The Royal Rumble match is a yearly tradition for World Wrestling Entertainment dating back to 1988 that garners just as much anticipation and intrigue as WrestleMania itself, with past winners including The Rock, Triple H, "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, and Hulk Hogan.
Thirty superstars compete in an over-the-top-rope battle royal, with elimination only occurring when both of a competitor's feet hit the floor. Entering the squared circle at timed intervals, only one superstar will be left standing when it's all said and done, therefore earning themselves a championship match at WrestleMania XL at the Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia.
CM Punk, who just returned to WWE in his hometown of Chicago at Survivor Series on Nov. 25, is the current favorite to win the Royal Rumble at +125. Reigning Intercontinental Champion Gunther has the second-best odds at +180, while 2023 winner Cody Rhodes is third at +250.
WWE Men’s Royal Rumble Odds
| Superstar | Odds |
|---|---|
| CM Punk | +125 |
| Gunther | +180 |
| Cody Rhodes | +250 |
| Drew McIntyre | +1000 |
| The Rock | +1000 |
| Jey Uso | +1400 |
| Sami Zayn | +1800 |
| MJF | +2500 |
| Solo Sikoa | +3300 |
| Big E | +5000 |
Royal Rumble Pick: CM Punk, +125
WWE programming would lead you to believe that Punk and current World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins are on a collision course for the grandest stage of them all. Punk has notoriously never competed in the main event of a WrestleMania, and with the premium live event now taking place over the course of two nights, there's a high likelihood that whatever match he takes part in will close Night 1 while Roman Reigns and the WWE Universal Championship will main event Night 2.
Rollins is expected to make an announcement concerning his status as champion on the Jan. 22 edition of Monday Night Raw after reportedly suffering a torn MCL and partially torn meniscus, according to Fightful's Sean Ross Sapp. It's not out of the realm of possibility that Rollins could be ready for WrestleMania, but should he vacate the belt and be ruled out for an extended period, that could ultimately impact Punk's Rumble odds significantly.
Best Value: Cody Rhodes, +250
After coming up short in his bid to dethrone Reigns at last year's WrestleMania, the goal of finishing his "story" has propelled Rhodes ever since. He's perhaps the biggest babyface in the entire company, with a large portion of the WWE Universe ready to see the "American Nightmare" capture his first major singles championship since returning to the company.
A recent appearance by Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson on the New Year's Day edition of Raw threw a wrinkle into those plans, though. Johnson made it clear with his closing line during an in-ring promo that a match with Reigns is on the horizon, whether it be at WrestleMania or perhaps earlier at the Elimination Chamber event in Perth, Australia on Feb. 24.
As much as Rhodes' story has led us to believe that he'll finally be crowned at this year's WrestleMania, it's hard to imagine WWE turning down a blockbuster attraction with the magnitude of Reigns defending the gold against his celebrity cousin. Rhodes' showing in the Rumble match will be incredibly telling one way or another.
WWE Women’s Royal Rumble Odds
| Wrestler | Odds |
|---|---|
| Bayley | -110 |
| Becky Lynch | +200 |
| Jade Cargill | +500 |
| Nia Jax | +800 |
| Raquel Rodriguez | +900 |
| Bianca Belair | +1000 |
| Mercedes Mone/Sasha Banks | +1200 |
| Liv Morgan | +1400 |
| Asuka | +2500 |
| Shayna Baszler | +2500 |
| Zoey Stark | +2500 |
| Trinity Fatu/Naomi | +2500 |
| Rhea Ripley | +5000 |
Royal Rumble Pick: Bayley, -110
It's just a matter of time until Bayley's relationship with her Damage CTRL stablemates reaches its breaking point, as a breakup has been teased for several weeks now. Winning the Rumble for the first time while Iyo Sky reigns as WWE Women's Champion would only cause further tension and set the disintegration of their alliance into hyperdrive.
Bayley has never competed in a singles match at WrestleMania, while each of the other Four Horsewomen (Becky Lynch, Charlotte Flair, and Sasha Banks) have. She's also never won the Royal Rumble match, a feat which only five other women (Asuka, Charlotte Flair, Bianca Belair, Ronda Rousey, and Rhea Ripley) can say they've done.
There's perhaps no one else in the women's division as deserving of such a spot as the veteran Bayley, and with a juicy story to back the ongoing spotlight she's in, a Bayley-Sky encounter feels inevitable.
Best Value: Becky Lynch, +200
The beautiful thing about having two World Champions per division is that it makes the Royal Rumble less of a formality while opening the door to multiple potential winners.
Even though Bayley is the favorite to be the last woman standing and potentially square off with Sky, that would leave Women's World Heavyweight Champion Rhea Ripley without a dance partner for WrestleMania.
Enter Becky Lynch, a past Royal Rumble winner in 2019 who recently made her intentions known that she wants a crack at Ripley, even though she questions her own ability in having what it takes to defeat her.
On paper, a Lynch versus Ripley match is undeniably the biggest women's match WWE can currently offer. The two have fought just once before in NXT, but never one-on-one on the main roster, and especially never under the bright lights an event like WrestleMania provides.
