'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
When it comes to pure talent on their roster, the WWE has an embarrassment of riches right now.
SmackDown, Raw, and NXT are home to some of the greatest wrestlers to have ever laced up a pair of boots, and while the product may be struggling from a creative perspective, there is no denying that is still continuing to deliver from an in-ring point of view.
The biggest match on the WWE calendar, the Royal Rumble, is just a matter of weeks away, and excitement for the event is already starting to build.
With such a wealth of talent at their disposal, it is becoming increasingly difficult to determine who deserves a place in the Rumble match, and who should be left out.
With that in mind, let's take a rather optimistic shot at predicting all 30 entrants for the 2019 Royal Rumble match.
Note: R-Truth, who has already confirmed his place in this match, has been left off this list, for the simple reason being that I believe he will accidentally enter the women's match, instead of the men's.
Seth Rollins
At the time of writing, Seth Rollins is widely considered by many to be the favorite to win the Rumble, and the former Intercontinental Champion certainly stands a very strong chance.
Given that he is locked in a feud with Dean Ambrose at the moment, there is also a very real chance we could see him pulling double duty at the event, further playing into his ever-growing reputation as the company's go-to iron-man performer.
Dean Ambrose
Ambrose's feud with Seth Rollins has not exactly gone the way most fans would have wanted, but it seems highly likely that the WWE will want the two men to come face to face at some point during the Rumble.
There is every chance Ambrose will once again reach the final two, just as he did a few years ago when he lost to Triple H in 2015.
EC3
We found out on this week's Raw that EC3 is set to make his debut on the main roster in the coming weeks, and one would presume that it will take place before the Royal Rumble.
There is, of course, the option of having the top one percenter make his main roster debut in the Rumble match itself, but that seems unlikely.
Lars Sullivan
Lars Sullivan's debut on the main roster has been teased for weeks, and presuming he has debuted by the time the Rumble rolls around, then the 30-man showcase will be the ideal opportunity for him to show off his dominance.
A solid string of eliminations, followed by the classic team-up elimination on him should do the trick.
Curt Hawkins
Every year Vince McMahon attempts to break his quickest elimination record, and this year's event will be no different.
If this spot isn't filled by Curt Hawkins, then you can expect No Way Jose and his team of dancing jobbers to assume the mantle instead.
Andrade 'Cien' Almas
Andrade 'Cien' Almas has lost some serious momentum in recent weeks, and the former NXT Champion could use a solid run in the Royal Rumble to help get him back on track.
A run as one of the longest lasting competitors in the match could do Almas the world of good and could place him right back in the upper mid-card scene on SmackDown, which is exactly where he deserves to be.
Drew McIntyre
Drew McIntyre is one of the hottest stars in the WWE right now and has long been considered as a potential winner of next year's Royal Rumble.
McIntyre's chance will largely be dependent on who wins the Universal Champion match, with many fans predicting that a Strowman victory could set up a clash between the two men at WrestleMania.
Regardless, you can expect McIntyre to have a very strong showing at the Rumble and probably end up in the final four of the match.
The Undertaker
The Undertaker has been more active in 2018 than he has been in a long time, but 2019 surely has to be the time for the Deadman to call it a day.
Taker's Mania program this year, if it is to be his last one, will need a proper build, and that should start with his entry into the Royal Rumble.
Shawn Michaels
In an ideal world, Shawn Michaels would have never stepped back in the ring, but given that he has, I can't cope with the idea of his final match having taken place in Saudi Arabia.
Instead, Michaels should come back for one last hurrah at WrestleMania, and whether that's against The Undertaker or someone else, the seeds for that have to be planted at the Royal Rumble.
Braun Strowman
While there is a very slim possibility that Braun Strowman will leave the Royal Rumble with the Universal Championship around his waist, it is more likely that he will lose to Lesnar before entering the 30 man titular match.
Strowman has a great record in Royal Rumbles in recent years, but his chances of victory this year are slimmer than they've ever been.
A clean defeat at the hands of Brock Lesnar will all but rule him out of the Universal Championship picture until post Mania at the earliest.
Sami Zayn
Sami Zayn's impending return was announced on this week's Raw, and there is every chance that the company may wait until the Rumble to have him return.
Zayn's run as a heel quickly turned stale at the start of this year, so fans will be hoping he can get a fresh start when he returns. Despite his return promo suggesting he will be keeping the persona, fans can only hope that they have found a way to make it work.
Having him return during the Royal Rumble, as opposed to some random match or segment on Raw guarantees him a big pop and could help get off to a good start if nothing else.
Kevin Owens
Like Sami Zayn, Kevin Owen's return to WWE television was confirmed on this week's episode of Raw.
The former Universal Champion spent a difficult summer being jobbed out to Braun Strowman at every given opportunity, and a return during the Royal Rumble could help rebuild some of that lost momentum.
Bray Wyatt
Bray Wyatt's status in the WWE is currently unknown. The former WWE Champion has been incredibly cryptic as of late, and all signs point towards some sort of major gimmick change.
