The WWE Universe is expecting John Cena to defeat A.J. Styles for the WWE championship at the Royal Rumble. It will be Cena's 16th WWE world title and he will tie Ric Flair's record for the most in wrestling history.
However, the latest WWE rumors imply that Vince McMahon might change his mind about giving Cena the win at the Royal Rumble. The WWE chairman has been going back and forth regarding the plans for WrestleMania 33 with some matches like Cena vs. The Undertaker getting scrapped.
According to Pro Wrestling Unlimited, Vince might be leaning towards Styles retaining the WWE championship at the Royal Rumble. The reasoning for it is too much information has been leaking online and he wants to swerve the fans.
Unpredictability is one of the best trademarks of the wrestling industry and the WWE can pull it off once in a while. Although nothing has been confirmed, the report of Vince changing his mind about Cena's record-tying reign means any outcome can happen at the Royal Rumble.
Another possible reason for not giving Cena the championship is his impending hiatus after WrestleMania 33. He is set to film "The Pact" sometime after April and he could miss more than two to three months of action, per WrestlingNews.co.
The WWE is in need of new stars with Cena transitioning to a part-time role and Roman Reigns still not getting over. WrestleMania is the place to make these stars and they cannot make it if they give Cena another unwanted moment.
Some of the rumored plans for the 15-time champion at WrestleMania 33 include a match against Styles or Samoa Joe. In a recent interview with IGN, WWE executive and superstar Triple H revealed that this year's Royal Rumble will be very unpredictable.
"This year, it's really tough to call. And I think that's when the Rumble's at its best when you can't really put your finger on what's going to happen. I can see this year going a lot of different ways and I think it's going to go in a way that nobody expects," Triple H said.
It should be noted that these are just rumors at the moment and nothing has been confirmed. The WWE is always exciting when it is not predictable and fans should take Triple H's word since he's been producing quality wrestling shows and tournaments. For more WWE news, rumors and updates, follow me on Twitter @johnnyrundown.