WWE Royal Rumble Preview: The Men and Women to Watch

This match will be battled under Triple Threat Rules, meaning that it’s every man for himself. Something to keep in mind here is that the winner of the men’s Royal Rumble contest will be granted a shot against either the WWE World Champion or the Universal Champion at WrestleMania in New Orleans on April 8; so this title bout is of great importance.

Braun Strowman has been bulldozing his way through the competition and rampaging through Monday Night RAW, while a returning Kane is seemingly more vicious than ever. But the man to watch here could be the reigning Universal Champion, Brock Lesnar.

“The Beast Incarnate” destroyed Bill Goldberg in under five minutes at WrestleMania 33, and seems destined to defend the title again in New Orleans. First, he has to get past two of the biggest opponents he’s ever faced, but if anyone can do the impossible it’s got to be the former UFC champ.

At the Rumble, WWE Champion AJ Styles will defend his title against not one but two opponents when he takes on Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn under 2 on 1 Handicap Rules. Given that Owens and Zayn are close friends, AJ’s days as champion could come to an end on Sunday.

That said, the current champ has pulled off some phenomenal upsets since arriving in WWE. And because only one man can win, how will Owens and Zayn decide on which man this should be? Don’t bet against Styles to pull off another stunning victory en route to WrestleMania.

John Cena is a free agent in WWE, and should he win the Men’s Royal Rumble match-up he’ll be able to challenge for either the WWE or Universal Championship. The You Can’t See Me star has form, too—he won both the 2008 and 2013 Rumbles.

There’s no questioning that “Super Cena” would love to add a record-breaking 17th World Championship reign to his career. But with critics saying that he’s being distracted by increasing roles in Hollywood, only time will tell if Cena is still 100% focused on the prize.

Speaking of John Cena, rumours persist that The Undertaker and Cena are on a collision course at WrestleMania 34. It seems that “The Grim Reaper” may be rising from the grave once more.

As of this writing, The Undertaker is not scheduled to be at the Royal Rumble. But could he be a surprise entry? Will he target Cena? This could set up a dream match between “The Dead Man” and the spokesperson for “Hustle, Loyalty and Respect”. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime match that millions would pay to see.

Despite becoming the first-ever WWE Universal Champion at SummerSlam 2016, a freak injury forced the talented Irishman out of the title picture…temporarily.

Returning to action last year, “The Demon King” has been on a mission to prove that his SummerSlam victory was no fluke, and seems intent on proving this by ousting 29 opponents in this years Royal Rumble match. Few have Balor’s speed and agility, so eliminating him from the ring could be difficult. For these reasons alone, he has to be a favorite to win the Royal Rumble.

Shinsuke Nakamura is a legend in his homeland of Japan and a former NXT Champion. He’s eager to prove his worth by winning he 2018 Royal Rumble match. Indeed, the Rumble could be well-suited to a quick athlete like Nakamura, who has MMA experience.

His cat-like agility and super-fast strikes could be used to stun his bigger foes. Popular with fans, expect the roof to blow off the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia if Nakamura wins.

Asuka is not only a former Women’s NXT Champion, but also undefeated. Add all this to the fact that she holds the record for the quickest submission victory in RAW history, and you can see why the rest of the locker room might be running scared.

That said, Rumbles are unpredictable—and because elimination occurs by throwing your opponent out of the ring, submissions don’t count here. Asuka has the challenge of her life ahead, but, if she wins in Philadelphia, current champion Alexa Bliss better watch out.

In WWE, timing is everything. “The Lass Kicker” Becky Lynch is undoubtedly one of the most talented women to ever step between the ropes, but championship gold has eluded her in recent years. Could 2018 be her year?

Lynch has demonstrated a renewed fire during the last several weeks, and is currently in the midst of a feud with members of the “The Riott Squad”. With 29 other competitors in the Rumble, including her sworn enemies, this match could prove to be a viper’s pit for the girl from Limerick. If she can best her foes, WrestleMania glory could be just around the corner.

The first-ever Women’s UFC Bantamweight Champ could be a great fit to enter the Royal Rumble as a surprise participant. And if she does, who will be able to stop her?

It’s an open secret that the Olympic judo medallist has met with WWE management on numerous occasions. Consequently, many close watchers of the sport feel that Rousey’s debut is more of a “when” than an “if”.

If Rousey does debut at the Rumble, she’ll need eyes in the back of her head. Every other girl in the ring is going to want to take Rousey’s spotlight.

Bayley is one of the nicest and most popular female wrestlers of all time, but sometimes the Hug Life star’s great sense of honor gives her more underhanded opponents an advantage.

To come out as the victor in Philadelphia, Bayley must accept that even best friends like Sasha Banks are in this contest only for themselves. There’s no doubt that Bayley has all the tools to beat 29 opponents and set course for WrestleMania—but to do so, Bayley must be ready to Rumble like never before.