GREATEST ROYAL RUMBLE 2018 LIVE WWE

For the first time in history, WWE is holding a special event in Saudi Arabia, and the matches set for the big show make it look like an absolute monster. Less than three weeks after WrestleMania 34, WWE's biggest show of the year, and just before it's next pay-per-view in Backlash, it is apparent that this event will be one of the company's most impactful of the entire year.

WWE is set to invade the King Abdullah International Stadium in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on Friday, April 27 for an event that will begin at 12 p.m. ET with a pre-show starting one hour earlier at 11 a.m. It will air live on WWE Network and feature every men's main-roster championship being defended as well as a 50-man Royal Rumble match with no women on the card whatsoever.

 

It actually appears as if WWE used WrestleMania 34 to help set the stage for the Greatest Royal Rumble from a storyline standpoint, which is mind-boggling when you really think about how much WWE puts into 'Mania each year. Nevertheless, here's the now-complete card for the show.

WWE Match CARDS

Greatest Royal Rumble:
50-man Royal Rumble match
Universal Championship (Steel Cage Match)
Brock Lesnar (c) vs. Roman Reigns
WWE Championship:
AJ Styles (c) vs. Shinsuke Nakamura
Singles match:
John Cena vs. Triple H:
Casket Match:
The Undertaker vs. Rusev  
Intercontinental Championship (Ladder Match):
Seth Rollins (c) vs. The Miz vs. Finn Balor vs. Samoa Joe
United States Championship:
Jeff Hardy (c) vs. Jinder Mahal
SmackDown Tag Team Championship:
The Bludgeon Brothers (c) vs. The Usos
Raw Tag Team Championship:
The Bar vs. Matt Hardy & Bray Wyatt
Cruiserweight Championship:
Cedric Alexander (c) vs. Kalisto

When will The Greatest Royal Rumble 2018 take place?
The Greatest Royal Rumble will take place on Friday, April 27, 2018.

Where is The Greatest Royal Rumble 2018 taking place?
The Greatest Royal Rumble 2018 is taking place in the King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

What time does the WWE The Greatest Royal Rumble 2018 begin?
The Greatest Royal Rumble 2018 begins at 8.30 pm with the kickoff-show. The main show will be telecast live from 9:30 pm IST onwards.

Which TV channel will telecast the WWE The Greatest Royal Rumble 2018 LIVE?
The Greatest Royal Rumble 2018 will be broadcast live on SONY TEN 1 and SONY TEN 1 HD in English. It is also available in Hindi on SONY TEN 3 and SONY TEN 3 HD.

How do I live stream The Greatest Royal Rumble 2018?
The Greatest Royal Rumble 2018 will be live streamed on can be seen on a free stream on WWE.com, the WWE App, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and Pinterest. You can also track the progress of the WWE Royal Rumble 2018 on Indianexpress.com

WWE Greatest Royal Rumble Full Matches Details

Greatest Royal Rumble: WWE has announced that Daniel Bryan, Chris Jericho, Rey Mysterio Jr., Shane McMahon, Kurt Angle, The Great Khali, Braun Strowman, Bray Wyatt, Bobby Lashley, Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn, Kane, The New Day, Baron Corbin, Apollo Crews, Shelton Benjamin, Sin Cara, Elias, Chad Gable, Goldust, Titus O'Neil, Mojo Rawley and Dolph Ziggler (among others) will compete in the match. Expect every available men's wrestler from Raw and SmackDown, along with some from NXT and a couple local talents, to be in the match. It has not been announced whether the winner will receive anything of value other than a trophy.

Universal Championship (Steel Cage Match):

Brock Lesnar (c) vs. Roman Reigns: This will serve as Lesnar's first in-ring appearance since WrestleMania after re-signing with WWE. It was not exactly explained why Reigns was getting another opportunity at the title so soon. This may be used as an opportunity to put the title on Reigns in front of a friendly crowd.

WWE Championship:

AJ Styles (c) vs. Shinsuke Nakamura: One would wish WWE save this match, but running it back makes a lot of sense after Nakamura turned on Styles at WrestleMania and has been low-blowing him ever since. 

 

Singles match:
John Cena vs. Triple H: This match was one of the first announced for the show. One would expect Triple H to go over considering Cena's current booking and the fact that it is airing on WWE Network, so all fans will see it. 

