Since Roman Reigns defeated real-life cousin Jey Uso in the main event of Summerslam at Ford Field back in August, the usually white-hot promotion has begun to run somewhat cold. The powers that be within the company – namely new owners Endavor and Head of Creative Triple H – won’t be too nervous though. The fall is traditionally WWE’s quieter period courtesy of the return of America’s major sporting leagues such as the NFL, NBA, and NHL.
But as we approach the festive period, business will begin to pick back up for the professional wrestling giant. The recent Crown Jewel event featured all of the company’s biggest stars including reigning Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns, the American Nightmare Cody Rhodes, World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins, and newly minted United States Champion Logan Paul. With further blockbuster events around the corner, here are three things fans can look forward to as WrestleMania season approaches.
CM Punk’s Return
While nothing has been confirmed yet, a potential CM Punk return has been mooted for months. Ever since the Second City Saint was released from AEW for yet another backstage altercation, all roads have seemingly led to a WWE reunion.
The 45-year-old left the company almost exactly a decade ago, citing a number of irreparable differences that saw him walk out on his employer the night after the 2014 Royal Rumble. A lot of bad blood has been spilled since – both by Punk and WWE brass in the form of the aforementioned Triple H and longtime chairman and founder Vince McMahon. But they say, never say never when it comes to WWE.
Fans are expecting Punk to return at the upcoming Survivor Series event on November 25th. The show is taking place in the two-time WWE Champion’s hometown of Chicago and for weeks, the company has been teasing his return both on WWE TV and on social media. Whether it actually comes to fruition or not remains to be seen, but fans will certainly leave the All-State Arena unhappy if their hometown hero doesn’t show his face.
Royal Rumble
The Royal Rumble is one of the most highly anticipated events on the WWE calendar. It takes place every January, with the winner of the 30-man over-the-top-rope extravaganza punching their ticket to the main event of WrestleMania. As the match draws near, even the mainstream outlets are jumping on the bandwagon, with bookmakers working overtime to keep up with the coverage.
Last year, a popular ufc mma sportsbook made Cody Rhodes the +125 favorite to win the big match, and he duly delivered, last eliminating Gunther to secure his spot in headlining Show of Shows against the reigning champion Roman Reigns. Many expected the challenger to get the victory and he was heavily favored both by the bookies and by fans. However, in a shocking twist of fate, it was the champion that retained his title, much to the amazement of the 83,000+ in attendance at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. Almost one year on, Reigns remains champion, a championship he has held for a mammoth 1,170 days and counting.
But with Rhodes’ story still unfinished, all eyes are on the American Nightmare winning the Royal Rumble match once more and earning his rematch with the Tribal Chief. Should that come to fruition, the former AEW star will become the first man since Stone Cold Steve Austin to win back-to-back Rumble matches, a feat that the Bionic Redneck achieved with consecutive victories in 1998 and 1999. Can Cody finally finish his story once and for all and will he take the first step up the mountain he intends to climb on January 27th at Tropicana Field?
First Ever Australia-held Premium Live Event
WWE has been branching out into its overseas market more and more in recent years. The company puts on two shows in Saudi Arabia every year and in the last two years, it has also taken shows to the United Kingdom. Last September, Scotland’s Drew McIntyre was unsuccessful in his attempt to usurp Reigns as the undisputed champion while earlier this year, The Usos handed Reigns his first pinfall loss in three-and-a-half years, albeit in tag team action.
This February, WWE will take its annual Elimination Chamber event to Perth, Australia. The event will mark the first time in history that the company has taken a Premium Live Event down under and they will do so inside the 65,000-capacity Optus Stadium. Last year’s Elimination Chamber event was one of the most highly anticipated shows on the calendar.
It featured the culmination of Sami Zayn’s battle with Reigns and his Bloodline faction, and he would compete to become champion in his hometown of Montreal, Canada. Unfortunately for him, that particular contest would end in defeat, but who knows what may happen in the Land Down Under this February?
