By Mat Elfring on Jan 23, 2019 04:37 am
It's almost time for the greatest WWE PPV of the year--take that, Wrestlemania. The Royal Rumble is coming to the WWE Network and to pay-per-view on Sunday, January 27. Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona will host the event, and it should be a good one, mainly because the two Royal Rumble matches are the driving force of the PPV. If you want to watch it for yourself, tune into the WWE Network this Sunday at 7 PM ET / 4 PM PT, but keep in mind that a Kickoff Show will begin airing two hours prior, and there are normally a couple matches on that show. Every non-Rumble match on this card is a title match, and we're bound to see at least a couple of title changes, right? A wild Brock Lesnar appears to defend--and hopefully lose--his Universal Championship. If you've forgotten, the Universal Championship is the red one which shows up on TV four times a year. Additionally, there are two women's title matches that should be a blast to watch, especially the Smackdown bout as it's Becky Lynch vs. Asuka. Check out the match card below. Royal Rumble match card: - Buddy Murphy (c) vs. Akira Tozawa vs. Kalisto vs. Hideo Itami (Cruiserweight Championship)
- The Bar (c) vs. The Miz & Shane McMahon (Smackdown Tag Team Championship)
- Asuka (c) vs. Becky Lynch (Smackdown Women's Championship)
- Ronda Rousey (c) vs. Sasha Banks (Raw Women's Championship)
- Rusev (c) vs. Shinsuke Nakamura (United States Championship)
- Women's Royal Rumble
- Men's Royal Rumble
- Daniel Bryan (c) vs. AJ Styles (WWE Championship)
- Brock Lesnar (c) vs. Finn Balor (Universal Championship)
Obviously, this won't be the final card for the show, and the matches listed above may not appear in the order listed. You can see our predictions for the big event below--including Rumble picks from GameSpot's wrestling fans--and make sure to come back to GameSpot on Sunday, January 27 for live coverage of the show and a review after its all over.
Rusev (c) vs. Shinsuke Nakamura (United States Championship)
This is a rivalry I've been lukewarm on, even though I love both of these competitors. Rusev got his recent push a little too late, as he had been over with the crowd forever before getting this title, and Nakamura keeps getting these great main event spots, but then brushed aside and forgotten about. While Smackdown has been pretty fantastic with its booking, heel Nakamura--which is AMAZING--has fallen by the wayside. He's not upper-midcard. He's main event. Get him back to the main event please. Prediction: Rusev wins
Buddy Murphy (c) vs. Akira Tozawa vs. Kalisto vs. Hideo Itami (Cruiserweight Championship)
Well, this will be your match of the evening, even though it will probably get overshadowed by something that isn't 205 Live-related. Time and time again, the cruiserweight matches have put on stellar performances during the WWE PPVs, and this one will be no different. If anything, it will be more chaotic, as there will be four competitors in the ring. As for the win, this one is going to Hideo Itami simply because he needs to be champion. Prediction: Itami wins
The Bar vs. The Miz & Shane McMahon (Smackdown Tag Team Championships)
It's weird for a WWE PPV and not see either The New Day or The Usos on the card. However, Smackdown's tag team division is in a bit of a transitional period, mainly because it's been The New Day vs. The Usos since the bland split. Considering my pick for the Royal Rumble winner, it's pretty obvious who I'm picking here. The Miz and McMahon are not going to win the tag team championships. It doesn't make sense, as The Bar are a fantastic, well-oiled machine, while Miz and McMahon are two people trapped in a storyline. Prediction: The Bar wins
Asuka vs. Becky Lynch
I'm about to do something I have NEVER done in one of these predictions pieces. I am predicting Becky Lynch will lose. Stay with me. Becky Lynch is the hottest thing in wrestling right now--sorry The Elite. However, in order to make my Royal Rumble prediction work--which you'll read about later--Lynch needs to lose here, unless WWE has no problem having a Champion vs. Champion match at Wrestlemania, which just doesn't seem likely. So, I'm sad to announce, that Asuka will win, even though I'm a huge fan of hers. Prediction: Asuka wins
Ronda Rousey (c) vs. Sasha Banks (Raw Women's Championship)
