Why 2022 WWE Royal Rumble Has the Chance to Be Best in Years

Royal Rumble season is upon us as WWE’s first "Big 4" pay-per-view event of the year is set to take place this weekend at The Dome at America's Center in St. Louis, MO. Although this year’s card is relatively short, there is enough here to produce one of the best shows featuring the annual stipulation match.

At first glance, it may seem like WWE put this event together haphazardly in the wake of several rounds of releases in 2021. However, it’s not hard to build anticipation for Royal Rumble because it’s the company’s most accessible and consistently entertaining pay-per-views.

Royal Rumble 2022 has the right mix of everything WWE does well with a celebrity guest appearance, potential surprise returns, and a pair of high-profile world title matches. This year’s edition quietly has the chance to be the best in years.

The 2022 Women’s Royal Rumble Match

Coming into this year it was unclear how WWE would be able to book a 30-woman battle royal match. However, the 2022 women’s Royal Rumble has become one of the most exciting aspects of the card over the past four weeks.

On the Jan. 7 episode of SmackDown, Charlotte Flair revealed a who’s who list of participants for the match. The star-studded collection of old and new stars includes Lita, The Bella Twins, Michelle McCool, Kelly Kelly, Summer Rae, and the blue brand’s reigning champion.

Mickie James made headlines as the biggest surprise announcement of the night. The current Impact Knockouts champion will return to WWE after a highly publicized exit last April and compete for the chance to challenge either Flair or Becky Lynch to title vs. title match at WrestleMania.

James’ inclusion already makes it seem like anything can happen, but rumors have also surfaced that Ronda Rousey could make an appearance. Fightful Select reported that WWE has been pushing for The Baddest Woman on the Planet and it is a "poorly kept secret" within the company.

There is no guarantee that the first female UFC Hall of Fame inductee will be an entrant in the women’s Rumble match but it would be a fitting place for her to make her comeback as she debuted at the event in 2018. With Asuka and Bayley potentially slated to enter as well, this could turn out to be a much better match than we expected.

A Sleeper Matchup

Meanwhile, Becky Lynch will defend the WWE Raw Women’s Championship against Doudrop.

It’s fair to say that Piper Nivens’ transition from NXT UK to the company’s flagship show has been a mixed bag. Nevertheless, the Scottish wrestler is extremely talented and this is a great opportunity for her to showcase the in-ring abilities that got her to the dance.

The two-time ICW women’s champion has won world titles in Japan and the UK. In fact, Doudrop held the EVE, World of Sport, and Stardom’s SWA Undisputed World Women's Championship before she joined NXT UK in 2019. This winning pedigree combined with her size and strength advantage makes her a legitimate threat to Big Time Becks.

Lynch will more than likely retain her title but this matchup could produce one of the best bouts of the night. If nothing else, it’s a chance for the 34-year-old to work with a fresh opponent as the two have never met in a one-on-one match.

A Long-Awaited Dream Match

At Day 1, Brock Lesnar unceremoniously dethroned Big E to become the new WWE champion. This may not have been the outcome many fans hoped for but his ninth world title win set the table for a highly-anticipated match with Bobby Lashley.

The CEO of The Hurt Business has been campaigning for an encounter with The Beast Incarnate for years. This Saturday, he and the fans will finally get their wish as these two massive former MMA fighters will collide.

This is the matchup that many of us wanted to see when Lashley returned to WWE in 2018. At times, it felt like it would never happen. The upcoming title match even seemed surreal to the 45-year-old as he spoke to Joseph Staszewski of the New York Post.

"I think everybody else wanted it to happen, but until it’s actually official it was kind of one of those things like: ‘Are they going to take this away? Is this going to be taken away?" Lashley said. "And then when it happened, it was like 'Wait a minute, it’s real now.'"

This is a dream match year in the making and Royal Rumble is a great destination for it. It will add significance to this year’s card. If you’re not already hyped for this matchup, this awesome video package for Lashley will do the trick.

A Clash of Two of the Stars of This Generation

It still seems like Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar are destined to headline WrestleMania this year. Nevertheless, this was as good of a time as any to reignite The Tribal Chief’s rivalry with Seth Rollins.

Reigns has been a revelation as the top star on SmackDown. Meanwhile, Rollins is doing some of the best character work of his career and he was one of the most consistent performers on the roster in 2021.

While WWE often teased a showdown between the two while they were both on the blue brand, it never materialized. Royal Rumble is an opportune place for the WrestleMania caliber matchup to finally come to a head.

This clash of two of the biggest stars of this era will certainly have a chance to steal the show. Even more, The Visionary could feasibly be the man to end The Head of the Table’s 514-day reign as universal champion.

Their history together adds so much prestige to this title bout and we can’t wait to see who comes out on top.

Unpredictable Outcomes

Lastly, the biggest strength of this year’s Royal Rumble is the level of uncertainty around both the men’s and women’s matches.

Yes, you could make a case for favorites like Big E, Bianca Belair, AJ Styles, or Ronda Rousey. However, the field is wide open as WWE hasn’t convincingly positioned anyone as the next top contenders.

For some cynical fans, that could be worrying but it’s a little refreshing in a time where we have so much access to wrestling news. For the first time in years, it feels like anyone could enter and win both Rumble matches, and this makes the event so much more exciting.

A proper swerve or star-making performance could make for a memorable event. Moreover, the building suspense and a rewarding payoff would make the 2022 Royal Rumble the best in recent years.