The stretch after the Royal Rumble is always the most exciting time of the year for a wrestling fan with the road to WrestleMania officially starting, WWE always cranks up the quality and brings its A-game each and every week.

The company works hard to get as many eyeballs as possible on the product ahead of the big show and that normally leads to some fantastic storylines, returns, and debuts all leading to the Grandest Stage Of Them All. With the company having seen some disappointing TV numbers in the last few months of 2018, they'll be set on starting 2019 with a bang. We all know that the road to WrestleMania provides WWE its peak months of the year and the WWE has a lot to think about as far as their creative direction.

Sometimes the feuds that will be finished at WrestleMania begin at the Rumble and build all the way, while other times the period between the Rumble and 'Mania is used to keep people apart until they finally face off on the big night.

No matter what, one thing is for certain and that is that the months following the Royal Rumble are the most exciting time to be a WWE fan and that is why the rumor mill tends to go into overdrive for this time of year.

With tons of speculation and backstage reports already starting about what could or should be happening this time around, we will take a look at possible scenarios that might take place after the Rumble.

20 The Miz vs Shane McMahon

Recently the WWE has put some great comedy segments into SmackDown Live with The Miz trying his best to become tag team partners with Shane McMahon, but it seems like there is only one way this ends up, and it isn't with them earning tag team gold.

Instead, WWE will likely put Shane McMahon into the ring once again with a match between the co-besties that could lead to a double turn if WWE pulls things off the right way, with Miz becoming a sympathetic babyface.

There are a lot of signs that point to Miz facing Daniel Bryan at WrestleMania and for that, a switch would need to happen and since WWE has been teasing a Shane heel turn since Crown Jewel. He makes the perfect opponent to lead both into something different at 'Mania.

19 Bray Wyatt Returns

This is something that could happen within the Royal Rumble itself. After all, he has been absent from television for that long that he would make an excellent surprise entrant within the match, but either way, he will certainly be back soon.

WWE has kept the Eater Of Worlds away while the creative team thinks of something fresh for him and after several months you would like to think they have managed to do just that, which is why bringing him back at WrestleMania season would be perfect.

The company will want to have all of its biggest names available and as a former WWE Champion, Wyatt is far too valuable to simply be sitting on the sidelines watching the time go by, so expect to see him return ahead of the Grandest Stage Of Them All.

18 Natalya Turns On Rousey

The most obvious feud for Ronda Rousey at WrestleMania is against Becky Lynch, with Charlotte Flair being a close second, but between the Royal Rumble and 'Mania, WWE will need to put together a filler for the baddest woman on the planet.

When looking at the Raw roster, the ideal person for Rousey to face for a few months is her current best friend, Natalya. This has been something that WWE has teased for quite some time but hasn't pulled the trigger on.

Natalya deserves a major women's championship storyline and putting her against Rousey is the best storyline WWE has right now and would also give Ronda the perfect person to work with and learn from heading into the big WrestleMania show.

17 WWE Finally Unveils The Women's Tag Titles

This has been almost a year in the making with tons of speculation keeping the discussions going, which has only been fueled by the fact that Stephanie McMahon, Triple H, and the women's roster have discussed the possibility of it.

However, in the run-up to WrestleMania 35, it would be the perfect time for the company to finally unveil the planned Women's Tag Team Championships, potentially setting up a tournament to crown the first ever champions at 'Mania itself.

WWE has taken the time to develop its women's roster and has created several, genuine tag teams who could all be great champions and adding even more to the growing division would be the right call for WWE right now.

16 Dean Ambrose Becomes Intercontinental Champion

While WWE is making some interesting choices with Dean Ambrose's character since turning him heel, it can't be argued that WWE has a major star on their hands now that he is back once again.

The company is clearly high on him and even though his feud with Seth Rollins has been fairly underwhelming, the Lunatic Fringe seems like the man WWE is going to choose to bring an end to Rollins's Intercontinental Championship reign.

With reports pointing to Rollins as a possible opponent for Brock Lesnar, he would need to drop the title for that to happen and it would be a great way to end the current storyline between them, giving Ambrose the push he needs to get back into the swing of things.

15 Bobby Roode's Glorious Heel Turn

Ever since Bobby Roode was brought to the main roster there has been one thing clearly missing from his character and that is the fact that he is not a heel. WWE has pushed the 'Glorious' part of his character and that has been a major mistake.