Hey, Sasha Banks is finally back in the spotlight. Sadly, it's in a match I find to be unwinnable for her, as Rousey is being booked as an unstoppable force. As much as I love seeing Banks in the main event picture--where she belongs--I don't see her winning the title at the Rumble. Hopefully, after the Wrestlemania dust has settled, Banks can move back up into the spotlight. Prediction: Rousey wins
The New Daniel Bryan (c) vs. AJ Styles (WWE Championship)
Vince McMahon used his evil powers to unlock the "new" AJ Styles, who will kick you in the family jewels. He'll be facing a man who did that very thing to him, the "new" Daniel Bryan. While the new era of WWE stated there wouldn't be title rematches, there are a couple on the card here--including this one. There will be quite a bit of low blows during this match when the ref's back is turned, without a doubt. However, at the end of the match, Bryan's carbon footprint will knock out Styles. I'm calling Bryan's "Yes Kicks" the "Carbon Footprint" from now on. Prediction: Bryan wins
Brock Lesnar (c) vs. Finn Bálor (Universal Championship)
Why is Brock Lesnar still champion? Why didn't WWE give the title to someone else when Roman Reigns vacated it? Well, Balor gets his shot at the title, finally, and I am DYING to see a fighting champ again. Someone who shows up every week. Someone who defends the title at PPVs. Lesnar's reign as champ has stained the Universal Championship. It's a meaningless title. If WWE cares about it, they'll give it to Balor and say "bye bye" to Lesnar for good. Prediction: Balor wins--even though we all know WWE will book Lesnar to win because Creative hates us.
Men's Royal Rumble Picks:
The Miz Understandably, The Miz is already involved in a storyline with Shane McMahon trying to win the Smackdown Tag Team Championships, but he's destined for bigger and better things. And yes, that means headlining Wrestlemania again, but this time around, the people (smarks) will actually want to see it. Sure, the door to their rivalry is seemingly closed, but since Daniel Bryan has gone heel and the Miz has essentially turned face, it could bring something new to this battle between the two. More importantly, the Miz needs to be in the main event picture. He's more than earned it. Sure, he's not confirmed to even be in the match, but if I didn't pick him, I'd probably do something completely improbable and pick Kenny Omega, Joey Ryan, or someone else that has no chance of even showing up, let alone winning. --Mat Elfring Seth Rollins I hate to be the boring one here. I would love nothing more than for The Miz to win the Rumble as he certainly deserves it. As many people as WWE tries to push to the top, it's hard to think of a more entertaining male star of the last several years than Miz and seeing him and Daniel Bryan main event WrestleMania would be a delight. That said, I'm going with Seth Rollins. We all want Finn Balor to beat Brock Lesnar and send the beast away once and for all at the Rumble, but that's not going to happen. Instead, Seth will win the Rumble and the Kingslayer will become the Beastslayer, win the title, and probably feud with Dean Ambrose some more. While Rollins is deserving and will certainly work his heart out in the eventual match against Lesnar, there's something about it that's just not exciting. That's not Seth's fault, though. That falls on the shoulders of Lesnar. Every time he comes back and dominates the entire roster, Raw gets more dismal and less interesting. One of these times, maybe he'll go away, and it'll stick. --Chris E. Hayner
Women's Royal Rumble Picks
Becky Lynch Get ready for some leaps in logic because--as always--I'm picking Becky Lynch to win. Even without Lynch, Smackdown's women's division is fine. There are enough top stars there to keep moving fine. However, Raw needs something--anything--to make it less of "the Ronda Rousey show." We're all still dying to see Rousey vs. Lynch, and the easiest way to get there is to have Lynch win the Rumble, and chose to fight Rousey at Wrestlemania. If WWE is going to start listening to fans, this is the way to go, as long as you completely forget that Lynch is fighting Asuka for the Smackdown Women's Championship. The time to cash in on Lynch's popularity is right now, WWE. Let's aim for the fences. --Mat Elfring Becky Lynch If this hasn't all been building to Becky and Ronda in the main event of WrestleMania, then the last few months are a waste of everyone's time. Becky is, hands down, the most over star WWE has. Ronda is the unstoppable force who, truthfully, still needs to be carried to a great match. That's not a knock against her, as she's still green as grass. It's been less than a year since Rousey had her first professional wrestling match, and in that time most of her bouts have been short and dominating victories. If WWE wants Ronda to main event WrestleMania, there's nobody better suited to be that opponent than The Man, herself. And this year, the Rumble winner needs to leave Mania with the belt. --Chris E. Hayner
