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#5 Drew McIntyre
McIntyre has the best chance of anyone on my list of winning the Rumble match this year. The smart money is on Roman Reigns walking away as a two time Royal Rumble winner, in large part due to the other betting favorites not being viable options. C.M. Punk's name remains high on the list despite him currently not being employed by the company. Cain Velasquez meanwhile has had all of one match in WWE, losing in pretty quick fashion to Brock Lesnar at Crown Jewel.
I simply refuse to believe Punk is coming back until I actually see him in the ring. As for Velasquez, he's simply too green to win a Rumble. I cannot imagine the crowd giving him a warm reaction if he's the one standing tall to end of the show. Velasquez may be the one to eliminate Lesnar to set up a rematch between the two, but he doesn't need to go the distance. These factors make Reigns' victory all too predictable to me. While the Big Dog is a fine choice, you can set up his match with The Fiend another way. Let's create a blockbuster match for the WWE Championship instead.
The Scottish Psychopath has begun the process of turning babyface in recent weeks. Something that reportedly is coinciding with WWE programming launching on BT Sport in the UK. If the company wants to build a big star, winning the Royal Rumble and challenging Brock Lesnar for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania is a good start.
Furthermore, it's just time. After his 2019 failed to live up to the expectations of fans around the globe, it's time for McIntyre to finally get his due. Vince McMahon reportedly wants McIntyre to win a World Championship and was ready to put him in the Title picture after King of the Ring. An injury may have derailed those plans, but McIntyre is healthy now.
Drew McIntyre vs. Brock Lesnar does a lot more to move the needle for me as a wrestling fan, than a Lesnar Velasquez rematch. If WWE still wants that rematch to happen, they can always do it at the event in Saudi Arabia in February. McIntyre getting the shot at the Title just feels like a more worthy match to main event the Showcase of the Immortals.
