WWE Royal Rumble 2020 preview: Matches, predictions and how to watch

A look at the live stream info, start time, match card and predictions for the 2020 edition of WWE Royal Rumble.

The road to WrestleMania 36 begins this Sunday as WWE kicks off the 2020 pay-per-view schedule with the annual Royal Rumble event. A staple of WWE since 1988, the Royal Rumble is one of the biggest pay-per-views on the calendar and sets the tone for the busiest time of the year for the world’s biggest wrestling company.

With two Royal Rumble matches, two women’s title matches, what should be a fantastic United States Championship bout, a Universal Championship showdown and a couple of grudge matches on the card, there will undoubtedly be plenty to talk about following Sunday night’s happenings from Minute Maid Park in Houston (go ahead and insert any Astros joke you like here).

So let’s get you everything you need for the 2020 WWE Royal Rumble, including how you can watch and predictions for every match on the card.

How to watch WWE Royal Rumble 2020

Event: WWE Royal Rumble
Date: Sunday, January 26
Venue: Minute Maid Park — Houston, Texas
Start time: 7:00 p.m. Eastern/4:00 p.m. Pacific (Kickoff Show two hours prior)
Live stream: WWE Network

WWE Royal Rumble 2020 match card and predictions

Shorty G vs. Sheamus

I would assume that this matchup finds its way to the Kickoff Show. Sheamus returned recently following a lengthy hiatus due to injury, and the wrestler formerly known as Chad Gable (seriously, Shorty G is still just an awful name to put on a talented guy) is his first target. These two could actually have a solid match if given the time, but I don’t see that happening. This could end quickly.

Prediction: A Sheamus win is easily the lock of the night. No way he loses his first match back.

Roman Reigns vs. King Corbin (Falls Count Anywhere Match)

This seemingly never-ending feud between Roman Reigns and King Corbin continues at the Royal Rumble with a Falls Count Anywhere Match that will likely either kick off the main card or be the last match on the Kickoff Show … they do have two hours to fill there. Both men are already confirmed for the Royal Rumble match itself, so they’ll need a little time to rest up for that. We know the outside interference is happening with Ziggler, Roode and anyone else that doesn’t have much else going right now. I’ll tell you what though … if these two don’t find their way into the Astros’ locker room and/or dugout and use a trash can and/or video monitor, I’m going to be very upset.

Prediction: While a Reigns win would end this feud, I don’t see that happening. What happens is that the outside interference is once again too much and Roman takes a beating and loses. Don’t worry, he’ll be fine and he’ll get his revenge later in the night.

United States Champion Andrade vs. Humberto Carrillo

Of the one-on-one matches set for the Royal Rumble, this has the chance to be the best of the night. Andrade is rapidly becoming a massive star and I’m really digging him with this United States Championship run. The Ladder Match with Rey Mysterio this past Monday on RAW was fantastic and bringing back Carrillo at this time made perfect sense as it was Andrade who took him out of the No. 1 contender’s gauntlet match with that DDT on the concrete. This is excellent booking and should be an excellent match if it gets the time it deserves.

Prediction: While I think Carrillo puts up a good fight here, I think he falls just short once again. He’s had some great matches for this title in the last six months and I think this will be another one. I just don’t think they’re ready to put that belt on him. Andrade retains.

SmackDown Women’s Champion Bayley vs. Lacey Evans

Outside of the Sheamus-Shorty G squash that will happen, this is the match on the card I’m looking forward to the least. Bringing in the kid is a cheap way to try and get the WWE Universe to like Lacey Evans and this whole face turn really isn’t working for me. I will say that she’s gotten a little better in the ring, but I still can’t see this being any kind of instant classic. It might end up being better than I think it’ll be but not by much.

Prediction: Here’s what I would have happen, and I honestly think it’s within the realm of possibility: Let Lacey win the SmackDown Women’s Championship here. She gets the big moment and all that goes with it but give her a short reign and have her drop the belt to Sasha Banks sometime before WrestleMania. Then you get the Lacey/Bayley rematch at Fastlane or wherever to determine who gets the shot in Tampa. Bayley wins that and we finally get our Sasha/Bayley WrestleMania moment. Book it now.

WWE Universal Champion “The Fiend” Bray Wyatt vs. Daniel Bryan (Strap Match)

So let me get this straight. “The Fiend” Bray Wyatt doesn’t really feel that much pain, right? That’s what we’ve been led to believe. I mean, he took tool boxes and chairs and ladders and like 50 Curb Stomps from Seth Rollins, correct? So Daniel Bryan’s big idea to bring the WWE Universal Championship down is a leather strap? Come on, creative, you’re better than this. Maybe not as much recently but I still believe in you. I’ve never been a big fan of the Strap Match as is, but I’m hoping that two guys the caliber of Bryan and Wyatt can somehow make this make sense. Unfortunately, this is probably going to be under that ridiculous red light so I’m already disliking it, but I’m still hopeful for a good match.

Prediction: While I think DB comes close once again, I just don’t see him walking out as the champion. Wyatt is on a collision course with another old foe for ‘Mania and retaining the title, which also sets up a monstrously creepy entrance in Tampa, keeps him on that path. And no, losing to Bray Wyatt doesn’t mean that Bryan wins the Royal Rumble match later on. Did 2014 teach you nothing?

