Royal Rumble is one of the most anticipated WWE Pay-Per-Views every year. It’s my personal favorite because of the build-up surrounding it. There’s a high degree of anticipation for WrestleMania before the event, and it only grows after because the WWE universe knows a little more about how ‘Mania will unfold but nothing is ever a given. With every big event, it’s a great opportunity for the company to flex its marketing muscle and create even more hype for around WWE and the sports entertainment industry.

WWE tends to employ the mentality of freshening the landscape before WrestleMania each year, so superstars’ opponents at Royal Rumble are almost never the same as they are at ‘Mania.

If I were Michael Cole, I would forgo mentioning anything pertaining to the Houston Astros. I know he might be tempted because Royal Rumble is emanating from Minute Maid Park, which is obviously the home of the Astros. It would probably be best for WWE to distance itself as much as possible from the whole sign stealing scandal for which the Astros were recently busted. Their manager and general manager were suspended for a year and subsequently fired, and MLB is attempting to distance itself from the situation. It would be very wise for WWE to do the same.