This year I think WWE has done a better job than in years past of making the match unpredictable, at least in the weeks leading up to the match. The actual match itself might have a predictable ending once they get down to the final four, but from the outset it looks like it could go in a lot of different directions. I don’t know if at this point there is a true favorite to win the match, and I think that is great for the anticipation of the match. Here at least is a breakdown of the biggest names declared for the match:
1.Brock Lesnar and Bill Goldberg:
In storyline, Goldberg and Lesnar would seem like massive favorites because they are booked on a higher echelon than anyone else in the company except maybe The Undertaker. When it comes to overwhelming destructive force, Goldberg and Lesnar would be the safest picks to win the Rumble. However, because they are feuding with each other neither of them can be considered favorites and quite frankly, one of them winning would feel like an upset. Since Goldberg and Lesnar are set to wrestle each other at WrestleMania, it is basically accepted that they are both not going to contend for a world title at WrestleMania, so it would be pointless to have one of them win the Royal Rumble.
The Undertaker:
If I was writing this breakdown a few weeks ago I would have labeled The Undertaker as a clear favorite. In a lot of fans’ opinions The Undertaker was going to win the Royal Rumbleand challenge John Cena (who would win the WWE Championship from AJ Styles) in the main event of WrestleMania. In recent weeks though, Dave Meltzer reported that WWE was no longer considering a Cena/Taker program and that would seemingly be confirmed when The Undertaker appeared on RAW and entered the match, rather inexplicably, as a RAW superstar despite the fact that he was being heralded as the icon of SmackDown back in November.
3.Seth Rollins:
With the other full-time main event talent (Owens, Reigns, Cena and AJ Styles) currently occupied with world title matches, Rollins is the top full-time star in the Royal Rumble. The only issue with picking Rollins is that just as it is clear Goldberg and Lesnar will be working with one another at WrestleMania, it is clear Rollins will be working with Triple H. So it again would be pointless to have Rollins win the Royal Rumble because he is already virtually locked into a prominent match at WrestleMania.
Dean Ambrose:
One thing that has been made abundantly clear in the build-up for the Royal Rumble is that the match is very much a RAW-based match. The top names, including all of the part-timers, are all RAW talent and so far out of the 15 confirmed names for the match, 11 of them have come from the RAW brand. Outside of Styles and Cena, Ambrose is the biggest current star on SmackDown, making him a relevant party in the Royal Rumble match. A problem for any SmackDown star is that WWE has already announced the Elimination Chamber PPV as a SmackDown only event in February, which of course will effect the WWE Championship picture.
Braun strowman:
Strowman has been booked stronger than any full time roaster and there is a some crowd in his dominance. He still isn’t good in the ring. But he has certainly improve in his debut and WWE had really tried to push him as an unstoppable force. It would seem hasty to push him into the right world tittle picture, although the idea of having a Roman vs Strowman match has certainly been teased in recent weeks. Sami Zayn proved that he wasn’t quite down with Strowman on Monday, so that feud should continue beyond the Royal Rumble but will likely not last until WrestleMania. He will definitely come into the match and do his big guy movle es while the announcers wonder just how someone will eliminate Strowman, basically what they have down for Big Show for the last 17 years. They can always protect him by having him get eliminated by like, Goldberg and Lesnar or Undertaker and Reigns double-teaming him.
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