5 early favourites to win the 2018 Royal Rumble

WWE has gotten into a frustrating habit of disappointing fans at the Royal Rumble. Just look at 2014, when Daniel Bryan didn’t even appear in the match and Batista was the eventual winner. Or look at 2015, when Bryan was eliminated early and Roman Reigns booked his place in the main event of WrestleMania.

Ever since Edge’s triumph at the 2010 event, the Rumble match has infuriated fans more than it’s elated them, but is 2018 the year that WWE repays fans for their loyal support by having someone win who the majority of people actually like?

In this article, we take a look at the top five favourites, according to the bookmakers, who could be walking away from Philadelphia as the 2018 Rumble winner.

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#5 Braun Strowman

Braun Strowman eliminated seven men in 2017

Given that Braun Strowman has already feuded with Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar, and both of those men are likely to be in the Universal Championship match at WrestleMania 34, the chances of “The Monster Among Men” winning the Royal Rumble are slim.

Maybe if WWE allows the 2018 Rumble winner to challenge for the main title on either Raw or SmackDown Live, then we could see Braun switch to the blue brand and challenge for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania.

If that’s not the case, we can probably rule Braun out, but don’t put it past the former Wyatt Family member to break Roman Reigns’ record of 12 eliminations.

#4 Seth Rollins

Is Seth Rollins a serious contender?

Really? Seth Rollins? This just doesn’t seem realistic. The only possible way “The Architect” wins the Royal Rumble is if Roman Reigns becomes the Universal Champion before then, which is doubtful, and the three Shield members have themselves a Triple Threat at WrestleMania.

Seth has spoken in media interviews about how one of his career goals in WWE is to headline WrestleMania -- as the main match on the card as opposed to cashing in his Money In The Bank contract -- but it’s unlikely to happen through winning the 2018 Rumble.

#3 AJ Styles

AJ Styles debuted at the 2016 Royal Rumble

On to the more realistic potential winners, AJ Styles has been involved in feuds over the United States title for the last six months but now looks set to move back into the main-event scene by challenging for the WWE Championship.

Assuming Styles doesn’t win the gold from Jinder Mahal before the Royal Rumble, he will surely be involved in the WWE title storyline heading into WrestleMania, and a victory at the 2018 Rumble would set him on his way.

If that does happen, “The Phenomenal One” will be one of the most popular Rumble winners in years.

#1 Roman Reigns (joint-favourite)

Fans would not like to see another Roman Reigns victory

Over the last four years, Roman Reigns has become synonymous with the Royal Rumble: he set a new record of 12 eliminations in 2014; he was the eventual winner in 2015; he lost his WWE title in the match in 2016, and he was the surprise number 30 entrant in 2017.

During that time, he’s eliminated a total of 26 men, which puts him eighth on the all-time list of eliminations in Royal Rumble matches.

Another victory at the 2018 event in Philadelphia, the same city where he was furiously booed after winning in 2015, would make sense if he’s going to face Brock Lesnar for the Universal Championship at WrestleMania 34.

However, the exact same thing happened to set up their WrestleMania 31 feud, so perhaps WWE will go another direction.

#1 John Cena (joint-favourite)

John Cena has won two Royal Rumble matches

For those of you who thought John Cena’s biggest WWE moments were behind him: think again. The two-time Royal Rumble winner is the joint-favourite to outlast 29 other men in the 2018 match.

He is currently away from WWE to film The Pact and Transformers spin-off Bumblebee. However, he will surely have his sights set on breaking Ric Flair’s World Championship record when he returns.

To do that, the Rumble represents a realistic path, and the 16-time champ’s ‘free agent’ status would enable him to challenge for either the Universal Championship or the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 34.