5 Burning Questions That Must Be Addressed at 2021 WWE Royal Rumble

This Sunday, WWE will host the 34th Royal Rumble pay-per-view. For many fans, it's the most exciting time of the year. Of course, WrestleMania is the company's biggest show, but the Rumble is more accessible for lapsed followers.

The popular stipulation matches also lend themselves to crowd participation. Unfortunately, 2021 will be the first year that the event will take place in front of a virtual crowd, which will take some of the trademark energy out of the festivities.

The coronavirus pandemic has, admittedly, robbed the upcoming show of some of its anticipation, but to put things in perspective, WWE champion Drew McIntyre only just returned in time to compete after testing positive for COVID-19.

That's a sign of the times, to say the least. Nevertheless, the show must go on, and there is still plenty to be excited about heading into this weekend. More to the point, there is so much room to speculate about what WWE will do at the event and how it will kick off WrestleMania 37 season.

With that in mind, here are five burning questions that must be addressed at the 2021 Royal Rumble.

Where Is Aleister Black?

Aleister Black hasn't appeared on WWE programming since last year following his wife, Zelina Vega's, abrupt release from the company.

On the Oct. 12 episode of Raw, The Dutch Destroyer competed in a thrilling No Disqualification match against Kevin Owens. He was later drafted to SmackDown but hasn't been mentioned again since his move to the blue brand.

According to Fightful, no one has seen the former NXT champion backstage recently, and one source suggested "that they're letting any ill will between the two parties subside." However, there are some rumors that the relationship is still positive and there may be plans for him. With the Royal Rumble coming up this weekend, this would be a perfect time for the 35-year-old to return in a big way.

Because the Rumble matches are always full of surprise entrants, this would be as good of a time as any time to reintroduce Black to the SmackDown roster. He may not receive a raucous reaction from a live crowd, but his appearance would create some positive buzz that he could definitely use at the moment.

If he doesn't return on Sunday, it will open the floodgates to all kinds of questions surrounding his status with WWE. It wouldn't rule out a comeback later this year, but it is hard to imagine the company wouldn't use him now if they could.

What's Next for Retribution?

The emergence of Retribution has been one of the most confounding WWE plotlines since the cavalcade of anarchists debuted in August. The group started as an army of hooded vandals wearing dark clothing and inexplicably transitioned into a five-man masked stable led by Mustafa Ali.

If you can get past the goofy ring names and the inconsistent and nonsensical storytelling (why are they signed to a brand?), there are some semblances of a salvageable angle. That's mostly because Ali has been so committed, both on Twitter and in backstage segments, to attempting to make it work.

If nothing else, the 34-year-old is a compelling talker and an incredible performer. Lately, he has been engaged in a war of words with Kofi Kingston, who is out of action due to a jaw injury. The two have a history as The New Day man took Ali's spot in a Gauntlet match on the Feb. 12 episode of SmackDown that eventually led to his first WWE Championship match.

This sparked what would become "Kofimania" and the 14-year veteran's historic win at WrestleMania 35. In a nice display of continuity, Ali never got over this missed opportunity and has targeted Xavier Woods in his tag team partner's absence.

This feud is precisely what Retribution needs. Now, it's up to WWE to stick with it and give fans a suitable payoff. So, the faction has to make a big impact at the Royal Rumble. They can't just be a non-factor as they have at so many other pay-per-views. Moreover, a good showing in the men's Rumble match gives Ali something to taunt Kofi with when he returns.

It's now or never because this has been going for about six months and the group has been directionless.

Who Is the Next Big Call-Up?

Since NXT made the leap to network television in 2019, the days of highly anticipated call-ups have kind of come to an end.

What used to be an established developmental show that acted as a feeder for Raw and SmackDown is now a third brand of sorts. So, many of its biggest stars have stayed put on Wednesday nights as many of them see it as the main roster.

Yes, some stars like Keith Lee have debuted on Raw and SmackDown, but WWE hasn't given these annual moves the same significance it used to. The night after WrestleMania was routinely a must-see event because NXT standouts could make a surprise appearance. Noteworthy names such as Paige and even Enzo and Cass set the precedent for just how special a call-up could be if done at the right time.

Stars from the black-and-gold brand have also appeared as entrants in the men's and women's Royal Rumble matches. It has become a good gauge for their popularity and recognition among WWE's core fans. Without a live crowd, this could still act as a way to position someone ready for a change of scenery.

Rhea Ripley immediately comes to mind, as she has done everything there is to do on NXT and her feud with Raquel Gonzalez seems to be over. The Nightmare would make an excellent addition to Raw as the NXT women's division grows more crowded.

Could Sunday be the start of her quest to avenge her loss to Charlotte Flair at WrestleMania 36?

How to Fix the Ailing Raw Women’s Division?

Let's hope Rhea Ripley or someone big makes the move to Raw soon because its women's division could use a major shot in the arm. The recent segments surrounding the tag team title and the lack of a main title picture have been frustrating to watch.

Reigning women's titleholder Asuka is basically an afterthought at this point after having no significant storyline since she gained the title following Money in the Bank in May 2020. Instead, she has been sort of a third wheel in the angles of others. Now, she's a part of a middle-of-the-road team with Charlotte Flair, which is a problem because they hold the women's tag belts.

After the last two episodes, it seems like Alexa Bliss will be The Empress of Tomorrow's next challenger, possibly at WrestleMania 37. But there is no real suspense to that angle because The Fiend's acolyte has defeated her with ease twice now.

Maybe, Taya Valkyrie, who just finished up Impact Wrestling, will make her WWE debut this weekend. There's no guarantee she will sign with the company but her husband, John Morrison, is currently a Raw Superstar. 

The winner of the women's Royal Rumble match will tell us a lot about the direction of the division heading into February. Hopefully, someone from Raw will win and give some direction to the red brand, which is in desperate need of a major plotline and a star to focus on.

Who Will Be Roman Reigns’ WrestleMania Opponent?

On Sunday, Kevin Owens is set to challenge Roman Reigns for the Universal Championship. The two will undoubtedly deliver another great performance, but this match looks like a placeholder. This is just a hunch, but it's a pretty safe bet that the Tribal Chief will leave Royal Rumble with his title in tow.

Let's be honest. Reigns has been the hottest act in the company since he returned at SummerSlam and aligned with Paul Heyman. It's not hard to assume WWE will use him in a high-profile match on The Grandest Stage of Them All, but he will need a suitable adversary for his showdown at Raymond James Stadium.

When you consider the story around him and the fact that he hasn't faced any of the biggest stars on SmackDown yet, there are a few good options.

Straight away, Daniel Bryan stands out as an obvious choice. He has a long history with Reigns and has never won a men's Rumble match, so there is already an interesting dynamic to tap into. This is a title match six years in the making after the Wells Fargo Center crowd jeered The Big Dog when he won as The Rock looked on with a hilariously confused look on his face.

Speaking of The Great One, there has been speculation for months that the 2000 Royal Rumble winner could return to face Reigns at WrestleMania. Given the use of the Anoa'i family and Samoan culture lately, it would make sense. Although it seems like a long shot, The People's Champion would bring more star power than other favorites like Big E or Shinsuke Nakamura.

For now, we will just have to wait to see if this year's winner challenges The Tribal Chief after one of the most unpredictable Royal Rumble matches in recent memory.

Who would you like to see win the prestigious Battle Royals this weekend? Let us know in the comments section below.