WWE’s Royal Rumble is still three months away. However, that doesn’t mean there isn’t still ample speculation and discussion about one of the biggest – and often most fun – annual events in the wrestling calendar.
For the 2021 men’s Royal Rumble, the WWE did a fairly good job in keeping the decision concealed about who would win. The eventual winner, Edge, was the second favorite with the bookies, for instance, with the majority picking Daniel Bryan to win the 30-man battle royal.
As for the 2022 Royal Rumble, there’s no clear favorite right now to win the match. If you’re familiar with WWE’s erratic booking, that shouldn’t come as a surprise. Yet to give you a better idea about who might come out on top, here are the early contenders for the men’s Royal Rumble.
Brock Lesnar
In the weeks leading up to the Royal Rumble, you’re unlikely to see a name above Brock Lesnar at Betway when it comes to a list of the favorites to win. His feud with Roman Reigns, the Universal Champion, is continuing, and he was conveniently ‘suspended’ to prolong the story – perhaps until Lesnar returns and wins the Rumble, getting another shot at Reigns’ title.
He doesn’t need a Rumble win – the story can play out in many different ways – but going the obvious route is not uncommon for WWE.
Seth Rollins
Seth Rollins has been ticking along, developing his ‘Drip God’ gimmick, and participating in the wrestling feud of the year with Edge. Now it’s time for him to jump back into the main event, and the Rumble can provide the perfect springboard. Others feel the same way, and Rollins is one of the favorites to win the Rumble for a second time.
The Rock
The rumors swirl every year about a potential return for The Rock in the Rumble. Will 2022 finall be the year he comes back? It is unlikely, but it’s clear the WWE are desperate to do a Reigns vs Rock feud at some stage – so it cannot be ruled out.
Simply put, if you hear The Rock’s theme song hit at the Royal Rumble, you know who the winner is – unless he does a Steve Austin and eliminates himself.
Finn Balor
Finn Balor is a firm favorite with the fans. He recently battled with Reigns, and their feud ended in an inconclusive – and highly frustrating – fashion. While Balor is now on a different brand to Reigns, winning the Rumble can open the door to another title match against the “Head of the Table”.
He’s an outsider, but going over at the Rumble could solidify him as a main eventer like Drew McIntyre’s 2020 Rumble win.
Cesaro
He beat Rollins at WrestleMania. He got a one-on-one title match against Reigns at Backlash. Cesaro seemed destined to finally get a big push by WWE, but he has cooled off significantly over the past few months. Perhaps this has been a long-term strategy, where Cesaro can shock the world with an unexpected Royal Rumble victory?
Yeah, it’s a long shot, but those long-suffering Cesaro Section members won’t give up on the dream!
