WWE Royal Rumble: Predicting The 30 Men’s Entrants

With so many spots available for the men’s Royal Rumble match, these are the wrestlers that fans could see in the storied battle royal.

The Royal Rumble is the most exciting of the “Big Four” pay-per-views WWE has on its calendar. Boasting the opportunity for surprise returns and micro feuds to be built, the namesake match is looked forward to as the kick-starter for WrestleMania season.

As such, it is fun to predict who will enter the Rumble and try their hand for a chance at world championship gold at “The Show of Shows”. Here are mine (in no particular order) and their probability out of 10 for winning.

Daniel Bryan

Daniel Bryan is a future Hall of Famer who has scratched and clawed his way to the top legitimately. Confirming himself for the Rumble he has to be a dark horse considering his status in the company as someone relied on for a brilliantly worked match and his recent history with Jey Uso and Roman Reigns.

7/10

Bobby Lashley

Lashley has confirmed himself for the Rumble and, considering the US champion has been one of the highlights of an abysmal 2020 for RAW, it’s not entirely out of the question that he would be rewarded with a shot at the WWE Title. Unlikely though.

5/10

AJ Styles

Styles debuted in the Rumble match in 2016 and has since become a main event fixture for WWE, with multiple world and mid-card championship reigns. He has been about the WWE title scene recently alongside his bodyguard Omos, but he is unlikely to be going over at the Rumble.

4/10

Randy Orton

Randy Orton has been feuding with Bray Wyatt and The Fiend for the last month, and after burning the latter alive and threatening Alexa Bliss with the same fate, has declared himself for the upcoming match. Randy has recent history with champion Drew McIntyre and will surely want his WWE Title back. But the looming threat of The Fiend among other rivals in this match will diminish his chances.

6/10

Otis

Otis has had a whirlwind of 2020, from having a match at WrestleMania, getting with Mandy Rose, and winning Money in the Bank. He then lost Mandy Rose, lost Money In The Bank, and had his best friend, Tucker Knight, turn on him for the greener pastures of…..the 24/7 division. He has recently aligned with Chad Gable and declared for the Rumble, but he is surely not going to win.

1/10

Chad Gable

Chad Gable, as mentioned before, is aligned with Otis, a far cry from his days with Jason Jordan as the exciting American Alpha. Gable entering the Rumble match is a given considering his partner’s declaration and I can see him being eliminated by the next guy.

1/10

Tucker

Aside from an enhancement loss to Ricochet, Tucker has not been featured at all on Raw following his split from Otis. He will enter the Rumble to eliminate Gable only for Otis to eliminate him as revenge for him and his buddy.

0/10

R-Truth

R-Truth will enter as the 24/7 champion, get pinned to lose the belt, and get eliminated.

0/10

Sami Zayn

Sami has a gimmick of believing there is a company-wide conspiracy against him. He will come down to the ring cutting a promo about how he received an early entry spot because “those in the back want to hold him down”. Then, he will get eliminated quickly. Why? Because, WWE, that’s why.

1/10

Kofi Kingston

Kofi will enter the match as the first New Day member and will have one of his mental Rumble spots that always make the highlights package. He will then be eliminated for real.

1/10

Xavier Woods

Woods will enter for some tag team action with Kofi before they are eliminated together.

1/10

Big E

Intercontinental Champion Big E will enter to reunite the New Day trio in the ring before eliminating Kofi and Woods, as Reigns did with his Shield mates in 2014. As someone the WWE has been high on and sustaining a push for, Big E has to be considered a favourite to win. He is also the perfect babyface to face a heel Roman Reigns for the Universal Title and close out the show with a WrestleMania moment.

9/10

The Boogeyman

This will be a surprise entrant. Boogeyman most recently appeared on RAW Legends Night, where he had a brief encounter with Angel Garza. He will have another encounter with Garza in the Rumble before getting eliminated.

0/10

Angel Garza

If WWE doesn’t have a plan for the extremely talented Garza, then, ironically, he will have his wings clipped by The Boogeyman in the Rumble.

1/10

Jey Uso

Look up dark horse in the dictionary, and Jey Uso’s photo will be there. That may be hyperbole, but what isn’t is the ability and the future of the former tag team champion. If WWE wants a WrestleMania moment for the ages then they should have Uso win the Rumble match and challenge his Tribal Chief, Roman Reigns.

