The Royal Rumble season is upon us! Yes the Road to Wrestlemania is about to open and we at Scoreline cannot wait. The Rumble is nostalgia, action, comedy and heartbreak all rolled into over 60 minutes of action! Legends return, stars are born, legacies are cemented and this year like the last three, we have two Rumbles in the one night! Today we will be focusing on the male version of the annual event, as this year there truly seems seems to be no clear favorite!
You can watch every Royal Rumble over on The WWE NETWORK or because we are sound we included the 1992 and 2008 Royal Rumble in this post to whet your appetite:
1992 Royal Rumble :
1. Big E
BIG E WINS INTERCONTINENTAL CHAMPIONSHIP #SmackDown #BigE #wwesmackdown #WWE #ICTitle
👇🏻
🔹https://t.co/3qJacqaGKh pic.twitter.com/cc77mBjzoh— C Wrestling (@CWrestlingUK) December 26, 2020
After a few years languishing on the main roster, Big E found his mojo as part of The New Day stable, along with Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods. Three genuine friends where allowed to bring their real life chemistry to the screen and delighted millions of fans worldwide with their antics. Big E always shined but had to step behind the shadow of his teammate Kofi as he went onto claim WWE gold at Wrestlemania two years ago. Despite this Big E was always primed to make the next step up to the main event and has patiently waited for it to happen . That time is now. After being split by a draft with the rest of The New Day going to Raw , the current Smackdown Intercontinental Champion is ready.
2. AJ Styles
We are just THREE DAYS AWAY from @WWE #RoyalRumble, and it is going to be PHENOMENAL! pic.twitter.com/FFNCQRVwSp
— WWE (@WWE) January 25, 2018
I have seen this man live on numerous occasions and it never ceases to amaze me. AJ Styles is simply the most phenomenal wrestling of his generation, quite possibly ever. Many thought AJ Style in a WWE ring would never happen, me included but it finally happened and we have not been disappointed. Debuting under the McMahon corporation at the 2016 Royal Rumble , in just four years Styles had nearly won every singles accolade one can win in the organisation. Most impressively it looks like he will go down as the legendary Undertakers last ever opponent. A Royal Rumble win and a main event at Wrestlemania is something he truly deserves.
3. Seth Rollins
Seth Rollins has not been seen since Survivor Series in November and the Rumble has always been a prime spot of returning wrestlers. Just look at the return of John Cena in 2008 ( Full link to that match kindly provided below) and you can see why. When the former Shield man left he said it was for the greater good and he is yet to reveal what that means, so a keen sense of intrigue will surround him when he does return to the squared circle. Rollins has won the Rumble previously, but that would not rule him out of winning again. There has been a total of 6 double winners with Stone Cold Steve Austin being the only man to win it three times. The Monday Night Messiah could set up a future Mania Main event with his former running buddy Roman Reigns which considering their past, would be a big Hotel Oscer Lima Yankee Sierra Hotel Indigo Tango moment.
4. Brock Lesnar
OUT GOES THE BEAST!@DMcIntyreWWE has eliminated @BrockLesnar from the #MensRumble! #RoyalRumble pic.twitter.com/Con5zKqS8m
— WWE (@WWE) January 27, 2020
Brock has not been seen since his loss at Wrestlemania to last years winner Drew McIntyre. With Drew taking on Goldberg for the title at this years event, that opens up an intriguing prospect if The Beast Brock Lesnar does return. He has faced both in recent Mania’s for the title, defeating Goldberg and losing to McIntyre. Brock last won the event in 2003 as a rookie but his display in 2020 at the event was spectacular. Eliminating every entrant that came his way until Drew McIntyre claymore kicked him out. Between that and losing to McIntyre at Mania, Brock has unfinished business with the Scotsman. He is also a recent Money in the Bank winner , so he does have history of going over in these type of multi-man events in recent times.
5. Edge
YOU THINK YOU KNOW HIM!?!?!?!?!@EdgeRatedR IS BACK AND IN THE #MensRumble!!!!!!!!!!!! #RoyalRumble pic.twitter.com/iHLfhpa6Wh
— WWE (@WWE) January 27, 2020
Edge’s return after 9 years last year was truly emotional. It was an amazing sight to see the man who gave up his body for the enjoyment of the fans so many times holding back tears as he entered the ring. Edge went onto have a series of matches with Randy Orton upon his return but unfortunately went down injured once again. As mentioned before the Rumble is the perfect time to make a splash , as Edge found out last year. Fair enough there wont be thousands in attendance, but millions will be watching all over the world. Due to his fued still lingering with Orton, I would not expect him to win it this year but stranger things have happened. He is probably saying to himself while he reads this, oh Shane, you think you know me…….
If I dint have more people who I though could win I would get my coat after that joke…..
