Normally, heading into a Royal Rumble, it’s pretty easy to narrow down the list of possible men’s winners to one or two names.
This time, right at the finish line before the PLE actually starts, WWE’s 2024 Royal Rumble winner is near impossible to predict. Not only have massive names like CM Punk returned to the company, but it’s also easy to see the winner either challenging Seth Rollins or Roman Reigns, likely in the main event of WrestleMania 40 on Night 1 or Night 2, respectively.
Seriously, just take a single peep at the top 10 names listed as betting favorites at oddschecker. Each Superstar has at least one very good reason for winning the entire rumble, if not more, be it storyline, the future of the company or other factors.
Look right at the top with the “longest” odds in the top 10, Jey Uso (+3300). The justification for the strong line and his actually winning the entire thing is easy enough—nobody would have dared predict this level of solo success away from Reigns for Jey. He’s super-over with fans and let’s not pretend his getting another shot at the Tribal Chief wouldn’t make for a great story.
But if we’re talking storyline reasons, Seth Rollins (+2800) might just have an even better case than Jey.
After all, Rollins was formerly The Architect, the man who took apart The Shield and who has since been the only guy really able to get in Reigns’ head, let alone get the better of him in solo action. It would take some finesse to get there, barring a champion vs. champion match at ‘Mania, but his winning the rumble would be a fantastic move.
Sami Zayn (+2500) isn’t that far behind Rollins in terms of storyline reasoning either, though. He would be the perfect underdog surprise to take down the whole field, making for an amazing moment. And he’s top of the list in terms of Superstars who came oh-so-close to ending Reigns’ run, never mind his intimate involvement in the Bloodline itself.
At identical odds is Randy Orton (+2500). The reasons for his winning are simple enough—fans understand they don’t have long with The Viper left, given his age (43) and recent return from injury. He’s also sort of a break-glass-in-case-of-emergency option for WWE. He’d presumably go after Reigns over Rollins, but anything goes with the modern legend.
Rounding out that particular line is LA Knight (+2500), a guy who already recently had a shot at Reigns in Saudi Arabia and came up short. But it’s hard to deny the Attitude Era throwback wouldn’t be a good rumble winner, if not for the reaction it would generate alone.
Drew McIntyre (+2000) might not top the list of guys who probably should’ve dethroned Reigns compared to Zayn, but it’s impossible not to remember his close call in the U.K. McIntyre still looks the part of a monster main-eventer and has the great long-term storyline of leaving WWE, only to return and carry the company on his back through the audience-less pandemic era.
By now, McIntyre-Reigns would feel fresh enough to run again anyway. And as an aside, it sure doesn’t hurt to mention that there has been constant speculation for the past year about whether he’ll be in WWE long-term or leave—something he could certainly play up in promos before ‘Mania.
The odds really take a turn with The Rock (+1100). It feels like his name needs to be listed as a just in case option. Which in that case, would be WWE going with a wild surprise, considering Rock doesn’t need a rumble win to get the ‘Mania main event against Reigns.
Still…would anyone complain? It’s The Rock, sickened by the way Reigns treats family members, coming to reclaim the Head of the Table status. It’s reason enough, to say the least.
One Cody Rhodes (+450) stands in stark contrast, though. He’s done his time, waiting to finish his story by winning the title his father never did, which still resides around the waist of Reigns.
While some fans might detest the idea of Rhodes winning the rumble for a second year in a row and fighting in the ‘Mania main event again, the same reasons that put him in that spot one year ago apply, again. This time, WWE would have a chance to tell a better version of the story, too, compared to last year’s late entry number and layup of a predictable win for him.
Maybe a surprise for some here is the presence of Gunther (+188), but it’s certainly no accident. The historic Intercontinental champion feels like the next big thing in the company, heel or face.
It would take some interesting storytelling to get Gunther into a main event at ‘Mania, presumably without that Intercontinental title. But his near-miss in the rumble last year, resume so far and the interaction with Rollins lately makes for an interesting tale. Plus, his going after Rollins would leave Reigns open to feud with someone else.
But after all that, it shouldn’t be any great surprise to see that CM Punk (-100) is the runaway favorite.
Go figure, given the historic return from the retirement/AEW combo that upheaved everything fans thought they understood about this ‘Mania season. Maybe the best thing about Punk winning the rumble would be the ability to keep things mysterious, seeing as he’d have plenty of reason to want to go after Reigns and a guy by the name of Paul Heyman.
And yet, he’d undoubtedly settle on Rollins, leaving WWE to do whatever it wants with Reigns at ‘Mania (presumably the Rock, with Rhodes as a fallback plan). There’s a ton of personal history there that would finally give two of the modern greats, the other being Rollins, the main event of a WrestleMania they have yet to achieve.
Ultimately, the above is what makes this year’s rumble so captivating. It’s a stacked match with an unknown result and guaranteed surprises to boot, with long-ranging repercussions for all involved. So much so, fans shouldn’t have any worries about the match living up to the hype—it would be hard not to with the 10 favorites and their stories involved.
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