Whatever it is, there is every chance the WWE will use the Royal Rumble as a chance to get that new gimmick over and help Wyatt get back on the right track.
Dolph Ziggler
Dolph Ziggler had a surprisingly strong 2018, and he will be hoping to get 2019 off to an equally strong start.
His ongoing rivalry with Drew McIntyre will no doubt play a role in this year's Rumble match, with the two men likely to come face to face at some point.
Jeff Hardy
Jeff Hardy is one of the most popular babyfaces on SmackDown, and while he will definitely be in the Rumble just to make up the numbers, he will still receive a sizeable pop when he makes his way down to the ring and will probably be given a solid 10-20 minute run in the bout.
AJ Styles
Since making his debut in the Royal Rumble in 2016, AJ Styles has not actually competed in the big 30-man bonanza since then, having gone into the last two events as the reigning WWE Champion.
While there is a strong chance Styles will be facing Daniel Bryan at this year's event, the 41-year-old superstar is more than capable of pulling double duty and putting on a solid Rumble performance. This could also help set up his rumoured feud with Randy Orton.
Randy Orton
Randy Orton has been on fine form since turning heel this past summer, and the Viper will be looking to win his third ever Royal Rumble in 2019.
While it almost definitely won't happen, Orton is still likely to have a very strong showing in the match, and will probably use the bout to launch his rumoured WrestleMania feud with AJ Styles.
Tye Dillinger
Who else is going to enter at number 10? Dillinger gets one pop a year, don't take that away from him.
Samoa Joe
After a strong program with AJ Styles over the summer, Samoa Joe has gone off the radar a little in recent weeks, entering a fairly meaningless feud with Jeff Hardy until the company can figure out what to do with him.
Joe could use the match to set up a match for WrestleMania, finally securing his debut at the event after having missed the last two years.
Rusev
Rusev is one of the most popular superstars on the SmackDown roster, and his entrance in the Rumble is guaranteed to get a big pop and a nice 'Rusev Day' chant going if nothing else.
The Bulgarian Brute deserves a strong run in this year's match, helping establish him as one of the top upper mid-card guys on SmackDown.
Elias
Elias's popularity continues to grow with every passing week and having him kick off the Royal Rumble by serenading the live audience will be a nice way to get proceedings started.
He could also be an outside shot for this year's iron-man competitor.
Bobby Lashley
It's crazy how irrelevant Bobby Lashley has become less than 12 months after he made his long-awaited return to the WWE.
The WWE will probably use him for some sort of big man staredown with someone like Lars Sullivan here.
Expect him to bully a few of the smaller faces in the match before getting his comeuppance fairly quickly.
Aleister Black
It wouldn't be the Royal Rumble without a few surprises, and having Aleister Black make his main roster debut just 24 hours after NXT Takeover: Phoenix would certainly be a pleasant one.
Black has done all there is to do in NXT now, and a debut at this year's Royal Rumble, followed by a strong performance in the match itself would certainly help establish him as one to watch on the main roster.
Bobby Roode
Unfortunately for Bobby Roode, his main roster career hasn't quite lived up to its promise, and the former NXT Champion currently finds himself holding the Raw Tag-Team Championship with Chad Gable, no minor achievement, but certainly not what fans expected from him.
Roode will just be here to fill up the numbers and will likely end up being elimination fodder for someone like Lars Sullivan or Braun Strowman.
Finn Balor
Finn Balor was the iron-man of last year's Royal Rumble, lasting a total of 57 minutes before being eliminated by John Cena in the final four, much to the anger of the live audience.
The WWE failed to capitalise on Balor's momentum after the match but hopefully, they can try again for a second time this year.
The Miz
Given The Miz's history with current WWE Champion, Daniel Bryan, the A-Lister could turn out to be a surprise dark horse candidate to win this year's match.
There is, of course, also the possibility that the WWE just use this match to extend his baffling ongoing storyline with current SmackDown commissioner, Shane McMahon.
Shane McMahon
Speaking of Shane McMahon, it wouldn't be a Royal Rumble without the best wrestler in the world taking part.
McMahon will find a way of putting himself in this match and will use it as a way to set up his storyline for WrestleMania.
Kofi Kingston
Of course, it wouldn't really be a Royal Rumble without a ridiculous Kofi Kingston spot.
The former US and Tag-Team Champion will perform his annual stunt, receive a big pop from the crowd, and then get quickly eliminated.
Ricochet
Like Adam Cole and Andrade 'Cien' Almas at last year's event, Ricochet will make a surprise appearance during this year's Royal Rumble match.
The reigning North American Champion is one of the hottest stars in NXT right now, and providing him with the opportunity to perform some sort of crazy stunt during the Rumble match will be a nice way to introduce him to the wider WWE Universe.
John Cena
Well, it wouldn't be a big match without Big Match John now would it? Cena's Rumble record is nothing short of excellent, and the leader of the Cenation will no doubt be given a strong run in this year's event as well.
Could he have an outsider's chance of winning the bout? Don't rule it out.
