Whether you're still a diehard wrestling fan or someone whose favourite WWE memories are in the distant past, there is still something about the Royal Rumble that draws us all in. This year's pay per view takes place on January 27th in Arizona and, in the wake of events on last night's WWE Raw, Irish fans will have a keen eye on the whole show.
While the highlight of the night is usually the Royal Rumble matches themselves, this year's show will also see Wicklow native Finn Balor take on Brock Lesnar for the WWE Universal Title. In any other world, a man who's not the height of two turf wouldn't stand a chance against The Beast Incarnate but this is the WWE and we could now be set up for one of the most memorable nights in living memory.
Balor won the right to face Lesnar after he pinned John Cena in fatal four way, for the no.1 contendership, on Monday's show.
Earlier in the night, Vince McMahon gave Balor a bit of guff, saying he hadn't enough 'beef' to face down the might of Lesnar, which in retrospect was perfect for setting up a David vs Goliath storyline. The oldest trick in the book and we all fell for it, goddamnit!
Lesnar - now in his second reign - has been a highly controversial champion, given his part-time status with the WWE, so it's safe to say it won't be just the Irish contingent that will be cheering Balor on. Indeed, Finn was actually the first ever Universal Champion when he won in back in 2016 but was forced to vacate the belt just 24 hours later because of an injury he had suffered in the title match.
Now, two and half years on, the stage is set for a possible upset.