By Kevin Wong on Jan 23, 2019 03:48 am
We're three episodes deep into Season 3 of True Detective, and the three timelines all agree on two things: someone isn't telling the truth about this murder, and someone catastrophically mishandled this case. Who's to blame, and whether this mishandling was intentional, will be subject of the next five episodes. What we know is suggestive but inconclusive. Two kids tell their father that they're going to a friend's house. Witnesses see them biking away, but they never come home. The son is found dead, his body arranged with his hands clasped in front of him. The daughter, meanwhile, is still missing. We see this case play out from the perspective of Detective Wayne Hays in three different timelines: the '80s, when the crime took place; the '90s, when the police discover a new lead; and the '10s, when a documentarian interviews Wayne about the murder. Complicating matters is Wayne's memory, which is failing him in his old age. And it begs the question: how reliable is our narrator? What has he forgotten, or wanted to forget, that will come back to haunt him? Here are six more theories about Season 3 of True Detective, based on Episode 3: "The Big Never." And if you liked this gallery, check out our True Detective theories for Episodes 1 and 2.
1. The Memento Theory
One theory currently making the rounds is that at some point--probably during the second timeline that takes place in the '90s--Walter found Will's killer and took matters into his own hands. There's a couple of clues, all figurative, that point to this possibility. We see, during his dream about his late wife, that he has regrets over something he left in the woods. Is this a clue he overlooked, or did he leave a body in there? We learn from Roland that Walter was a human "hunter" during World War II; they'd drop him behind enemy lines, and he'd come out with "scalps." Assuming this is foreshadowing, maybe he "hunted" again after discovering the murderer? Modern day Walter has since lost his memory; he may not remember doing this even if he did so.
2. The "Real Father" Theory
In Episode 2, the documentarian in the 2015 timeline alludes to a bad situation between Julie and her father in the '90s. But in Episode 3, we see the father, Tom, is alive and sober in 2015. He looks, all things considered, in better shape than we last saw him. His estranged wife, meanwhile, died five years prior in Las Vegas. So, was the documentarian referring to Tom? Or was she referring to Julie's "real" father, who we have yet to uncover? We speculated last week that Tom might not be the real father; Tom's parents certainly seem to think so. It's nothing concrete, but it's certainly suggestive.
3. The Substitute Daughter Theory
One of the more compelling theories circulating is that Hoyt Foods--whose CEO founded the Ozark Children's Outreach Center--is connected to the disappearance. The key is the CEO's granddaughter, who we hear via expository dialogue, is dead. Perhaps Julie is a replacement for her? Thus, the bike rides that Will and Julie took, multiple days per week, was to meet up and play with this CEO's daughter, who was grieving the loss of her real daughter. And maybe the boy died accidentally could have fallen and broken his head on the rocks.
4. The Staged Cult Theory
Let's continue with this Substitute Daughter Theory. If the boy died accidentally--or if the Hoyts only wanted a replacement daughter and killed the son--then the straw dolls, the ceremonial, and the staged placement of the body were all done to divert suspicion. This way, it would seem like the work of a psychotic murderer or cult rather than the more pedestrian, passionless killing that it was. This would be an extremely meta contextual twist, as Season 1 of True Detective had an actual cult at the heart of its solution. What if Season 3 is a bait-and-switch of our expectations?
