My favorite time of the year for wrestling is here and the Royal Rumble is next Sunday. I can’t believe it’s already that time again. Last year, I did a precursor article to my Royal Rumble predictions and I outlined some possible scenarios that could happen in the Rumble. The odds-on favorites won the Rumble matches last year, but this year can be a totally different story. There are a lot of ways that the WWE can turn these matches into a WrestleMania main event, but it is always fun to break things down. This year, I will break it down into two separate articles and publish them on different days. I will release the Men’s scenarios first, then I will release the Women’s scenarios next. Without further ado, let’s break these scenarios down.

MEN’S ROYAL RUMBLE

Like last year, the Men’s Rumble has a ton of potential and a great deal of suitors for the main event at WrestleMania. We could see some performers waiting to get that proverbial push, we could see a main event mainstay win it, we could even see a potential returning superstar back in action, or we could see some underhanded shenanigans played similar to that of the team that plays at this year’s Rumble venue… cough, cough, Houston Astros. No matter how it plays out, they have a lot to work with in the Men’s Rumble.

Why is the WWE Champion in the Rumble?

This question is simple to answer, but somewhat difficult to comprehend. Brock Lesnar is entering the Royal Rumble at number 1 this year and his intentions to be the last one standing would solidify his status as the WWE’s most dominant force. Do I think Lesnar will win? Absolutely not. If history tells us anything the number one spot isn’t exactly the ideal winning spot. Only twice has a person won from the 1 spot, but announcing your guaranteed intentions isn’t exactly the best implication of a victory. Here’s how I think it will go down. Lesnar will enter first, there will be a few guys that he will toss out of the ring and then, the guy who he will face at WrestleMania will enter and throw him out. This publicity stunt is only, and I mean only, to promote an upcoming match. WWE would be shooting themselves in the foot if they have Lesnar win and they’re smarter than that.

The Odds-On Favorite

Most of the oddsmakers have different odds on the favorite, but all of them have the same guy winning the Rumble. Roman Reigns is the odds-on favorite to win this year’s Royal Rumble and we could see this coming a mile away. I’m seeing his odds fluctuate anywhere from 1/1 to 5/3, which are very high odds. Does Roman need to win the Rumble? Of course not, but if they want him in the main event picture at WrestleMania 36 it is one of those situations where you just expect it. Two years ago, Roman was met with a lot of booing each time he entered the ring, but I think that is behind him and I think he hears more cheers than boos. At the point, they’re not forcing Roman on the WWE Universe and that is the ideal situation that they want. I would like to think he would go after The Fiend if he wins next Sunday, but I could also see him going after Lesnar due to Lesnar immediately reaping the rewards of Roman’s medical leave. We’ll see.

Lesnar’s Ultimate Fighting Foes

This portion goes out to two real-world fighters that could potentially win the big match. Tyson Fury and Cain Velasquez are two names that could be the next in line for Lesnar’s WWE title. This is something that a lot of fans don’t want to see, including myself, but we could be in for this in April. If Lesnar faces either of these guys, I sincerely hope it isn’t for a main title, because I feel like neither have earned that right. I didn’t like when Velasquez was in the title match at Saudi Arabia a few months ago and I certainly don’t like the idea of it now. Fury mentioned a couple days ago that he intends to have a match with Lesnar at this year’s WrestleMania, but that is far from a guarantee and Velasquez said a day or two ago that he will be in the Royal Rumble. Seems these two don’t understand the art of kayfabe… Velasquez currently has the better odds among the two, he currently sits around 8/1 while Fury is around 25/1, but I think Fury’s odds are so low due to the fact that he has a boxing match next month against Deontay Wilder and it could hinder his training.

Returning Legends

Every year we always ponder the idea of a returning legend making an appearance in the Rumble, but this year seems like at least one will show up. The Mayor of Knox County appears that he is putting the mask back on for the match, but I don’t expect him to win. Other names that could potentially return are John Cena, Edge, CM Punk, and possibly The Undertaker. Other than those, I can’t see any more legends coming back that could potentially win. Out of the names that I listed above, John Cena has the best chance in my book. It is reported that he wants a substantial role at WrestleMania 36 and the Road to WrestleMania starts next Sunday. His current residence is in Tampa, Florida and it happens to be the site of WrestleMania 36. He probably will have a big match, why not a title match in the main event?

NXT Got Next?

NXT will have a big role at this year’s Royal Rumble and they even switched the date of the annual TakeOver event that usually occurs a day before the Rumble. To be honest though, I can’t see any of the NXT guys winning the men’s Rumble. Not there isn’t potential there, I can’t see it happening. Keith Lee seems to be the favorite from NXT other than Finn Bálor, but at 16/1 odds, I don’t think it’s likely. Another compelling case is Matt Riddle. He has been adamant in his quest to have a match with Brock Lesnar and a lot of fans would love to see that at WrestleMania 36. His odds are around 33/1 and I don’t think he has a real shot, but I think he could shine next Sunday. Other than those two, they might give Tommaso Ciampa a shot to get Goldy, as he calls it, back. I don’t think that is the path that he is on, but weirder things have happened. Or they could put Finn Bálor back in that discussion, because he currently the NXT performer with the highest odds at 14/1. It will be interesting to see if NXT gets a legitimate shot in the Men’s Rumble match.

The Rest of the Field

Every name I listed above all have a great shot to win, but there are still a ton of potential winners left in the field. The superstar that isn’t Roman, a current champion, or a current member of the active roster that has the highest current odds is Kevin Owens. He has a legitimate shot to win and you could go in a bunch of directions with Owens. He could go on to face Brock Lesnar, he could start a mega-feud with The Fiend, or he could decide to go back to NXT and fight for the NXT Championship. Many things could come of this and Kevin Owens. On a similar plane, Drew McIntyre could also be in a similar boat. It has seemed like McIntyre could be in for a push to a major title, but there isn’t one particular thing that has put him in that discussion. Winning the Rumble not only puts him in the discussion, but it forces him to be in the discussion. Although those two are probably the most likely to win from the field, there are still a ton of names that have potential to win. Braun Strowman, AJ Styles, Randy Orton, Ricochet, Aleister Black, Samoa Joe, King Corbin, and Rusev all have potential to go far in the Rumble. Heck, we could even see a back-to-back winner in Seth Rollins. There is a lot of potential and having an unconventional Rumble winner would be something that I think the WWE Universe would be delighted to see.

Yacs

Possible Scenarios for 2020 Men's Royal Rumble Match

MEN’S ROYAL RUMBLE