Casket Match:
The Undertaker vs. Rusev Just days after Chris Jericho replaced Rusev for an undisclosed reason -- in storyline, WWE is saying Lana has objected to Rusev participating in the match -- Rusev is back in the bout after Lana supposedly changed her mind. Whatever.

Intercontinental Championship (Ladder Match):
Seth Rollins (c) vs. The Miz vs. Finn Balor vs. Samoa Joe: WWE announced this match back on March 26, though Miz had the title at the time. Miz vs. Rollins for the title is scheduled for Backlash in early May, so expect one of them to win. Bobby Lashley has been advertised as part of this match, but he was not added to it on Raw.  

United States Championship:
Jeff Hardy (c) vs. Jinder Mahal: One week after Randy Orton won an opportunity for a rematch (rather than receiving it automatically), Mahal was shipped off to Raw and lost the title to Hardy. Mahal gets his rematch in Saudi Arabia. Who knows whether Orton will get a chance at Backlash.

SmackDown Tag Team Championship:
The Bludgeon Brothers (c) vs. The Usos: Similarly, the Usos had to earn a rematch, but they did so by defeating The New Day. It is being built like the Bludgeon Brothers are simply unable to be toppled by the Usos.

Raw Tag Team Championship:
The Bar vs. Matt Hardy & Bray Wyatt: After winning the Tag Team Eliminator following two impressive outings that made them look strong together as a team, Hardy & Wyatt will challenge Cesaro & Sheamus for the vacant titles. The problem? The Bar was just moved to SmackDown, so ...

Cruiserweight Championship:
Cedric Alexander (c) vs. Kalisto: The winner of a gauntlet match that was held during 205 Live on Tuesday, Kalisto gets an opportunity to fight for the title in a match that will likely be on the kickoff show.

WWE Greatest Royal Rumble Predictions

Cruserweight Championship: Cedric Alexander (c) vs. Kalisto
Brian Campbell: Alexander captured the cruiserweight crown for the first time less than a month ago in New Orleans. It's way too early to see him give it away. Pick: Cedric Alexander retains the title

Adam Silverstein: What Brian said. Plus, even if Alexander was going to drop the title right away, it makes little sense for Kalisto to be the one to beat him. Had this been Mustafa Ali in the match, perhaps I could have seen it. Pick: Cedric Alexander retains the title

Raw Tag Team Championship (vacant): The Bar vs. Matt Hardy & Bray Wyatt
AS: This would not be the first time WWE has someone on a different brand win a title after a draft or Superstar Shakeup. That said, it makes almost zero sense for WWE to finally move The Bar off Raw only for them to find their way right back onto the show. Hardy & Wyatt would be a good team to take the titles and begin feuding with the numerous heels on Raw right now. Pick: Matt Hardy & Bray Wyatt win the titles

BC: So you're telling me the Raw tag team champions, who just last week made the move to SmackDown, will get a chance to win the titles back? Forget any ideas of a swerve, this is just poor planning and worse execution. Still, the idea of Hardy & Wyatt as champions is just too exciting to focus on the negative. Pick: Matt Hardy & Bray Wyatt win the titles

SmackDown Tag Team Championship: Bludgeon Brothers (c) vs. The Usos
BC: It will be interesting to see how this match is booked considering how dominant Harper & Rowan have been booked since their characters were repackaged. Heck, they were even given a virtual squash victory at WrestleMania, of all places. Even Demolition didn't get that kind of protection. But the insertion of Naomi, the real-life wife of Jimmy Uso, could become a key to the overall storyline. In the end, it's hard to imagine every single title will change hands on Friday. Therefore, there's no reason to slow down the momentum just yet. Pick: Bludgeon Brothers retain the titles 

AS: If you listen to our podcast, you know I am a fan of Harper & Rowan but no fan of the Bludgeon Brothers gimmick. The mallets are stupid. Two guys who routinely took losses and previously teamed together suddenly being unstoppable without any explanation is as well. Nevertheless, The Usos taking the titles back so quickly would make the entire BB build and WrestleMania win pointless. That's not enough reason to assume WWE won't do it, but hopefully they have some common sense. Pick: Bludgeon Brothers retain the titles