5. The Cover-Up Theory
At the very least, we know the case was not thoroughly investigated--certainly not to the extent that the police officially claim it was. The documentarian points out that multiple witnesses with relevant information were not followed up on, and that an entire lead concerning a black man and a white woman in a nice brown sedan were not admitted into the record. If the white woman was the CEO's daughter (it would also explain why she was riding in an expensive car), then the Hoyts would have an interest in covering up this connection. We learned in Episode 1 that the district attorney had political aspirations; perhaps he was paid off to wrap up the case and keep the real culprits under wraps. Either that, or Wayne himself covered up the lead for whatever reason. And now, quite conveniently, he has forgotten it. It's also worth speculating if Amelia was somehow involved in this cover-up, for whatever reason. We see that she can flirt with the police officers to gain access to information that others can't. If anyone can get close to the evidence and testimonies and make some of them magically disappear, it would be her.
6. The Rampage Theory
And lastly, things continue to get worse for "Trash Man" in Episode 3. He's cornered and beaten with bats, which leads him to go back to his home and pull something, wrapped in a sheet, from a shelf. The way he cradles this package, we're meant to suspect that it's a body, perhaps of a small child. But we know, based on prior flashbacks and his own testimony, that Trash Man couldn't have possibly done it. More likely, there's firearms and ammunition under that sheet. The next episode could be a bloody, vengeful one.
By Chris E. Hayner on Jan 23, 2019 03:02 am
The end of Season 3 of The Magicians might have been the biggest game-changer the show has experienced yet. While magic was restored, the Order of the Librarians wiped the minds of the group, leaving them with glamours that have them living mortal lives, devoid of any of the extraordinary powers they've been living with. Now, with Season 4 acting as something of a major reset, fans are going to want to pay close attention--because even with the memory wipes, The Magicians isn't slowing down one bit. GameSpot visited the set of the Syfy series to speak with the cast and producers about what exactly viewers should expect from the new season and while everyone was tight-lipped about many aspects of the episodes to come, we learned quite a bit. Take a look at everything we learned while visiting the set of the Magicians ahead of tis Season 4 premiere, from how these new lives will impact the group to what the Monster being on the loose means for everyone to yet another musical episode being in the works. Be warned, though: In true Magicians fashion, things are going to get very weird. The Magicians Season 4 premieres Wednesday, January 23, on Syfy. Additionally, the series has already been renewed for a fifth season.
1. Let's talk about that memory wipe.
While we can't say for sure how long this plot twist of giving most of the group entirely new memories and lives will last, eventually the show has to go to back to whatever it considers normal, right? Well, not necessarily. While the characters may get their old lives back eventually, they'll never be quite the same. "What happens is they're given new identities and then they live those lives for a while," executive producer Henry Alonso Myers said. "Of course, magic and trouble and danger start to come for them, which will eventually wake them up, but that doesn't mean the lives they have been living for the last several weeks or months have been erased… There's stuff that they have learned, there's stuff that's different about them, and then there's also trouble that they've caused that's compounding. It just adds a whole other layer of complication and weirdness to the season."
2. Dean Fogg's betrayal wasn't without reason.
When Dean Fogg (Richard Worth) made a deal with the Order of the Librarians, resulting in the shadowy group controlling magic and initiating the mind wipe, it was easy to look at him as a traitor. However, as the actor tells it, there has to be a reason for it. "I had a feeling he might do something where it would have to maybe almost look like a betrayal, but from Fogg's point of view, he's really had to hit the reset button and wrestle control of magic back as much as he can in his hands," Worth said. Of course, when the Order of the Librarians is involved, it's hard to tell how in-control Fogg could possibly be.
