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WWE has recently turned a corner, and cinema season is in full flow. Roman Reigns' triumphant return back at SummerSlam in August has been well received by the WWE Universe, with fans fully immersed in the OTC's quest to reclaim his Bloodline, which was inherited by his former understudy Solo Sikoa during Reigns' absence. The Head of the Table wrestled his first match six months back at the Bad Blood premium live event, teaming with the man who beat him at WrestleMania to defeat the aforementioned Sikoa in tag team action.
The curtain call at the Atlanta-based showdown saw the return of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, with the Hollywood superstar issuing a chilling message to both Reigns and Rhodes. We have not seen The Great One since, but even that 60-second cameo was enough to provide that spark of excitement that should carry WWE right through until the Royal Rumble in January.
The 30-man Royal Rumble match is arguably the highlight of the professional wrestling calendar, outside of WrestleMania. In each of the last two years, the match has been won by Cody Rhodes, who went on to main event both WrestleMania 39 and 40 against Roman Reigns. He was unsuccessful in his first attempt, but successfully ended Reigns' 1,316-day reign as the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion for the second time.
Now, with Rhodes as champion, excitement is heating up as to who will win the Rumble next January. Here are three men that we consider the frontrunners.
Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson is the most electrifying man in all of entertainment, and he is also a frontrunner to win the Royal Rumble next January. The Great One successfully pinned current WWE Champion Cody Rhodes on Night One of WrestleMania 40. On the Raw after 'Mania, he proclaimed that he had to go away for a while, but when he returned, he would be gunning for the American Nightmare.
Well, The Rock has now returned, and it seemed as though he had his eyes on both Rhodes and real-life cousin Roman Reigns after the recent Bad Blood premium live event. That set the rumour mill into overdrive, with many predicting that the Miami native could well have his eyes set on beating both men en route to claiming the WWE Championship for an 11th time. One way to guarantee a title shot would be by winning the Royal Rumble.
Many of the rumours surrounding the WrestleMania 41 main event in Las Vegas next April have been about a potential triple-threat match between The Rock, Reigns, and Rhodes. Considering the history and potential for storytelling between the trio, a Rumble victory could position The Brahma Bull as a central figure in a WrestleMania main event that fans have long clamoured for. He is certainly a frontrunner, and a win would send excitement for the upcoming Allegiant Stadium showdown to an all-time high.
Brock Lesnar's path to the Royal Rumble is one of redemption and dominance. Absent from WWE since his SummerSlam 2023 loss to Rhodes over a year ago and mired in off-screen issues linked to the disgraced former Chairman of the Board Vince McMahon, many had wondered whether the Beast Incarnate would return to the squared circle. With the powers that be within TKO - WWE's parent company - seemingly unsure of the reception that Lesnar would receive upon his return, a potential return to the UFC had been mooted instead.
Lesnar is a former UFC Heavyweight Champion, and that’s got everyone excited. Online UFC betting odds providers made him a +130 underdog for his most recent clash with the hard-hitting Mark Hunt back at UFC 200. The Minneapolis native proved the doubters wrong, winning that clash before the decision was overturned to a no-contest, and a return to the Octagon - while mooted - has not yet materialized.
As such then, the stage is surely set for the Anomaly to make his much-anticipated return, and where better to do it than entering at number 30 and winning the Royal Rumble? Last year, many thought that Lesnar would face off with Gunther in a hard-hitting clash on the Grandest Stage of Them All. Due to off-screen controversies, that never happened, but now the Ring General is the World Heavyweight Champion, and Lesnar winning the Royal Rumble would put those two behemoths on a collision course.
Of course, if that earlier-mentioned triple threat is to come to fruition, then another option to win the Royal Rumble could be Roman Reigns. The OTC has been the cornerstone of WWE for over a decade, transitioning from despised good guy to beloved villain and finally, now, the hero that the company always wanted. Since his return at SummerSlam, the Tribal Chief has been receiving huge ovations in every arena he sets foot in, and that could be what takes him to Royal Rumble glory.
His ongoing storyline with Cody Rhodes suggests that Reigns could use a Rumble victory to solidify his dominance. Both men are already entrenched in the Bloodline saga, with Reigns aiming to reclaim his family from Solo Sikoa and then reclaim his championship from Rhodes. Victory in the Royal Rumble will allow him to do that in a record-extending tenth WrestleMania main event.
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