WWE’s Royal Rumble 2023 goes down on Saturday night and it is set to be one of the most exciting editions of the annual January extravaganza the company has seen in years.
While many diehard World Wrestling Entertainment fans are worried about the company’s future now that founder Vince McMahon is back as chairman of the board of directors, he has not taken control of the creative side of things just yet. And that is a reason to be very excited about the event on Jan. 28.
With WWE legend Paul “Triple H” Levesque in charge of the organization’s on-air content, the product has seen a major improvement. With storylines being in-depth, long-term, and interesting beyond just what the top stars are doing. It also means he will make the most of his first opportunity to decide the results of the event, and a return to what made it one of the most highly-anticipated cards on WWE’s schedule for years is likely.
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With that in mind, and various rumors circulating heading into the event, let’s make some bold predictions for what will happen at the Royal Rumble 2023.
Cody Rhodes will not win the 2023 Royal Rumble
All signs seem to point to Cody Rhodes being the man who brings the Royal Rumble 2023 victory home and set up a WWE Universal Title match in the main event of Wrestlemania 39. Especially now with reports that Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is unlikely to be in attendance to chart a course toward a rumored battle with cousin Roman Reigns at the April event.
Royal Rumble winner odds (Men’s):
- Cody Rhodes: -160
- Sami Zayn: +200
- The Rock: +350
- Seth “Freakin'” Rollins: +850
- Drew McIntyre +2000
However, with Triple H running the show and looking to make a statement that he deserves to keep his spot leading creative, a Rhodes win seems too predictable. The booking staff could still find a way for Rhodes to fight for a world title at Wrestlemania without winning the Rumble, and how interesting would that story be of him clawing his way to destiny in the lead up to the event.
Who will win Royal Rumble this year then?
With so many top stars having already fallen to Reigns during his historic title reign, outside of Rhodes, there are few fresh options. Bray Wyatt certainly would seem like a potential choice but he and the company may want to keep his character away from the obligations of titles for the time being. That is why Seth Rollins is the likely option.
Rollins is the top babyface on the Raw brand and has long been deserving of a world title run. Plus, he hasn’t been more popular than he is right now. After losing clean to Rhodes three times in 2022, the timing may be perfect for revenge as he is the man that eliminates his rival in the Royal Rumble and punches a ticket to headline one of the two nights at Wrestlemania.
Alexa Bliss scores upset win over Bianca Belair
It is very much time for Raw Women’s Champion Bianca Belair to lose her title. This isn’t to say she has been a poor champion or isn’t popular. not at all, however, it is time for a fresh face at the top of the women’s division on Raw and Alex Bliss — like Rollins — has been deserving of a championship run for quite a while. Plus, with her character a bit more defined and heading back to the darkness, it seems like the right time to let a heel Ms. Bliss regain gold.
The former champion is a solid betting underdog heading into the match and shocking fans with an overdue loss for Beliar is not just a Royal Rumble prediction, it is a bit of a spoiler.
Sami Zayn makes it to final four of WWE Royal Rumble match
No character has been more over on WWE television in the last six month than Sami Zayn. His ongoing storyline with the Bloodline has been one of the best faction related tales the industry has had since, arguably, the NWO. It has been both entertaining and emotional, and WWE audiences have showered him with praise for his performances over the last few months.
The expectation is that he will eventually have a fallout with his Bloodlines brothers, nearly winning the Royal Rumble match by making it to the final four, and almost landing a shot against Reigns for his title would further that story leading up to Wrestlemania.
The Fiend makes an appearance in Pitch Black match
In the lead-up to the Pitch Black match between Bray Wyatt and LA Knight at the Royal Rumble, Wyatt’s previous personalities have been touched on. Two weeks ago the “Firefly Funhouse” returned and Knight mocked the “Cape Fear” inspired version of his opponent on Smackdown this week. Yet The Fiend has not shown up in the storyline build.
There is no doubt that the character is arguably Wyatt’s best and most popular version. Considering the stage and the bout being a first in WWE, it would make a lot of sense for that otherworldy and dark persona to appear in a match that could supposedly be contested in a pitch-black setting.
Becky Lynch wins women’s Royal Rumble 2023 match
With Triple H guiding creative, Becky Lynch has been back to her classic “The Man” form since returning from injury. There is no way the company would make a shift to the popular character without major goals for Wrestlemania.
Royal Rumble winner odds (Women’s):
- Rhea Ripley: -140
- Becky Lynch: +300
- Raquel Rodriguez: +500
- Bayley: +600
- Alexa Bliss: +750
With Belair and Bliss’ feud for the Raw Women’s Title unlikely to end on Saturday, expect the build to Lynch’s key role at the annual spectacle to be set up when she wins the women’s Royal Rumble 2023.