3. What about Alice?
One character that wasn't given a new life and memory was Alice (Olivia Taylor Dudley). In fact, as Dudley teased, Alice is going to be very lonely for a big chunk of this season. "Alice is the only one in the group that doesn't have a glamor, which is cool but also as an actor, [it's] not as fun because it would have been so much fun to have another person to play and all that," she said. "But it's fine, Alice is like the straight man in the group so it makes sense. But yeah, she's still at the library jail for a long time actually this season. I did a lot of acting by myself in a room, which is fun, actually."
4. She is trying to right her wrongs, though.
After attempting to shut down magic once and for all, before finding herself imprisoned in the library, Alice has clearly made enemies of those she considers friends. That choice will mean she needs to do some serious soul-searching and groveling once the time comes. "This season is kind of her redemption," Dudley teased. "The whole season is going through and telling everybody she's sorry for what she did and explaining it and trying to make up for it, because in the end, I think Alice realized that magic is a good thing to have in this... She has a much more complicated relationship with it than everyone else because she's the only one who was born into it, had it her whole life."
5. Unfortunately, the position she's in leaves little room for vulnerability.
While she may be trying to make amends with those she cares about, it's not going to be easy. "Everyone is pissed at Alice this whole season. So there's no room for her to be vulnerable because there's nobody there for her," Dudley said. "So Alice has to just push through it and buckle down and grit her teeth and take it. Take the punches when they come from everybody. I mean nobody's happy to see her this year, which is so heartbreaking to Alice, because in her mind and in my mind she's done nothing wrong, really. So, it's been a painful journey anytime I'm in a scene with everybody."
6. What about the Monster?
Another interesting development in the Season 3 finale was seeing the Monster take up residence in the body of Eliot (Hale Appleman). As Myers teased, that twist is going to play out in a surprising way. "The monster, who inhabits Elliot, has a whole journey that he's going to go through over the course of the season," the executive producer said. "He doesn't even know everything about himself. Part of the fun of that character is that there's things that he knows and things that he's trying to remember. And we're going to discover pretty early on in the season that he is trying to recover some of the things that happened to himself as well because he doesn't remember a bunch of them. The mystery of who he is and where he comes from and what he's there for is something that we're gonna unravel all the way up to the end."
7. At the very least, the Monster has a BFF.
While it remains to be seen whether Eliot can survive having his body inhabited by the monster, at least the creature has a friend in Quentin (Jason Ralph). Well, at least as close as a friend as he can be, as a monster who wants to unleash his wrath alongside someone with no memory of who or what he is. Strangely, though, it seems like that's what will make the Monster so compelling. "There's a childlike aspect to this monster," co-showrunner Sera Gamble teased. Now that he's free from imprisonment, he's found someone to latch onto, even if that someone has had their memory erased. "Quentin was nice and tried to show him a card trick. So, somewhere in that childish part of his mind, he kinda did the math and realized that this was his new friend," Gamble said. "That's kinda as deep as the math goes for the Monster."
8. There will be another musical.
The Magicians always seems to have a song it wants to sing, and Season 4 will be no different. There is a musical episode coming. Unfortunately, there's not much we're allowed to say about it. However, it will center on Margo's (Summer Bishil) journey through the desert. "I was telling everybody it was just so soul-fulfilling," Bishil admitted. "I never in a million years thought I was gonna have that experience on a show. It felt like we were making another movie. Me and the crew and everybody were out there just making some indie film. And I got to not wear makeup and kind of look like myself for the first time."
9. That's not the only concept episode in Season 4, though.
While there's plenty of story to tell in Season 4, that's not going to stop The Magicians from having a little bit of conceptual fun with its episode formats. In addition to the musical, Gamble revealed a sort of sequel to something the show tried in Season 3. "The one I'm super excited about this season is kinda companion piece to the 'Six Short Stories About Magic' that we did last season, where we really flipped the switch on who... we got make this hard argument about when you think the show is about one thing and it's not. And we follow a bunch of characters that you wouldn't necessarily follow. And we tell their stories and reveal how the things that they go through are just as important, if not more important, to the overall story of magic than the people who we think are, say, the protagonists. I think that episode is great." That's all she'd tease about the episode, but our interest is piqued.
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