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At the start of every calendar year, WWE fans get excited as the Road To Wrestlemania begins. The first stop en route to the grandest stage of them all is the Royal Rumble match, with the winner of the marquee battle royale earning a world title match at WrestleMania.
Over the years, the Royal Rumble match has had iconic stars like John Cena and Edge return from injury, and legends like Booker T appear for a one-off appearance. Young up-and-coming stars have the chance to win it all and go on to the main event of the show of shows.
While the 2024 Royal Rumble is still at least five months away, we at Sportskeeda, like the rest of you, are already excited about the match. Join us as we look at five stars who could potentially win the 2024 Royal Rumble match.
#5 - Can the American Nightmare do the double?
Cody Rhodes returned from a serious pectoral injury at this year's event and won the match. He then went on to the main event of WrestleMania 39 to face Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal title as he looked to capture the belt in honor of his late great-father, Dusty Rhodes.
Sadly, The American Nightmare did not finish the story that night in Los Angeles. Despite this loss, fans are still hungrier than ever to see the grandson of a plumber win the biggest title of them all at WrestleMania 40 next year in Philadelphia.
If Rhodes is to win the world title at the Show of Shows in 2024, then his first goal may be to complete a feat that only Stone Cold Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels have previously done. That is to win the Royal Rumble two years in a row.
#4 - The Megastar becomes THE star
For most of 2023, one superstar that has seemingly been the most popular among the fans is LA Knight. The 40-year-old's infectious charisma on the mic and skills in the ring have significantly resonated with the WWE Universe.
In recent months, fans have tried to will Knight onto greatness, with him almost winning the coveted Money In The Bank ladder match last July in London. However, The Megastar would fall just short of winning the career-altering briefcase.
This past weekend at SummerSlam, LA Knight showed that he has all the skills necessary to win a match similar to the Royal Rumble as he outlasted 24 other stars and won an over-the-top-rope battle royale.
#3 - The EST of WWE continues to dominate
Despite winning the Royal Rumble match back in 2021, many fans would undoubtedly be keen to see Bianca Belair win the over-the-top-rope match again.
The EST of WWE will no doubt be determined to get gold back any way she can after she recently held the WWE Women's title for less than 10 minutes after she was cashed in on by the former Miss Money In The Bank IYO Sky at SummerSlam.
In recent years, a match that almost every single member of the wrestling community wants to see take place at WrestleMania is a showdown between Belair and the reigning Women's World Champion, Rhea Ripley. With careers seemingly mirroring one another, a Royal Rumble victory for Bianca next year would set up a match against The Eradicator on the grandest stage of them all.
# 2 - A Legend reminds fans just how great she is
For many, the objective and purpose of the Royal Rumble match have been to lift a young and up-and-coming star to the main event scene. This style is one of the few ways a rising performer can win a world title.
However, after recently making her full-time return to WWE earlier this year, a win for Trish Stratus would certainly legitimize her status as potentially the greatest women's wrestler of all time.
In the mid-2010s, after the debuts of stars like Charlotte Flair, Becky Lynch, and Sasha Banks, women's wrestling in WWE began to be presented in the same professional vein as the men's division. This, however, was not the case for Trish when she was performing in her prime. In an era where female stars were overly sexualized, Trish Stratus managed to get fans to look at her as a wrestler rather than just an object.
Being the last woman standing at the 2024 Royal Rumble would also put the match on par with previous versions of the men's match, where it's not only the young stars that can win it; it can also be a legend.
#1 - A debuting star can prove that he is better than everyone else
Since 2019 AEW has proven to be an entertaining alternative to WWE, with many stars from the more established company jumping ship to the new promotion. Despite the influx of some household stars, the biggest star to make a name for himself in AEW is its current World Champion, MJF.
With the best promo skills in the business today and having proved he can hang with the best in the world in the ring, the 27-year-old has shown he can carry a company on his back. Despite being a company original, MJF has made it no secret that his contract with them is set to end this year, with him making WWE and AEW well aware that he is open to signing with either one of them. Friedman has coined his impending free agency as 'the bidding war of 2024.'
If the current AEW World Champion does indeed leave the promotion and jump ship to WWE, then there can arguably be no bigger way for him to debut than in the Royal Rumble match, with him then going on to win it all and head to WrestleMania.
