Five WWE Wrestlers Who Could Win The 2023 Royal Rumble
It’s that time of year when the hype and excitement for the Royal Rumble is upon us. Who will win the Royal Rumble and challenge for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania? It’s the question every January that causes a lot of debate on social media. Here are five guys that I think are either likely to win the Rumble, or should be considered for the win. Also, if they were to win the Rumble, should they win the titles from Roman Reigns?
Cody Rhodes
Cody may be one of the more obvious picks to win the Rumble. He has been out with an injury for several months but appears to be close to returning. With Cody jumping back to the WWE after his run with AEW and dominating a feud with Seth Rollins, he had a lot of momentum before his injury. Cody versus Roman Reigns appears to be a match that many people on social media are interested in seeing. Whether that’s forced intrigued or natural intrigued remains to be seen. Just imagine the passionate promos Cody would deliver leading into the event as he would look to win the title that his father never did. Get the tissues out, folks.
Win The Title?: Cody winning the championship would be the likely direction. The emotional return from injury to win the Rumble and then competing in a WrestleMania main event dedicated to his father. The emotional aspect is there, and a match between Reigns and Cody would likely be a memorable encounter.
Austin Theory
Back in the summer, Austin seemed to be on the cusp of a huge push, but that was derailed when he failed to successfully cash in his briefcase. An attitude change and recapturing his last name have put him back on track, and is the current WWE United States Champion. Winning the Royal Rumble would be another feather in his cap, which is rather impressive, considering he hasn’t been around all that long on the main roster. Is there interest in a Roman versus Theory match at Mania? It may not be current, but anything can happen in WrestleMania season.
Win The Title?: It would have been a far more likely outcome a few months ago, but the steam and direction for Theory have noticeably cooled off. His recent attitude change and becoming a more serious wrestler have helped him. However, Theory doesn’t appear to be quite ready for such a big moment. Plus, a heel-versus-heel main event wouldn’t be the best direction to go in.
Sami Zayn
Simply from a storytelling perspective, Sami winning the Royal Rumble may make the most sense. Sami winning the match to protect the “Head Of The Table” from any serious challenger seems to be a logical direction to go in. This was kind of the similar direction WWE went within 2005 when Batista won the Rumble, and Triple H tried to avoid his challenge by suggesting Smackdown, but that didn’t work. In this case, there’s nobody else to challenge. Sami could perhaps see that he’s not actually valued by the Bloodline, and the true lack of acceptance would lead to boiling-over anger and resentment. A side of Sami that has never really been seen, and there’s a meaningful title match at WrestleMania.
Win The Title?: If anybody were to defeat Roman Reigns at WrestleMania, Zayn has to be seen as the top candidate. Zayn has always managed to get sympathy from the crowd and if the Bloodline were to eventually turn their backs on Zayn the crowd would undoubtedly support Zayn in a major way. Zayn winning the championship could be the kind of moment that WWE can’t pass up. There have been some rumors of Owen and Zayn teaming up to take on the Usos at Mania. That would be a good match, but the WrestleMania moment that WWE is always looking for is in the form of Zayn winning the championship from Reigns.
Bron Breakker
The NXT Champion Bron Breakker has all the tools to be an absolute star in the WWE. Would having Bron win the Royal Rumble be a little too early in his career? Perhaps it could be. Bron is one of the few guys in NXT that is must-see television or provides entertainment every time out. The Rumble is one of the easiest and most effective ways to create a new star. Bron is on that track. Whether this year or within the next several years, Bron will be main-eventing WrestleMania.
Win The Title?: If Bron were to make it to the main event of WrestleMania there’s a slim chance he’d walk out as the champion. The best usage of Bron here would be for a valiant effort but coming up short against Reigns. Bron’s performance could be used as a way to enhance NXT, as well. NXT has been lacking superstars who provide a big-star feel. Bron could have a breakout moment to the main roster even in defeat against Reigns.
The Rock
The ‘big money’ match is probably Reigns defending against The Rock, and for obvious reasons. Rock has become one of the biggest movie stars of all time, and any time Rock returns to the WWE it creates massive buzz. However, does the Rock need to win the Rumble to make the match a draw? The Rumble should be used to make a new star, and the Rock has long surpassed star status. Despite that, Rock has to be considered a favorite, even if he’s not promoted beforehand.
Win The Title?: There would be absolutely zero reason or logic behind the Rock winning the championship. The Rock is a massive worldwide star and would provide the most interest in the show for casual fans. However, for the week-to-week viewer having the Rock involved would likely mean a predictable main event and potentially disappointing results in terms of match quality. Rock wouldn’t be there to win the title but rather cement the legacy that Reigns has been creating in recent years.
The 2023 WWE Royal Rumble takes place live on Peacock on January 28th from San Antonio, Texas.
