Thirty men will battle in the most anticipated match of the year. The thirty-eighth edition of the Royal Rumble emanates from the “Cross Roads of America.” Sixty-five thousand fans will descend upon Lucas Oil Stadium with the WrestleMania hopes of their favorite WWE superstars hanging in the balance.
Two Rumble matches and two championship showdowns boast a less-is-more lineup. Cody Rhodes will likely retain the WWE Championship in his ladder match against Kevin Owens. Although the outcome seems predictable, the storytelling has made the journey worthwhile.
This year’s Men’s Royal Rumble is the most unpredictable of all time, a far cry from years past. Vince McMahon’s booking style focused on one main star while everyone else was a rung below. Triple H has reinvigorated WWE storytelling by making every character as important as possible.
Eighteen entrants have declared for the Rumble. The remaining spots will be wrestlers from Raw, SmackDown, NXT and a couple of surprises from perhaps TNA or the independent scene. The wrestlers already in the Rumble all have a story going into the match in one form or another.
Will John Cena win his last Royal Rumble? A winning lottery ticket on his farewell tour could earn him a shot of breaking the record for most world championships. Now that Bloodline business is settled, Roman Reigns looks to reclaim the throne following his record-setting title reign. Seth Rollins’ road to WrestleMania is intriguing regardless of which champion he faces. One of the titles is held by a man Rollins has never beaten, while the dominant Gunther holds the belt he made famous.
Headlining WrestleMania is the holy grail for CM Punk. With many intriguing possibilities and a favor from Paul Heyman in his back pocket, 2025 finally feels like it’s his year. What about an entrant whose priority is not to win the Royal Rumble but to ensure Roman Reigns and CM Punk do not. That makes Drew McIntyre a dangerous, dangerous man. Sami Zayn has never won the big one. A Rocky Balboa-like victory would make for a feel-good moment.
Rey Mysterio always puts on a show worthy of his legendary status. Fans wouldn’t mind seeing Mr. 619 with his hand raised. That goes double for LA Knight, who fans can’t get enough of. And that goes triple for Jey Uso, who might be the most popular wrestler on the roster. Not doing a YEAH/YEET off in the Rumble between Knight and Uso will be a missed opportunity.
What about the new luchador on the block Penta, who made a big impression in short order, has everyone saying “Zero Miedo.”
US Champion Shinsuke Nakamura’s newfound dark samurai spirit will make an impact. Chad Gable looks to erase the glaring absence of singles gold on his resume. Carmelo Hayes would never let anyone hear the end of it if HIM won the Royal Rumble.
Logan Paul is the absolute last person anyone wants to win the Rumble, and Bron Breakker is the last man anyone wants throwing them over the top rope. How the heck is anyone gonna stop the dominant Intercontinental Champion in Breakker?
Three more entries were confirmed on the go-home episode of SmackDown. Damien Preiset has a new home on the blue brand and intends to dominate. Santos Escobar looks to secure power for Legado Del Fantasma with a Rumble win and the most eliminations and destruction will likely be at the hands of Jacob Fatu.
Twelve spots remain, and there is notable talent waiting in the wings. Andrade and Finn Balor are strong choices for the Rumble. Jimmy Uso’s connection to Roman Reigns and his brother Jey makes him another intriguing option. Of course, what is a Royal Rumble without some zany antics from R-Truth.
NXT typically sends a couple of representatives to the Rumble. Tick Williams is set to recieve the biggest “Whoop The Trick” chant in history. “All Ego” Ethan Page will experience one of the biggest moments of his career in his first apperance on the main roster. WWE’s official partnership with TNA will turn many more fans into believers courtesy of newly minted world champion Joe Hendry. Matt Cardona is the ideal free agent to make a surprise return…Only don’t make him Zack Ryder.
Sheamus is always a problem in the Rumble. If he wins, will he go for another world title or flip the script to capture the one title he’s never held, the Intercontinental Championship?
The Miz, well, because he’s awesome and this would be a good spot for “The Nigerian Giant” Omos to return after relinquishing his half of the GCH Tag Team Titles in the Japanese promotion NOAH. The final spot will go to Indianapolis’ favorite son, Pat Mcafee.
Prediction Time:
I’ve felt a disturbance in The Force. The Men’s Royal Rumble winner is going to be someone no one sees coming. CM Punk should win, but I got this strange feeling that Logan Paul is going to shock the world. I hope I’m wrong, but there is something in the air that I can’t put my finger on, but it points to Logan Paul winning, which would create some mainstream headlines going into WrestleMania.
Quick Predictions:
Cody Rhodes over Kevin Owens
DIY beat the Motor City Machine Guns
Bianca Belair wins the Women’s Royal Rumble.
RingsideLogic.com 