8/10

Edge

This largely hinges on whether Edge has recovered from the injury he sustained at Backlash. The Rumble match would be the perfect place for Edge to return. If he wins, it could set up dream matches with Drew McIntyre or Roman Reigns at WrestleMania for one last title shot. If Edge does enter, then he has to be a favourite to win.

9/10

Braun Strowman

Braun Strowman was suspended indefinitely for attacking Adam Pearce prior to TLC. That means he is ripe for a return at the Royal Rumble and for a good showing in the match. Though I don’t rate his chances at challenging Drew McIntyre at WrestleMania, I do think he will have a good run and has to be considered a slight favourite.

6/10

Andrade

Andrade hasn’t been featured recently, but I still think he’s entering the Rumble match. He is extremely unlikely to win, but he should have a good run, which could reset his up-and-down main roster career.

1/10

Shinsuke Nakamura

The involvement of Nakamura in the Rumble match is largely subject to his status in the Universal Title picture. As it stands Adam Pearce is penciled in for a Universal match due to Reigns and Uso destroying both men at the end of a gauntlet match, though Nakamura’s run in said match appears to be grooming him for a title feud. You may have forgotten, but he is a former Rumble winner and could be due to a KofiMania-style push, but probably not.

3/10

Cesaro

Thanks to Nakamura’s sudden push, his tag partner, Cesaro, has been seemingly forgotten about. Such is the way his career has been in recent years. He’ll enter the Rumble, perform a Cesaro Swing spot, and then get eliminated.

1/10

Dolph Ziggler

Now Smackdown Tag Team champion with Robert Roode, Dolph Ziggler’s selling is perfect for a spear from Edge or an RKO from Orton. He will then be subsequently eliminated.

1/10

Keith Lee

Bask in his glory; for Keith Lee seems primed for a main event push. He has to be considered one of the favourites given his recent WWE Title match was centred around him coming close to winning the gold, but not being ready yet. In an attempt to prove he is destined for the top, he will enter the match and either give an almighty showing or win the whole thing. Keith Lee vs. Drew McIntyre at WrestleMania beckons.

9/10

Baron Corbin

He will enter and eliminate your favourite wrestler before another one of your favourite wrestlers will eliminate him.

1/10

Rob Van Dam

He is out of his IMPACT contract and always draws a good reaction in these matches. He will turn back the clock by hitting Rolling Thunder and a Five Star Frog Splash before eliminating someone like Corbin before being tossed out by a big heel like Strowman.

0/10

Robert Roode

Roode will enter to hit spinebusters and a Glorious DDT before disappearing from the match.

1/10

Damian Priest

A big NXT debut, Priest will come in and put on a show. Commentators will put over his potential as a former NXT North American champion and he will eliminate a seasoned veteran, like the aforementioned Roode before someone in the main event scene takes him out.

2/10

Omos

Omos has had an interesting build as AJ Styles’ bodyguard. At the Rumble, he will surprisingly enter the match for his debut. Expect him to save Styles somehow and get some eliminations in a good showing before everyone in the match rallies to eliminate him to get him over as an imposing big guy.

2/10

Seth Rollins

Rollins is on paternity leave at the moment, but I see him returning just in time for WrestleMania season. He will enter to eliminate one of the Mysterios, and the other one will eliminate him.

1/10

Rey Mysterio

Rey will enter the match before Rollins, conduct a David vs Goliath elimination, and then Rollins will return to confront his most recent archnemesis. As much as I don’t want the feud to continue, Rollins will eliminate Rey.

Dominick Mysterio

Dominick will enter after Rollins, and following his father’s elimination, will eliminate the Saviour. Following the brief Rey vs. Rollins throwback, Dominick will put on a good showing and come close, but no cigar.

4/10

Notable Omissions:

I have compiled this list sheerly because it would feel dirty to do Rumble predictions without naming stars that I pondered on but couldn’t make my list for a variety of reasons.

I will justify by saying that this is what I personally expect to happen and if you think I missed someone then let me know:

Aleister Black

The Miz

John Morrison

Kevin Owens

Murphy

Riddle

MVP

Shelton Benjamin

Cedric Alexander

Mustafa Ali

Montez Ford

Angelo Dawkins

Apollo Crews

Sheamus

Elias