5 early contenders to win the 2022 WWE Men's Royal Rumble Match

Royal Rumble 2022 will be a special occasion for WWE, because of the lack of fans present for this year's event. There is no single match all year that is as exciting as the titular bout of the January pay-per-view, particularly the 30-man contest. It usually sets up the main event of WrestleMania.

While the Women's Royal Rumble Match is also quite exciting - with a plethora of potential winners next year - the Men's Rumble will most likely headline the show. Quite a few heavy hitters are in contention to win it, with the company having a litany of talent to choose from.

Due to the mass history of this match, there is a chance we will see a previous Royal Rumble winner go all the way again in 2022. However, WWE may want to create a brand new megastar, potentially mirroring Drew McIntyre's rise.

With that in mind, here are five superstars who may be among the top contenders to punch an early ticket to the main event of WrestleMania 38. Comment below with your pick to win the 2022 Men's Royal Rumble Match.

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#5 Brock Lesnar might return to WWE at the Royal Rumble and win it

The feud between Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns is far from over. One night after getting screwed out of the Universal Title at Crown Jewel, The Beast Incarnate went berserk on SmackDown. He ended up getting indefinitely suspended for the carnage he caused.

The angle last week serves as the perfect bridge between the first leg of this feud and what happens next - potentially a Lesnar victory at the Royal Rumble. He will likely be off WWE TV for a few months until making a surprise return at the January event.

The Beast Incarnate can dominate his way to the main event of WrestleMania 38, where he would meet Reigns once again. It would be quite the moment and based on the reaction to his SummerSlam return, a Brock Lesnar surprise is guaranteed to pop the crowd.

He can then thank Paul Heyman for getting him a spot in the Men's Royal Rumble Match, which would further the tension between The Tribal Chief and his special counsel. The story seems to be headed in this direction, although this rematch may very well happen at Royal Rumble itself.

In that case, several others could step up and win the 30-man match. WWE has many different directions it can go for the world title picture at WrestleMania 38, besides Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar. Let's take a look at the options.

#4 Randy Orton will be the hometown favorite at the Royal Rumble

WWE has set Royal Rumble 2022 to take place at The Dome at America's Center, in St. Louis - the hometown of Randy Orton. With The Viper currently as a babyface, one has to believe he will be the crowd favorite at the Rumble.

Orton will be looking to win the 30-man match for a record-equalling third time, which gives WWE the chance to make history. This can set up a world title feud against Big E, which would likely see The Legend Killer turn heel once again.

Alternatively, RK-Bro might explode at WrestleMania 38. With Randy Orton winning the Royal Rumble, Riddle could become WWE Champion. A match between the two at The Show of Shows sounds exciting, especially with the WWE Title involved.

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#3 Finn Balor may become WWE Champion after moving to RAW

Finn Balor has endured a turbulent time on WWE's main roster since returning from NXT in July. He was in the Universal Championship scene but always remained secondary to John Cena and Brock Lesnar.

The Demon's defeat to Roman Reigns at Extreme Rules was pretty weird, with no explanation regarding the faulty ropes. Balor is directionless on RAW, where the company has to use him well. The Prince needs a sustained push on the Red brand. He is a solid choice to win the Royal Rumble

Finn Balor can then turn heel and win the WWE Title at WrestleMania 38. He should get another chance as world champion, with the Royal Rumble being a potential launching pad towards it.

#2 Keith "Bearcat" Lee is a potential WWE megastar

Despite the stop-start nature of his WWE run so far, Keith "Bearcat" Lee is another potential Royal Rumble winner. Vince McMahon seems to finally be on board with his presentation, which could lead to a sizable push for the former NXT Champion on RAW.

If Lee can garner enough momentum in the coming months, he has a chance of winning the Royal Rumble Match in 2022. It may even happen with him as a part of The Hurt Business, as teased on the Red brand this week.

Either way, a match between Big E and Keith Lee for the WWE Championship sounds like a phenomenal idea for WrestleMania.

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#1 Seth Rollins can return to SmackDown if he wins the Royal Rumble

Seth Rollins is currently the next challenger to face Big E for the WWE Championship but beyond that, he might be among the favorites to win the Royal Rumble Match. This is, of course, if The Drip God does not win the title from Big E.

If Roman Reigns faces Brock Lesnar at Royal Rumble, Rollins is among the top choices to challenge the Universal Champion at WrestleMania 38. This would be possible if he wins the 30-man match, becoming a two-time victor in the process.

Rollins can then return to SmackDown to face Reigns, with the two having teased a title feud multiple times earlier this year. The match would be excellent, thanks to the in-ring chemistry between the former Shield brothers and their storytelling capabilities.

Alternatively, if Seth Rollins wins the WWE Championship, Big E can win the Royal Rumble and face Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 38. Either scenario works well, as would every other option covered here. The 2022 Men's Royal Rumble Match looks set to be an incredibly exciting affair.