The annual WWE Royal Rumble event will kick off on Saturday, January 29, and the card is stacked to include six matches, including both the men’s and women’s Royal Rumble matches. The pay-per-view card also includes three championship matches and one mixed tag match that features two Hall of Famers.There are a couple of first-time matchups set to occur at the WWE event. The coveted Royal Rumble matches will determine some of the competitors that will be featured in the card for WrestleMania. The winners of both the 30-Man and 30-Woman Royal Rumbles will go on to face a competitor of their choice at the biggest wrestling event of the year.RELATED: WWE 2K22 Shows Off New Screenshot of Randy Savage

Brock Lesnar and Bobby Lashley will face one another for the very first time. The match-up between them is one of the most anticipated of the night, and it is for the WWE Championship. Both men have been on a dominant streak as of late, as Lesnar returned at SummerSlam and began an intense feud with Roman Reigns, which is still far from over.

Lashley has also been on a roll after earning his spot in the Day 1 match for the WWE Championship. The following Monday on RAW, he earned his spot as Lesnar’s No.1 Contender after beating Seth Rollins, Big E, and Kevin Owens. With the championship on the line, these two men will take their tension to new heights and deliver the match of a lifetime.

This will be the first time Becky Lynch and Doudrop stand across the ring from one another. Lynch will defend her RAW Women’s Championship against Doudrop, who became the No.1 Contender after defeating Bianca Belair and Liv Morgan after Lynch interfered in the match a few weeks ago. Since then, Lynch and Doudrop have exchanged heated words, including this past Monday on RAW, where their verbal exchange resulted in harsh blows. After gaining the upper hand and surprising Lynch with that attack, Doudrop may have the necessary momentum to knock off Lynch at the Royal Rumble.

Nearly a decade after debuting alongside one another as members of The Shield faction, Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins are set to take on one another for the Universal Championship. Rollins has scored previous victories over Reigns whenever they have faced one another in big, championship matches, giving him an advantage going into this match.

On last week’s episode os SmackDown, Rollins gained another advantage after he and his tag team partner, Kevin Owens scored a victory over the Usos. Reigns involved himself in the match and his interference and attack on Rollins resulted in a disqualification for the Usos. Given the stipulations applied to the match earlier in the night, Rollins and Owens’ victory guaranteed that the Usos would be barred from ringside during this championship match. With the interference the other members of the Bloodline have typically played in Reigns’ matches, Rollins certainly has the odds in his favor.

Hall of Fame couple Edge and Beth Phoenix are set to team together for the first time to take on The Miz and Maryse. The two couples have been terrorizing each other since The Miz returned from his stint on Dancing With the Stars. After departing from NXT’s broadcast team, Phoenix made a triumphant return at Day 1 to assist her husband with The Miz and Maryse’s antics.

During Maryse’s birthday celebration this past Monday on RAW, Edge and Phoenix dismantled the security team designed to keep them out. The attack came as retaliation for Maryse striking Phoenix on the back of the head with a brick the week before. Phoenix clearly hasn’t forgotten about the attack and once she gets her hands on Maryse, it will certainly be a sight to behold.

The list of competitors in the 30-Man Royal Rumble continues to grow, as they all fiend for an opportunity to challenge for a championship at WrestleMania. Former WWE Champion Big E is among the list of entrants as he looks to reclaim what belonged to him a few months ago. There will also be a celebrity entrant in Jackass Forever star Johnny Knoxville, who has made a habit of terrorizing Sami Zayn on SmackDown.

There are still a few spots open for other surprise entrants to compete in the Rumble. Fresh faces like Austin Theory have already declared for the match, and it’s possible that other NXT stars will enter the match as well. LA Knight and Roderick Strong have both been spotted backstage at RAW and SmackDown events, so it’s possible that they will both be entrants in this year’s Royal Rumble and make their main roster debuts.

The 30-Woman Royal Rumble has already announced a huge chunk of its competitors. Current stars that include Rhea Ripley, Dana Brooke, Naomi, Nikki A.S.H., Natalya, and the current SmackDown Women’s Champion Charlotte, have all declared for the Rumble. Former WWE stars Summer Rae, Mickie James, Kelly Kelly, and Michelle McCool have also been revealed as entrants. WWE Hall of Famers, Lita and the Bella Twins will also enter the Rumble.

Last year’s winner, Bianca Belair, looks to be the first woman to win two Royal Rumble matches. Last year, Belair won the SmackDown Women’s Championship in the main event of WrestleMania. If Charlotte, the current SmackDown Women’s Champion manages to win, she will get to choose her opponent at WrestleMania.

The six matches on the Royal Rumble card guarantee at least two hours of exciting action and what might be equally exciting surprises.

The Royal Rumble will be live from St. Louis on January 29, 2022, at 8 p.m. Eastern Time, streaming on Peacock.

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