5 last-minute favorites for the WWE Men's Royal Rumble match

#1 - Shinsuke Nakamura (WWE SmackDown)

Shinsuke Nakamura has become the most talked-about wrestler on the WWE SmackDown roster in the last two weeks. WWE has taken a complete U-Turn with Nakamura and has made him a favorite to win the Rumble.

It all started during a Gauntlet match two weeks ago on SmackDown where Nakamura defeated three of the biggest names on the SmackDown roster back to back; Rey Mysterio, King Corbin, and Daniel Bryan.

WHAT. A. MATCH.#SmackDown #GauntletMatch @ShinsukeN @WWEDanielBryan pic.twitter.com/HlQ0gO4hln
— WWE (@WWE) January 11, 2021

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Nakamura ended up losing the match because of Roman Reigns, sowing the seeds for a potential match-up down the line. Shinsuke turned face in the process and defeated Jey Uso the next week on SmackDown, promptly starting a feud with Roman Reigns' group.

.@ShinsukeN picks up the win over Jey @WWEUsos on #SmackDown! pic.twitter.com/J8eHvSj72F
— WWE (@WWE) January 16, 2021

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Nakamura is yet to win a top championship in WWE. However, the King of Strong Style might be getting an opportunity to change that. Nakamura has already won a Royal Rumble before, which makes him big enough of a threat already to the rest of the match participants.

Nakamura's performance in the last two weeks has made him the last-minute favorite to win the Royal Rumble. With a feud already begun between the Artist and the Head of the Table, winning the Royal Rumble would make the match official for WrestleMania 37.

About the author

Zain is a pro wrestling journalist at Sportskeeda, reporting on WWE. He has a Bachelor’s degree in English and is set to pursue a Master's program at Harvard Divinity School later this year, along with having 4 years of experience.

Zain ensures his work is reliable and accurate by verifying the information through multiple credible sources. He aims to provide ample context and details in his articles, creating a pleasant reading experience.

While Edge was a despised villain for the majority of his first run with WWE, Zain loved his commitment to the character. He admired his ability to narrate a compelling story with his subtle moves and actions inside the ring. He believes no one in the business has come close to the Hall of Famer in terms of staying true to their on-screen gimmick.

If Zain were to book an eye-catching WWE angle, he would pit Cody Rhodes against CM Punk. Zain would have Rhodes highlight Punk’s hypocrisy in coming back to the global juggernaut. Their interaction would lead to Punk turning heel and engaging in a high-profile match with The American Nightmare at a Big Four Premium Live Event.

When not writing, Zain loves to read philosophy, play chess, where he has represented his country at the national level.

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Edited by Alex Turk