United States Championship: Jeff Hardy (c) vs. Jinder Mahal
AS: There are too many scheduled mid-card title matches -- between GRR and Backlash -- with superstars of competing brands going head-to-head for there to simply be no title changes. While it would be strange for WWE to bring the U.S. title to Raw, then have Hardy win it and take it back to SmackDown only for it to return to Raw a couple weeks later, that's exactly what i think will happen. The Miz will have two opportunities to bring the intercontinental title back to SmackDown (with Samoa Joe having one as well), so I ultimately think we see a switch of both straps over the next couple of weeks. Pick: Jinder Mahal wins the title

BC: Hardy, who still garners big pops as a solo act, has all the makings to be the perfect transitional champion for an up-and-coming heel who could use the title on Raw. (Baron Corbin anyone?) The Jinder experiment was fine and dandy while it lasted on the WWE and U.S. championship levels, but it's time to put those days behind us. For good. As in, never again. Pick: Jeff Hardy retains the title

Intercontinental Championship (Ladder Match): Seth Rollins (c) vs. The Miz vs. Finn Balor vs. Samoa Joe
BC: The Miz's move to SmackDown signifies that a run at a much bigger belt than the IC title could be in his future over the next year (not to mention a long-awaited feud with Daniel Bryan). Because of that, it's not likely that he brings the title back with him to the blue brand. The same can also be said for Joe, who already has a date with Reigns at Backlash the following week. Look for this match to be the official kickoff of a feud between Rollins and Balor after months of booking that has slightly resembled Bayley and Sasha Banks. You can also look for this one to try its best to steal the show. Pick: Seth Rollins retains the title

AS: This is going to be a barn-burner. There's only one other match I'm more excited to watch on this card, and it's by a slim margin. Though I do have the U.S. title changing hands -- and brands -- in Jeddah, I think we work through at least one week with two mid-card titles on Raw. I definitely see Rollins keeping the strap in this match, though I agree that the only other legitimate option to win it should be Balor. Ultimately, though, I see the title moving over to SmackDown at Backlash with The Miz taking it at that event. Pick: Seth Rollins retains the title

The Greatest Royal Rumble feat. Daniel Bryan, Chris Jericho, Rey Mysterio Jr., Bobby Lashley, Shane McMahon, Kurt Angle, The Greate Khali, Braun Strowman among 50 participants
AS: While Bryan would potentially receive the ultimate crowd pop as a victor in this match, there are bigger, better options to come through and win the "Greatest Royal Rumble." You want the winner to stand exceedingly tall with the trophy in the middle of the ring at the end of the match. You want him to dominate the competition and have multiple starring moments over the course of the hour-plus it will likely take to finish the bout. Most importantly, you want to use this spotlight to give someone a necessary push. There is no one who fits these billings more than Strowman.

The Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal, for the most part, has been a worthless win at WrestleMania. This is the title centerpiece of a multi-million dollar affair in Saudi Arabia, and you want those newspaper, website and other press photos to pop. Who else can do that to such a degree on this current roster? Pick: Braun Strowman wins

BC: Three months after Nakamura was victorious in the 2018 Royal Rumble, WWE is going back to the well in unprecedented fashion. Luckily for WWE's portfolio, the bottom of said well is likely filled with gold. But what does this inaugural 50-man Greatest Royal Rumble have in store for fans who are worried about over saturation and the lack of anything tangible in terms of a storyline prize at stake for the winner? Like everything else associated with this card, there remain more questions than answers. How much creativity will be given to booking the match? How long will it take? What type of surprise entrants will we see? 

As far as who comes out on top, the recent betting odds released seem to accurately reflect the two superstars who could most benefit from the rub in a way that substitutes the need to put a title around their waist. A Bryan victory would likely produce the largest crowd response among names that have been announced. It would also pair with his emotional WrestleMania comeback to elevate Bryan back to top billing among full-timers in the company alongside Reigns and Styles. The only man who arguably deserves it more, however, is Strowman, who is so over that any title around his waist other than the universal championship has the feel of a backward step. Pick: Braun Strowman wins

The Undertaker vs. Rusev (Casket Match)
BC: The Undertaker doesn't have a long history of losing casket matches (and certainly not since the 1990s). Despite how obscenely over Rusev remains to smart fans in the United States, this one has all the makings to be a J-O-B. "The Deadman" wins, Lana tweets, and the crowd goes wild. Any questions? Pick: The Undertaker wins

