It's time for wrestling fans to head down the Road to WrestleMania. Inside Chase Field on Sunday night in Phoenix, the 2019 WWE Royal Rumble event will take place, with 30 men and 30 women once again competing for future title opportunities on the biggest stage the business has to offer. In addition to the traditional Royal Rumble matches, a number of championships will be on the line as this has shaped out to be a very stacked card for one of the most important events of the entire year.
The Royal Rumble will begin at 7 p.m. ET with the show expected to last anywhere from 3.5-4 hours, not counting the kickoff show, which starts two hours prior to the main card at 5 p.m. CBS Sports will be with you the entire way on Sunday with live results, highlights and analysis.
For now, let's take a look at how our experts believe the Royal Rumble will play out.
Listen to our audio preview of the Royal Rumble from the State of Combat with Brian Campbell podcast, and be sure to subscribe at the link in the player below. We will have an instant analysis immediately after WWE Royal Rumble on Sunday night.
2019 WWE Royal Rumble predictions
Cruiserweight Championship -- Buddy Murphy (c) vs. Kalisto vs. Akira Tozawa vs. Hideo Itami (Kickoff show)
Brian Campbell, Jack Crosby, Adam Silverstein: Spoiler alert: Expect this fatal four-way match to be spectacular even if it isn't given an extensive amount of real estate on the kickoff show. Which superstar will be hoisting the title after the match likely depends upon the exact timing of WWE calling the rejuvenated Murphy up to the main roster. Considering the recent block of call-ups from NXT, it's more likely that Murphy's call doesn't come until at least WrestleMania, setting the stage for a title match that weekend that sees the belt change hands to Itami. Pick: Buddy Murphy retains the title
United States Championship -- Rusev (c) vs. Shinsuke Nakamura (Kickoff show)
JC, BC, AS: It's simply way too soon to pull that title away from Rusev, who I believe should have a lengthy babyface run ahed of him with that championship, maybe even giving it back some credibility. I'm not quite sure what the future holds for Nakamura after his rematch here, seeing as he's been floundering a bit as of late, but we've waited too long to see Rusev have a title run with this character and halting that on the kickoff show would be a giant mistake. Pick: Rusev retains the title
SmackDown Tag Team Championship -- The Bar (c) vs. The Miz & Shane McMahon
JC, BC, AS: We could be in for a giant swerve with The Bar retaining, but I doubt it. The pairing of Miz & McMahon has been set up to give us an odd couple run with the SmackDown tag titles since the beginning of the angle, and that will kick into high gear after they win the titles on Sunday. From that point, the question then becomes, I believe: Who will eventually turn on who to cause the reign to end, presumably at WrestleMania. Pick: The Miz & Shane McMahon win the titles
SmackDown Women's Championship -- Asuka (c) vs. Becky Lynch
BC: Logic would tell you that Asuka will successfully defend the title here (likely with the help of a schmoz finish and run-in from Rounda Rousey or Charlotte Flair) to preserve the hope from many fans of a triple threat women's match to headline WrestleMania. Yet it's hard to imagine four big singles title matches at a PPV as big as the Royal Rumble without at least one major change. Under that line of thinking, putting the belt back on the red-hot Lynch may not be a bad idea after all, especially should Flair win the Royal Rumble and then, presumably, challenge both Lynch and Rousey in April. With Lynch's incredible heel turn getting more and more presented of late in a babyface manner, the booking makes sense. Pick: Becky Lynch wins the title
AS, JC: Just as with giving Daniel Bryan the title recently, it is too soon to pull it off Asuka -- even for Lynch -- unless the sole goal is to raise Lynch's championship number. But even if that were to be the case, she'd have to lose the title quickly to face Ronda Rousey at WrestleMania. None of that seems worthwhile. Better booking would be WWE building Asuka as a heel champion and allow her to have a period of dominance. Pick: Asuka retains the title
Raw Women's Championship -- Ronda Rousey (c) vs. Sasha Banks
JC, BC, AS: Banks has done an absolute masterful job keeping this brief feud interesting as she's reverted back to her arrogant ways that drew us all in to her in the first place. She won't be coming away with the win, though. "The Boss" will simply be another name to throw on Rousey's list as she retains the title, but that doesn't mean this match is completely insignificant. Banks will mark the second of the four Horsewomen that Rousey will have faced as the rivalry everyone has been looking for between wrestling's Horsewomen and MMA's Horsewomen will grace us with its presence at some point in the future. Still, this singles title bout on Sunday has the makings of being an incredible affair. Pick: Ronda Rousey retains the title
WWE Championship -- Daniel Bryan (c) vs. AJ Styles
AS, BC, JC: It is way too soon to take the title off Bryan, who has rejuvenated his career with this character. The Yes! Movement had grown stale, but Bryan is running all cylinders. Also stale was Styles with the WWE title, and giving it back to him heading into Mania would be a mistake. Bryan's run is just beginning, and it should end with putting over an up-and-coming babyface in a few months. Pick: Daniel Bryan retains the title
Universal Championship -- Brock Lesnar (c) vs. Finn Balor
BC, JC, AS: What's the simplest way to reason a Lesnar victory here? It's not likely Vince McMahon has paid "The Beast" the kind of money that reportedly delayed a planned UFC return to not enter WrestleMania as the champion. Keeping Lesnar on top is seemingly always best for business. And for as great as it has been to see Balor finally getting a big-time (and deserved) push, having him be presented as a long-shot underdog in such a dramatic way feels counterproductive, even with their obvious size difference. Let's make one thing clear, however, should WWE get any ideas: Don't break out Balor's "Demon" character unless you plan on giving him the title in a feel-good moment that WWE fans are destined to remember for a long time. Pick: Brock Lesnar retains the title
Women's Royal Rumble match
AS, BC: Ultimately, there's really only two women who should win this match: Charlotte Flair or Becky Lynch. With Flair in the match and Lynch not (though I expect her to show up at 29), the question is how WWE gets to the triple threat match at WrestleMania. If I was booking, Flair wins the Rumble and Lynch forces herself into the match just as Flair did at SummerSlam. Lynch would then win the title at Mania, giving both women big wins to start the year. It would also be nice for Flair to win after missing the first Rumble a year ago. Pick: Charlotte Flair wins
JC: For a good while, it seemed as if the momentum Lynch was carrying had her headed for an obvious Rumble victory. Those talks have seemed to slow down of late, with many more people pointing towards Flair as the favorite to emerge victorious. Purposely or not, I think it's all a smokescreen. Earlier in the night, Lynch sees her quest to regain the SmackDown women's title prove unsuccessful -- but by some nefarious means, potentially an Asuka heel turn. Later in the Rumble match, Lynch will have her moment by earning one of the biggest pops upon her entrance and an even bigger reaction when she tosses the final woman over the top. She'll then ultimately challenge Rousey in the main event of WrestleMania. The question then becomes: Can Flair find her way into the Raw women's title mix, and if so, how? And don't say it's impossible. Pick: Becky Lynch wins
Men's Royal Rumble match
BC, JC, AS: With apologies to Styles and Balor (who both have title matches on Sunday), it's hard to imagine any male performer getting a bigger babyface pop from the audience upon winning the Rumble than Rollins. He would not only be a trendy pick to please hardcore fans while catapulting him into a WrestleMania feud opposite universal champion Lesnar, it also makes a ton of sense from a booking and business standpoint. Rollins has already reached the top of the mountain as a heel during his WWE championship run in 2015, but it's time to find out his true potential as a face, especially given the uncertainty surrounding Roman Reigns' health and future. Pick: Seth Rollins wins
