With the Royal Rumble fast approaching, many betting sites already have their list of superstars who they believe have the best chance of walking out with their head held high and on the road to immortality at WrestleMania.
Daniel Bryan
The bookie’s current favourite to win the entire men’s Royal Rumble Match is indeed Daniel Bryan, however, I feel this is at least five years too late. Is Bryan even that relevant anymore? Even if he is, is he that over to be headlining a WrestleMania? He only confirmed himself a few weeks ago as a part-timer now. Maybe that’s why Vince McMahon has suddenly become enamoured with him.
If it is Bryan that challenges Roman Reigns in the main event of WrestleMania it will be a scorcher of a contest, but will anyone really care about the outcome? I don’t think Bryan is the right guy to take the title off of Roman, thus it would be a waste having him win the Rumble Match. Does that mean WWE won’t do it? Of course not, but I genuinely would be surprised if he comes out on top on January 31st.
There have been no hints that Bryan will indeed challenge for the Universal Championship on the grandest stage of them all, which could just be WWE trying to throw us off the scent, but that isn’t usually their style. They usually smash us over the head with a sledgehammer with their obvious choices, which is why I can be confident in saying it will not be Daniel Bryan who wins the men’s Royal Rumble Match.
Bianca Belair
As for the women’s side of things, Bianca Belair has the bookies firmly on her side, with hardly anyone else getting a look in. They are that confident she will win this thing, but if rumours are to be believed then she will come up short once again. The obvious match for her at WrestleMania is indeed Sasha Banks, and this would be a good way to kick-start that rivalry, but if a Smackdown star is winning the men’s Rumble (which I firmly believe they will), then I have to think logic points to a Raw woman winning her respective Rumble, leaving Belair out in the cold.
Bianca Belair had a fantastic showing at last year’s Rumble event, lasting a decent amount of time and creating some incredible moments along the way, but she did not win it. She’s had a respectable 2020 since then and is now one of Smackdown’s leading lights in the women’s division. I believe she will reach the final four of the Rumble Match, but that will be her lot.
I still think WWE will push her heavily leading into WrestleMania, but I can’t see her having a one-on-one match with Sasha Banks, that would almost be criminal to Bayley to leave her off the biggest card after the year she’s had. So there’s my prediction for that.
Edge
The WWE Hall Of Famer who is due to make a comeback from his latest injury is the bookie’s next best bet to win the men’s Royal Rumble Match, and he is a very good shout. Him winning the Rumble, and Randy Orton somehow recapturing the WWE Championship in-between to set up their WrestleMania rematch sounds good on paper, except for one thing – they don’t need the title to finish their story.
Edge has already won a Rumble Match, so there’s not even that to knock off his bucket list. He doesn’t need this or another WWE title win to solidify his legacy. He will indeed compete with Randy Orton at WrestleMania in some sort of gimmick match to end their rivalry once and for all, but I would be astonished if it is for the richest prize in the business.
Edge is only rumoured to be making a return at the Royal Rumble event, with my guess being that he shows up on an episode of Raw later down the road to pop a rating. He is not really needed at the Rumble. Orton already has an ongoing feud with The Fiend to wrap up, so inserting Edge at the moment would just unnecessarily complicate matters.
Alexa Bliss
If rumors of a certain badass MMA fighter making her long-awaited return to WWE do not come to fruition at the Royal Rumble then I believe we are looking at the Women’s winner right here in Alexa Bliss who has been magnificent in her storytelling prowess since aligning with Bray Wyatt and channeling her inner dark side.
Bliss can still go in the ring, make no mistake about that. Yes, she has had her concussion problems but I believe they are in the rearview mirror now. She is more than ready and deserving of her opportunity to star on the biggest stage possible and take back possession of the Raw Women’s Championship.
We all know how good Alexa Bliss is when motivated. She can carry an entire division. She’s not in the caliber of worker as a Sasha Banks or Charlotte Flair, but she’s only a rung below. What she lacks for in that department she more than makes up for with charisma, promo skills, and acting chops. On those fronts, there is no one that even comes close to her talent.
Brock Lesnar
The Beast Incarnate is set to make his latest return at the Royal Rumble and is one of the heavily backed favorites to win the whole thing and challenge Drew McIntyre in a rematch for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania. If this is the way WWE is going to go, it’s not the worst idea in the world.
Lesnar seems to enjoy being in the ring with McIntyre, and you’d have the added intrigue of Lesnar trying to avenge a crushing loss from the previous year. It will also be strange to see Lesnar without Paul Heyman by his side, which is why I think it would be perfect for Brock to face Roman Reigns instead, but that’s highly unlikely.