AS: Bury him softly, Taker. There is no earthly way that Rusev wins this match. And while I initially bristled at the idea of him jobbing to Taker in such a setting, I've come around a bit to thinking that WWE did him a favor by putting him in such a spotlight match. The only thing I truly hate is that this is a casket match, which is usually used as a blow off to a major feud. It feels out of place here. Pick: The Undertaker wins

John Cena vs. Triple H
AS: I'm probably going to take a loss on this one, but I'm still of the belief that WWE is building a long-term Cena angle in which he is routinely defeated by top-tier opponents and needs to spend a few months finding himself before working his way back up the ladder rung by rung into a main event at WrestleMania 35 and his "record" 17th world title win. Based on that, it would not make much sense for Cena to get the win here. If WWE was not including this event in its storylines, Cena winning would be a no-brainer for me. But since it has been featured on TV, my aforementioned booking makes the most sense in my eyes. Pick: Triple H wins

BC: Like many of the matches on this card, it's difficult to make a prediction because of how little (or in this case nothing) has been done to build the storyline. In that regard, it's still unknown whether GRR will come off as a glorified house show being streamed on the WWE Network or a legitimate PPV major in line with WrestleMania and SummerSlam. Because of that, your guess in a match like this is as good as mine. Both can certainly endure a clean loss without damaging the momentum of their characters. The best guess would be to look at the "job" Cena just did for The Undertaker in New Orleans and wonder whether it's possible he would do the same twice in the same month. Do foreign markets still pop huge for white meat babyfaces? You becha. Pick: John Cena wins

WWE Championship: AJ Styles (c) vs. Shinsuke Nakamura
BC: While their WrestleMania match may have failed to live up to its lofty expectations, everything that has happened since has been solid gold. Nakamura's heel turn was exactly what his character needed following the lukewarm feel (and reaction) following his main roster call-up. Whatever elements were previously lost in translation between NXT and his arrival on SmackDown have been fixed with Nakamura looking as comfortable and cool as ever before. Considering the money in any great feud comes from the babyface's chase for the championship, it appears time for a title change as this feud appears to be just getting started. Pick: Shinsuke Nakamura wins the title

AS: It would have been glorious to see the feud between Styles and Nakamura develop like this entering WrestleMania. The two world title matches being repeated on this card go back to my long-held belief that WWE bastardized its booking for 'Mania in order to ensure exciting things happen at this event. Nakamura has been reborn as a heel and is doing his best work since joining the main roster in this role. A title change just feels right -- and necessary -- here with the feud continuing through Money in the Bank or SummerSlam. Pick: Shinsuke Nakamura wins the title

Universal Championship (Steel Cage Match): Brock Lesnar (c) vs. Roman Reigns
AS: For everyone that thinks fans are simply tired of WWE over-pushing Reigns, perhaps they are also sick of seeing a Lesnar-Reigns feud and Lesnar carrying the title yet rarely appearing -- and never competing -- on television. I know that's how I feel -- and I'm not being worked in saying so. With Vince McMahon seemingly unwilling to turn Reigns heel -- he would be a natural in that role and do major business as a bad guy -- it is time for WWE to sink or swim with him as the face world champion. It was time at WrestleMania, but McMahon obviously felt the need to swerve a knowledgeable crowd that had been waiting for the moment for a calendar year. Either that or he decided that a more storyline-friendly Saudi Arabian crowd will give Reigns the face pop that McMahon wants him to receive when he captures the strap. And unless WWE is actually going to have Reigns turn heel next Monday, when he does win, he better do so 1-2-3 in the center of the ring and not by escaping. Pick: Roman Reigns wins the title

BC: The match that very few WWE fans wanted at WrestleMania now has a sequel almost no one could've predicted. For as good as the last-minute swerve was of Lesnar cancelling Reigns' year-long quest for the universal champion (and re-signing with the company in real life), it's hard to imagine WWE having the guts or creativity to make doing it again worth it. Even worse, the added stipulation of a steel cage means Reigns can win without actually having to pin Lesnar. WWE proved it had nothing left on Monday in terms of stretching the storyline to get us to Saudi Arabia in a manner that was anything else than mailed in. While their match in New Orleans proved more entertaining than fans are willing to admit, it's hard to imagine it will get better from here. Look for babyface Reigns to finally get his showcase moment in front of a packed stadium of adoring fans and all it took was an airplane ride halfway around the world to make it happen. Pick: Roman Reigns wins the title.