RAW Women’s Champion Becky Lynch vs. Asuka

As it has been quite often in the past year, the Becky Lynch storyline is one of the best builds leading into a pay-per-view. This feud with Asuka leading to the RAW Women’s Championship Match at the Royal Rumble has been fantastic and goes all the way back to last year when she lost to The Empress in Phoenix, losing her SmackDown Women’s Championship in the process. Of course, she moved on to win the main event at WrestleMania 35 and all of that, but she hasn’t been able to beat Asuka. The story is great and this match should be as well, just like it was a year ago. I’m really looking forward to this one.

Prediction: I think Becky finally gets her big win over Asuka here. It’s essentially the one person on the main roster that she hasn’t been able to conquer and this completes a different journey for her, leading into a huge matchup at WrestleMania with the Rumble winner. As for Asuka, she’ll still have her tag title, and she and Kairi Sane can find some new challengers.

Women’s Royal Rumble Match

Confirmed entrants: Charlotte Flair, Natalya, Alexa Bliss, Nikki Cross, Sarah Logan

With only five entrants confirmed for the third Women’s Royal Rumble, we’re bound to get plenty of past superstars walking the aisle, which is always fun. But I’m sure we’ll also see some current stars included in there. You have to figure some of the Lana/Liv drama in there, especially with them set to go one-on-one next Monday night. One would have to think that a few of the NXT standouts will be in this match as well, including who I think will win the whole thing.

Prediction: There are a lot of people out there right now picking Charlotte Flair to win the Women’s Royal Rumble, mainly since it’s something that she hasn’t done yet. And maybe that is what happens. But that would be extremely lazy booking and I’d just be bored with it. I’m not saying she doesn’t deserve a nice spot at WrestleMania, but there are other ways to get her there. My pick here is Shayna Baszler, who wins the Rumble and moves to Mondays to continue her feud with Becky Lynch. Baszler won the Triple Threat Match at Survivor Series on a dominant night from NXT but she didn’t beat Lynch to do it, which was smart booking. This sets up the one-on-one dream match in Tampa. The only way this doesn’t happen is if we get the Ronda Rousey return, because then that makes this really predictable. But I’m not betting on that happening.

Men’s Royal Rumble Match

Confirmed entrants: WWE Champion Brock Lesnar (No. 1), Roman Reigns, King Corbin, Dolph Ziggler, Intercontinental Champion Shinsuke Nakamura, Braun Strowman, Big E, Kofi Kingston, Erick Rowan, AJ Styles, Randy Orton, Elias, Rey Mysterio, Ricochet, Drew McIntyre, Otis, Tucker, Rusev, Bobby Lashley, Aleister Black, Buddy Murphy, Seth Rollins, Kevin Owens, Samoa Joe, R-Truth (maybe)

As has happened for a long time, the Men’s Royal Rumble will be a match full of different segments. Yes, 30 will enter and only one will win, but we’ll see a lot of current storylines play out during the madness. We already know WWE Champion Brock Lesnar is in at No. 1 and there’s a few different things that could happen with that.

Starting at No. 2, you could run out the guys that we know aren’t winning and have Lesnar dispose of them in quick fashion, which would likely infuriate a lot of people. Or you could bring someone out and have that man dispose of Lesnar in quick fashion, which would be an amazing turn of events. Just please don’t let it be Cain Velasquez. I know we’re supposed to care about that inevitable rematch, but I just don’t. At all. There’s no way Lesnar starts at No. 1 and stays until the end. That’s more than an hour and Lesnar doesn’t work for an hour. So we know whoever eliminates Lesnar is getting a match at WrestleMania for the WWE Championship, right? More on that in the prediction.

We’ll see the Rollins (and his stable) vs. KO & Samoa Joe thing play out. We’ll see Rusev and Lashley mix it up. Braun Strowman and Shinsuke Nakamura will get into it. Kofi Kingston will do what Kofi Kingston does in the Royal Rumble. And please let him at least get a shot or two in on Brock. He deserves at least that. And perhaps we get that John Cena or Edge (or both) return for a good pop. Actually, I’d love to see those two in the ring together.

Prediction: So there are a few different ways that this could play out. As I said previously, the person that eliminates Lesnar likely gets a WWE Championship Match at WrestleMania because Brock will be pissed. So that needs to be a RAW guy, right? I think that person should be Drew McIntyre. He’s put in the time and that push that’s been needing to happen couldn’t come at a better time. I also think there’s a way for him to win the whole thing. But that’s on one side.

On the other side, you’ve got the SmackDown guys…or at least one guy from the blue brand. And I think we all know that’s Roman Reigns. So I’ve still got him losing to King Corbin earlier in the night but he gets his revenge during the Rumble and eliminates Corbin. This is where things could get fun. There’s a strong chance Roman just wins the Rumble outright. But there could be a different way to go to give McIntyre the win and still get Roman his big main event in Tampa.

It’s down to the last few guys and Roman seemingly has it in the bag…and then the lights go out and we have “The Fiend” in the ring just staring at Reigns. We hear “anybody but you, Roman” and someone tosses him. We finally put an end to Corbin vs. Reigns with a No. 1 contender’s match at Fastlane, which Roman wins. That’s all with Corbin and we still have Roman vs. Bray for the Universal Championship, the title Reigns never lost. That allows McIntyre to pick up the biggest win of his career and it’s McIntyre vs. Lesnar. Book it.

Which match are you most looking forward to at the 2020 edition of WWE Royal Rumble? Who will win the Royal Rumble matches and go on to WrestleMania? Feel free to join the conversation in the comments section below.