If Lesnar does return he will be back on Raw, and by himself, that’s for sure. I do believe he will be a part of the Royal Rumble Match and will be an explosive force to be reckoned with, only he won’t win it, and a certain Beast Slayer will be there to deny him once again.
Rhea Ripley
The NXT badass who is destined for the main roster has a big future ahead of her and is actually a firm favorite with some bookmakers to win the Rumble Match, which would be a great way to introduce her to a wider audience, but in my opinion this would not be in the best of interest for the brand
Yes, if she wins it she will challenge Asuka for the Raw Women’s Championship which will inevitably rope Charlotte Flair in too to tie up last year’s loose ends between the pair and deliver a marquee contest. That is definitely a way to go for WWE if they so wish, but like Belair, this can be done without having to win the Rumble Match.
I’m a big fan of Ripley. She has a unique look, is incredible to watch in the ring, and can cut a mean promo. She definitely needs to rectify her loss to Charlotte Flair, which can happen at any time. Regardless of what happens at the Rumble, Ripley is the one to watch in 2021.
Sheamus
Yes, the dreaded choice is actually the third favorite to win the men’s Royal Rumble Match with most bookmakers. The Celtic Warrior clashing with real-life best friend Drew McIntyre at WrestleMania for the WWE Championship admittedly does have some appeal to it, but it’s simply not a big enough attraction for WWE’s showpiece event.
Sheamus has always been a steady hand for WWE, but never one to move the needle in terms of drawing ratings. At this stage of his career, it would be pointless to have him challenge McIntyre, and will only hinder Drew moving forward. I believe they would have a hard-hitting contest, but it doesn’t have to happen at WrestleMania. This is WWE. It can happen on a throwaway episode of Raw or at Elimination Chamber or they could save it so McIntyre has someone to feud with after WrestleMania.
I do think Sheamus is a dark horse in the Rumble Match and will surprise a few. He is a former winner, let’s not forget. He’s been to the mountaintop on several occasions prior, but he just isn’t that mainstream attraction WWE look for at this time of year.
Charlotte Flair
If anyone can win back to back Royal Rumble Matches it is The Queen Charlotte Flair. I wouldn’t put it past her, or WWE, to pull it off either. It would look good on her ever-growing resume to add another first to her long list of accolades, and she has a ready-made opponent in Asuka to steal the show at WrestleMania.
She definitely doesn’t need the win, but if WWE hasn’t got any other viable options, then you can bet your bottom dollar that this is the way they’ll go. Charlotte is a safe pair of hands. Her winning last year was predictable, to do it twice in a row would send the internet fans into a frenzy.
My honest opinion? I don’t think she is winning it. But she will be in the final three of the bout. You can never truly bet against a Flair, but in this instance, I’m going to say she isn’t leaving victorious in this one.
Seth Rollins
That’s right. The person I believe is winning the men’s Royal Rumble Match and going on to challenge Roman Reigns for the Universal Championship in the main event of WrestleMania is indeed the returning Seth Rollins, as a conquering babyface of course.
A lot has changed since Rollins left to be a father with Becky Lynch, and it is now time for him to reclaim his spot at the top babyface in the business, and dethrone Reigns in the process. The two have great chemistry and deserve that mega classic on the biggest stage possible we all know they’re capable of producing.
Why Rollins and not Bryan or Big E conquering Reigns? Well, Bryan’s time has passed. And as for Big E, it’s too early. Let him flourish first. If you’re not going to go with Lesnar, then Rollins is a perfect choice and it will be a WrestleMania main event for the ages.
Ronda Rousey
The rumors have been running rampant for months that Ronda Rousey is itching to make a return to the squared circle and what better way to do that than by winning the women’s Royal Rumble Match?
She has never faced Asuka before, so you already have a dream match of sorts there. WWE can also bring her back as a babyface without fear of crowds booing her as fans are still not allowed in arenas. Let’s face it, she is what she says she is – the baddest woman on the planet and the biggest draw in the history of women’s wrestling.
So, if the rumors are true and we do see Rousey make her comeback to WWE, then she is a shoe-in to win the whole thing, but there is some doubt about the validity of her putting ink to paper on a new contract with Vince McMahon’s empire. Time will tell on that front.
Royal Rumble Winners –
Men’s – Seth Rollins or Brock Lesnar.
Women’s – Ronda Rousey or Alexa Bliss.