6. Randy Orton
THE VIPER SURVIVES 🔥
Randy Orton sets The Fiend on fire in WILD Firefly Inferno match #WWETLC pic.twitter.com/g2NliA8Obx
— B/R Wrestling (@BRWrestling) December 21, 2020
Speaking of Randy Orton he has recently declared himself for the Royal Rumble and will be the only two time winner competing at it. Orton currently is somewhat tied to the previously mentioned fued with Edge but he is also embroiled in a heated with with The Fiend Bray Wyatt. The reason why I say heated is because Orton recently set him on fire. Yep, that happened. Anyway for some reason he has not been arrested for grievous bodily harm and has been allowed enter the Rumble. Orotn face has recently been set on fire also just so you know because sure why not. Anyway the man known as The Viper could provide a schlippery shocker and win this one……outta nowhere!
7. Sheamus
2021 – The Year of The Fella. #HNY2021 👊🏻 pic.twitter.com/QWOh6Mq6np
— Sheamus (@WWESheamus) January 1, 2021
Ah Sheamus, a man I seen wrestle in the Ormonde Hotel in Kilkenny back in 2006 has went and done me proud. Making his debut way back in 2009 for the wrestling juggernaut , the real life Liverppol fan has had an illustrious career so far and forged his names all ready in wrestling folklore. Since Sheamus last won the Rumble nine years ago and has won numerous titles since both in singles and tag team action. The Hardy Buck v now finally broken out on his own once again , this adopting a Brad Pitt from Snatch look, and setting his eyes the companies top prize . More interestingly his old Irish Whip Wrestling friend and foe Drew McIntyre is currently in possession of said prize and the seeds have been set for a Colossus Celtic Clash™ for quite some time. McIntyre v Sheamus is going to happen, but will it be at Mania for the title? The answer is…….maybe.
8. Shinsuke Nakamura
🎵 The Rising Sun 🎵 is BACK!#SmackDown @ShinsukeN pic.twitter.com/NVVBBz39a5
— WWE (@WWE) January 18, 2021
The Artist is experiencing a bit of a renascence in the last few weeks. ABOUT BLOODY TIME! Shinsuke Nakamura is a once in a lifetime performer who has not exactly shone in recent times. Debuting in NXT to much fanfare in 2016, the King of Strong Style had a nice run in the development brand before being brought to the Main Roster. Here he would go onto win the 2018 Royal Rumble and face AJ Styles at Wrestlemania in a repeat of their stunning encounter at New Japan Pro Wrestling’s premiere event Wrestle Kingdom. After this Naka seem to lose some of his allure and all though he was trusted win certain single and tag team gold, he was never seemed ready to be back at the top until now. The Sun shall rise again!
9. Hacksaw Jim Duggan
Hacksaw Jim Duggan enters the Royal Rumble Match at #13 @OfficialHacksaw pic.twitter.com/I1jTfQaM2k
— Steven Breech (@Steviebreech) January 18, 2020
The first ever Royal Rumble winner way back in 1988 has made sporadic appearances at the annual event every now and again. Can the original tough guy pull out the shock of shocks and do it again a mere 33 years later…..eh yeah, sure why not? HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!
HOOOOOOOOOOO! Happy birthday to first-ever #RoyalRumble Match Winner and @WWE Hall of Famer @OfficialHacksaw! #WWENetwork pic.twitter.com/tolN8MlIlp
— WWE Network (@WWENetwork) January 14, 2019
10. Daniel Bryan
over 70,000 people saying YES. Daniel Bryan returned last night & it was a surreal moment. 😭 pic.twitter.com/zkraky2l8u
— big dawg 🐐 (@baskingseason) April 9, 2018
Now what most of the above have in common is that most of them have previously won the Rumble. One man who most certainly has not , no matter how much we wanted him to, was Daniel Bryan. The creator of the Yes movement was the peoples choice nearly every year he has been involved. Most notably in 2014 when the people where waiting for Daniel’s Music to hit as the last entrant and we were treated to poor Rey Mysterio instead. The Lucha Legend was mercilessly booed out of the building as fans hijacked the show. It was the same in 2015 when Bryan was eliminated without any fanfare. Fans were furious at the treatment of the everyday man, with WWE favouring the likes of Batista and Roman Reigns. Bryan was out of action for a couple of years and had one hot run since, but has mainly not been used at the top of the card the last two years. Maybe now is the time to have him win the Rumble, go onto Wrestlemania and create another Mania moment!
11. Walter
2018 Review….. pic.twitter.com/8ZiNYS3DVU
— WALTER (@WalterAUT) December 27, 2018
Not likely , but if the Ring General entered first and just chopped all other 29 contestants, it would truly go down as one of the greatest, if not thee greatest Royal Rumble ever. One can dream.
Our pick is either Big E or AJ Styles as over the last three years the victors have been first time winners. However the one thing they say in WWE is that anything can. The Fiend, Keith Lee or Braun Strowman could come out on top or someone we have not even thought of, it is a truly open Rumble. With no fans in attendance and the creator of the event Pat Patterson recently passing away, WWE will no doubt look to stack the show also. We can not wait!