Roode became one of NXT's greatest ever stars with his work as an egotistical heel and the company had a chance to keep that going and make him a main event star on the main roster but instead took the route they did, which saw fans lose interest in him.

However, teaming him with Chad Gable provides the company a chance to right this wrong by having Roode turn on his partner and finally get his character right back on track where it belongs.

14 Drew McIntyre vs Braun Strowman

Monday Night Raw's two big men are certainly going to do battle at some point and after Strowman's presumed Universal Championship match at the Royal Rumble seems like a good time to do that.

WWE has teased this match happening a few times, pushing Drew McIntyre as the next big thing in the company, while Strowman has finally gone back to being a babyface where he can once again be the most popular man on the roster.

Everybody wants to see them rip each other apart in what would be an incredibly entertaining feud and whether it continues all the way to WrestleMania or is used as a one-off, it is going to be a fantastic war between the two giants.

13 Sami Zayn Returns

It's been a long time since we last saw the Underdog From The Underground on WWE television, especially as a babyface, but following the Royal Rumble, that is all set to change as Sami Zayn edges closer and closer to a return.

There's no doubt when Zayn comes back he is going to get a huge ovation and bringing him back as a babyface is probably the best decision WWE could make, at least until Kevin Owens is also back. If Zayn does return as a babyface, then WWE could possibly place him straight into a feud with Dean Ambrose for the Intercontinental Championship, which would make for a fantastic storyline.

12 Shinsuke Nakamura Fades Away

As much of a shame as it is, the Road to WrestleMania 35 might not feature too much from the King Of Strong Style who has had a rather forgettable 2018 since his WWE Championship feud with AJ Styles drew to a close. WWE had the chance to push Nakamura to the main event level but clearly didn't believe in him and instead pulled him back to the mid-card for a run with the United States Championship. He's unlikely to be holding that title when 'Mania rolls around.

Following the Royal Rumble, the company tends to put all of its efforts into people who are going to play a big part on the Grandest Stage Of Them All and with Nakamura not guaranteed to feature in those plans, he might just fade into the background for a little while.

11 Alexa Bliss Wrestles Again

Alexa Bliss has been out of action since just before the Evolution PPV when she sustained some rather serious concussions that have stopped her from wrestling. Even though she can't work, Bliss has been kept on TV and that is so there can be a smooth transition back into things. The former Women's Champion is already working in the ring and in the gym to get prepared for her return to wrestling and it's a matter of when and not if (thankfully) and therefore we can expect her back in time for the WrestleMania storylines.

Bliss is one of the most entertaining women on the roster and is a huge asset to the company which is why WWE is being so careful not rushing her back, but following the Rumble the Goddess will return.

10 Another NXT UK Takeover Announcement

Just before the Royal Rumble wrestling fans will see the first ever NXT UK Takeover event take place with the Takeover: Blackpool show taking place as Pete Dunne defends his UK Championship against Joe Coffey.

It is set to be an incredible, history-making event and the roster will be aiming to set the standard for future events, just as NXT Takeover's have done each time in the States and this isn't going to be a one-off event. Takeover events in the UK are going to become a regular thing and following the Royal Rumble, the company will likely announce when the next one will take place, possibly just around WrestleMania season.

9 The Revival Become Champions

The Revival was once considered by most people to be the best tag team in WWE and possibly the world, yet the former two-time NXT Tag Team Champions have been treated incredibly poorly on the main roster.

However, that is all going to change as it seems that the creative team has finally woken up and worked out that they have two very talented men in Dash and Dawson, which is why they have started to become more regular features on the show.

Heading into WrestleMania season, the company will be aiming to shake things up and finally putting the tag team gold around their waists would be the best way to do that, having them in a top tag team match at 'Mania.

8 The Undertaker Rises Again

It's WrestleMania season after the Royal Rumble, so that means only one thing is guaranteed; the return of The Undertaker. Who knows when, how or why, but he will be back whether the people want it or not.

Even though it seems like retirement would be the best possible idea for The Deadman at this point, he seems set on continuing to wrestle and that means that he is going to be involved at WrestleMania in some way.

There haven't been any rumored opponents for him just yet, but when he does come back that will no doubt be made clear. Despite the fact he is way past his prime, the WWE Universe will still react for 'Taker and it will provide a major storyline for the company.

