. And McMahon wasn't happy about it.

The payoff for this slow-burning narrative isn't obvious given Bryan isn't an active competitor, having retired from in-ring competition because of head injuries. Sunday's WWE title match, though, should offer some clarity. Is Bryan set to turn heel and join KO and Zayn? Will McMahon again involve himself in a big bout?

Even with as much talent as there will be in the ring for this match, it's the authority figures' roles in this tale that will be at the forefront.

A Meeting of Monsters

Brock Lesnar has knocked down foe after foe as he has marched toward WrestleMania. Braun Strowman, Samoa Joe and others have all fallen to The Beast Incarnate.

It's looking like more and more of a lock that Lesnar will be the universal champion at The Show of Shows.

It's hard to imagine WWE shifting from that course. Strowman as Raw's centerpiece would be more entertaining, especially considering the big man is around far more often than Lesnar, but the company hasn't seemed willing to commit to that.

And rather than have Strowman get a straight rematch with Lesnar, WWE opted for a Triple Threat bout at the Royal Rumble, likely to soften the blow of The Monster Among Men's latest defeat.

Fans are poised to see Strowman destroy something, Lesnar retain the title and witness the odd sight of a 50-year-old Kane chasing a world title in the latter stages of his career. 

Rumble for All

Asuka will look to extend her undefeated streak by outlasting 29 other women. The Riott Squad will want to make an indelible mark on the match. And a number of surprise entrants are set to show up.

The first women's Royal Rumble match promises to be an intriguing and entertaining ride.

WWE is smart to tap into the surging popularity of women's wrestling by offering this platform, but there's a good chance a miscalculation is on the horizon. Stephanie McMahon stepping away from the announce table as a late entrant to win the whole thing would get a huge reaction, but not necessarily the kind the company is looking for.

Rather than smart, solid booking, WWE may choose to go for shock value with a dash of an overreliance on the McMahon family name. This is the same company that had James Ellsworth essentially win the first women's Money in the Bank ladder match.

A Royal Repeat? 

In 2014, Batista won his second Royal Rumble match. Triple H nabbed his second victory two years later. The most recent Rumble saw Randy Orton survive the 30-man Battle Royal, just as he did in 2009.

Will that pattern of repeat winners hold up?

John Cena and Roman Reigns will enter as two of the bout's big favorites. Cena is on the hunt for his 17th world title reign, a feat that would allow him to push past Ric Flair in the record books. Reigns is charging toward a WrestleMania rematch with Lesnar, and a win Sunday would give him that opportunity.

Or a New Era fresh face like Finn Balor or Nakamura could emerge as the last man standing.

The myriad possible endings is a part of why the Royal Rumble is such a fun event. We are sure to see some surprise faces pop up and some storylines kick off that no one saw coming. The hope is WWE can top all that off with a winner who isn't an underwhelming choice.