Finn Balor
Why he might win
Until last week, Finn Balor was a close second to Seth Rollins in terms of odds for this year’s Royal Rumble.
The former Universal Champion is one of the most under-utilised stars in the company and many fans, myself included, believe he has the potential to be one of the biggest stars in the WWE.
There is also the option of having him win the Rumble and jumping to SmackDown to set up a dream match with Daniel Bryan at WrestleMania 35.
Why he might not win
Balor has replaced Braun Strowman in the Universal Championship match at WrestleMania, and as a result, it seems unlikely that he will go on to win the Royal Rumble later in the night, especially if he gets squashed by Lesnar.
Chances: 5/10
Andrade ‘Cien’ Almas
Why he might win
Andrade ‘Cien’ Almas is the darkhorse for this year’s Rumble, with rumours a few months ago suggesting that he was in line for a major push due to Vince McMahon’s fondness of him.
While there has been very little sign of this over the last few months, he certainly shouldn’t be ruled out if the WWE wants to pull a major surprise.
Why he might not win
Heading into the event, Almas has very little momentum. He has picked up a few victories over Rey Mysterio in recent weeks but it really doesn’t feel as though it is going to be enough to cement his place as a main eventer for SmackDown.
Chances: 5/10
The Rock
Why he might win
Initially touted as the early favourite for the match, The Rock’s odds have plummeted since the departure of Roman Reigns, with most pundits believing that the original plan was to pit the two Samoans against one another at WrestleMania.
Despite that, there is still plenty of money to be made from The Rock Vs Brock Lesnar, though, it seems unlikely either man would be willing to stick around after the show.
Still, WWE’s ratings have been taking a pummeling in recent weeks, and there is every chance that the company will try to tempt the former WWE Champion back into the ring for one last payday.
Why he might not win
Simply put, he’s probably got better things to be doing right now. The Rock is one of the most sought after superstars on the planet, and given that he no longer has the lure of fighting Roman Reigns to tempt him in, he will probably give this year’s WrestleMania season a miss.
Chances: 3/10
John Cena
Why he might win
The biggest reason for Cena making this list is that you can never rule him out of a big victory. The company has been struggling in terms of ratings recently, and they may turn back to Cena out of desperation to try and give things a boost heading into WrestleMania.
There is also the prospect of him breaking Ric Flair’s record and becoming a 17-time world champion, which is exactly the kind of thing that this year’s WrestleMania could need to help it become a historic occasion.
Why he might not win
John Cena’s time in the WWE is coming to an end. He has become increasingly popular in Hollywood and has a bright career ahead of him outside of the WWE. While there is a chance that they give him the title at Mania and have him drop it quickly, it would likely cheapen the nature of his victory and damage the belt’s credibility a little bit.
Chances: 4/10
Who do you think will win this year’s Royal Rumble? Let us know in the comments below.
Liam Hoofe