7 Seth Rollins Hunts Down The Beast

He might not win the Royal Rumble itself, although that is a distinct possibility. Seth Rollins is currently one of the top rumored names to be challenging Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 35 for the Universal Championship.

Rollins has had an incredible 2018, arguably his greatest ever year and the perfect way to mark that would be by being the man to slay The Beast and finally bring the Universal Championship back to Raw full-time. Seth has all the fan support and knows how to get an excellent match out of Brock Lesnar, which is why he would make the best possible choice for an opponent. Potentially winning an Elimination Chamber to get to him that title shot would be a good story for Seth.

6 WWE Becomes Undisputed

Between the Royal Rumble and WrestleMania marks a time for a change and a great spot for an NXT call-up, providing one final change before the biggest storyline of the year. While Lars Sullivan will be on the main roster by then, that doesn't mean WWE can't pull more names up.

Another NXT class is set to be announced in January featuring several top names including WALTER, which means NXT's roster will need to lose a few people to make room and The Undisputed Era being called up would create four huge spaces to be filled.

All four men have done an incredible job since being in NXT, putting on incredible matches and delivering fantastic promos to match. There's no doubt that they are ready for the main roster and throwing them in just before 'Mania is the perfect level of chaos that WWE should be aiming for at that time of year.

5 Randy Orton vs AJ Styles

While we have seen some incredible AJ Styles matches during his time in WWE against opponents people never thought they would see him work with Styles facing the likes of Roman Reigns, John Cena, and even Daniel Bryan on a WWE stage, there is one major match the company has kept under wraps.

When Styles first appeared in WWE, Randy Orton was near the top of everyone's dream opponents for him, but somehow the company has managed to keep them apart and now heading into WrestleMania 35 could be the ideal time to finally deliver.

With Styles set to move out of the World Championship picture and The Viper at his absolute best as a top heel, everything seems to be set for a major non-title feud between two men who could easily steal the show.

4 Baron Corbin vs Kurt Angle

If WWE didn't go down the traditional Raw vs SmackDown storyline for Survivor Series this year, a team match led by Baron Corbin and Kurt Angle would have been the perfect way to complete this storyline, but instead, WWE tried to drag it on.

The Lone Wolf was only ever brought in as the GM on a temporary basis and it always seemed obvious that eventually, he would come to blows with Kurt Angle with his role as GM on the line. WWE might end up dragging this out all the way to WrestleMania as a way to get Angle on the card for the old-school fans and to reward Corbin for his excellent work in the role, but either way, expect this feud to finally come to physical blows.

3 Shawn Michaels Returns...Again

Even though Shawn Michaels has stated that he will not be wrestling again after his Crown Jewel main event, claiming he is done on the Edge and Christian podcast, it has been reported by various news sites that WWE is set to offer him a big money offer for one more match.

The real highlight of the Crown Jewel tag match was just how good HBK looked. Michaels stood out as the strongest competitor within the match and he can clearly still compete, which is why fans are desperate to see him just one more time.

WWE has the chance to throw a dream match down at WrestleMania with Michaels taking on a member of the current roster, rather than old legends and that could be a huge draw if WWE gets it right.

2 The Rock Returns

This is another scenario that may very well take place at the Royal Rumble itself but is set to flow into WrestleMania with Vince McMahon currently doing everything in his power to get The Rock back to take part in the event.

According to various reports, The Rock was originally scheduled to win the Rumble and take on Roman Reigns at WrestleMania for the Universal Championship. If that was the plan, it would signify that he is open to potentially returning for one more match.

While Vince will obviously have to alter what his original plans were due to Roman's unfortunate illness, he would certainly be happy with any way to get the Hollywood sensation onto the card.

1 Becky Lynch Joins Raw

The obvious main event for WrestleMania 35 at this point is Becky Lynch vs Ronda Rousey. While nobody may have seen it coming, both women have worked incredibly hard to make their feud the most exciting in the entire company and it should be in that spot.

However, with both women (as of this writing) on separate rosters and as champions, WWE is going to have to do some storytelling to make that happen. The Royal Rumble itself is the most obvious way to make that happen.

If The Man takes part in the Rumble itself (provided she drops the SmackDown Women's title) and wins it, there's no reason she can't skip over to the red brand, just as Asuka did in the other direction last year in order to challenge Rousey, setting up a blockbuster match for the biggest show of the year.