WWE Royal Rumble 2019: Can We Get Mustafa Ali vs. Daniel Bryan?

On tonight’s episode of SmackDown Live, Mustafa Ali pinned Daniel Bryan in a main event tag match, and while it’s more likely for Ali to earn a title shot on a television episode, is it possible for him to earn that opportunity at WWE Royal Rumble 2019?

Last night on Raw, Vince McMahon, Stephanie McMahon, Triple H, and Shane McMahon promised the WWE Universe that they would freshen things up, giving fans more of what they want.

They started off on a great note, giving the women an entertaining Gauntlet Match in the main event of Raw before announcing a tag match on SmackDown Live pitting AJ Styles and Mustafa Ali against Daniel Bryan and Andrade “Cien” Almas. Earlier on Tuesday night, we saw Naomi challenge tag team partner Asuka for the SmackDown Women’s Championship in another entertaining match.

But it was Ali who stole the show again on SmackDown, pinning Bryan in the main event of the show with an 0-5-4, after Styles took out Almas with a well-placed Phenomenal Forearm to open things up for Ali.

One week ago, Ali took Bryan, the WWE Champion, to the brink in a singles match. He must have impressed upper management to a high degree, because Corey Graves announced that Ali was added as a full-time member of the SmackDown roster.

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By pinning the WWE Champion, Ali has logically earned a title shot against Bryan, who already defeated Styles again at TLC. While Styles and Bryan could continue to feud, it’s unclear who Bryan will face at WWE Royal Rumble 2019, which takes place on Jan. 27 in Phoenix, Arizona and is the next PPV on the calendar.

Ali’s title opportunity will likely come on an episode of television, knowing how WWE usually operates. Given that Natalya earned an opportunity to face Ronda Rousey for the Raw Women’s Championship on Christmas Eve by winning a Gauntlet Match, pinning Sasha Banks to seal the victory, a logical conclusion is that Ali will simply face Bryan on Christmas Eve.

But a more exciting conclusion would be predicting an Ali vs. Bryan match for the WWE Championship at the Royal Rumble Pay Per View. It is also entirely possible that Bryan, who will win by any means necessary following his sudden epiphany, could face Ali on an episode of SmackDown and at the Rumble if he wins by nefarious means.

Whatever the case, Ali’s addition to the SmackDown roster is already paying dividends, and there’s serious hype surrounding one of WWE’s most talented in-ring performers and most likable babyfaces. Ali was a true star on 205 Live despite never winning the Cruiserweight Championship, even if he did hold marquee victories over the likes of Buddy Murphy, Drew Gulak, and Hideo Itami.

Ali’s pin over Bryan in the tag team main event, which featured other elite wrestlers like Almas and Styles, is a defining moment in his career that immediately boosts him into the title picture – not just the television main event picture.

WWE can take advantage of the buzz and the positive reactions surrounding Ali’s jubilant victory, and the possibility of a Rumble match between Ali and Bryan is enough to make SmackDown Live must-see. The Blue Brand has always been great, but with Ali in the main event picture of the FOX-bound show and in a position where he could have a WWE Title match at a Big 5 PPV, SmackDown has suddenly become the show to watch.