There is no better sound byte to kick off the road to Wrestlemania than the ticking of a Royal Rumble clock.
The 1988 vision of Hall of Famer Pat Patterson was to rebrand a battle royal, a match where wrestlers all started in the ring with the goal of throwing other competitors over the top rope. Vince McMahon had no idea the wild success of the match, earning a yearly spot in the pay-per-view rotation.
Soon enough, Ric Flair won the championship from the match in 1992, prefacing a rule change that the winner gets a main event spot at Wrestlemania. The immortals of sports entertainment round out the list of winners from John Cena, to Hulk Hogan, Roman Reigns and The Rock.
If you are new to the Royal Rumble, the rules are simple. Every two minutes, a superstar enters the ring. While most are keeping a healthy running pace down the aisle, there is no lack of fireworks. The return of Cody Rhodes and Edge in recent years were heartwarming moments, while an Elias taunting of Brock Lesnar displays WWE hilarity at its best.
Once a competitor enters the ring, elimination occurs when thrown over the top rope with both feet hitting the floor. Those details have been the emphasis of many rumbles, from the Bret Hart and Lex Luger tie, Shawn Michaels placing one foot to the circus acts of Kofi Kingston.
The Royal Rumble will take place in San Antonio for a fourth time, with previous winners including Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Undertaker and Randy Orton. WWE is undergoing considerable transition from the return of Vince McMahon, the retirement of Stephanie McMahon and the impending sale of the company.
No matter the variables in and outside the right, the Royal Rumble will end just as its previous versions, with a winner pointing at the Wrestlemania sign. Let's break down both the women's and men's events and see where we can find betting value.
Odds as of January 26th and via European sportsbook Betfair. For complete odds on both matches, click here.
Women’s Royal Rumble Odds, Picks
The toughest argument on the Royal Rumble card may be picking a women’s winner other than Rhea Ripley. Neither Raw Champion Bianca Belair or Smackdown Champion Charlotte Flair is expected to compete in this year's edition, leaving the field with less star appeal.
In the latest Monday Night Raw, Belair continued to let it be known that her dream matchup is against her fellow champion. If WWE is to pit the two champions against each other, what direction does the Royal Rumble go with a winner that might be have a script built from scratch leading up to Wrestlemania.
Ripley is the obvious choice, leading the Judgement Day faction by participating more in men’s matches. Her primary role over the last several months has been a mothering mentor to Dominik Mysterio, not competing in the women’s division.
There have been five women’s Royal Rumble events with five different winners, Ripley is still chasing that first victory and subsequent point to the Wrestlemania sign.
Last year’s winner, Ronda Rousey, has been missing in action since dropping the Smackdown Title just before the new year. There is no word on her return while word on the street is that there are no plans for a showdown with Becky Lynch at Wrestlemania. The reasons for her absence remain unknown, but plenty of botched in-ring word and rumored locker room disputes continued to cast a shadow over her second stint with the company.
Nothing against Shotzi, she is very very talented.
But man, Ronda Rousey is so hard to watch. Look at this shit. 😂 #SurvivorSeriespic.twitter.com/QFNhLBrK37
— Conner Alexander🇨🇦 (@_ConnerPW) November 27, 2022
The rest of the women’s division is going through transition. Asuka is having an identity issue, long gone is the empress who led a five-star match with Charlotte years ago. Alexa Bliss is having an actual identity crisis flipping back to firefly mode while also being booked in a title match with Belair.
Raquel Rodriguez, Mia Yim and the current tag team champions of Io Sky and Dakota Kai would draw plenty of yawns from the live San Antonio crowd.
Speaking of transition, somehow a heel to face turn for Becky Lynch alongside the drop off of Rousey has left “The Man” without direction. There is no doubt Lynch is one of the most popular wresters on the entire payroll, but without Rousey there is a loss of direction for the former champion.
A victory in the Rumble would guarantee a title shot and keep “Big Time Becks” at the forefront of the women’s division. Lynch and Charlotte are a perfect headline for Wrestlemania, while Ripley and Bianca also provide enough star power.
It would be surprising to see any other name than the previous four mentioned in the mix for each title come April 1st.
Picks: Rhea Ripley -200; Becky Lynch +500 (Half Unit)
Men’s Royal Rumble Odds, Picks
A storyline two years in the making may finally get the direction the WWE universe has desired. Multiple reports have stated Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson will be making his return at Wrestlemania, coming just blocks away from Hollywood in SoFi Stadium on April 1st and 2nd.
Current WWE Universal Heavyweight Champion Roman Reigns has not had a clean defeat since December of 2019. The numbers are historic, making Reigns the longest running champion in over three decades.
The creation of “The Bloodline” has been the hottest story in WWE, a collection of samoan family members Jimmy Uso, Jey Uso, Solo Sikoa and Reigns himself. There is no denying the faction has caught the attention of Reign's cousin, The Rock.
The past nine months have seen the introduction of Sami Zayn as an honorary member of the group. While not every member of the faction is happy with the current dynamics, the latest “Tribal Court” session on Monday Night Raw proved one big item to the members of WWE creative: Zayn is the hottest commodity to every single consumer of the product. Chants of “Sami Uso” are bound to shake the roof of the Alamodome on Saturday Night.
There are only three possible winners of the Royal Rumble: Cody Rhodes, The Rock and Sami Zayn. Seth Rollins continues to float where needed, just as Drew McIntyre is no where near main event status with recent interest in tag team action.
A look down the odds list makes easy cross offs, as Bray Wyatt is currently starring in weekly horror picture with Uncle Howdy. Brock Lesnar and Bobby Lashley both reside at the top of the board, but this is the beginning of their new program that should continue through Wrestlemania.
THE BEAST IS BACK!@BrockLesnar just crashed #RAWXXX with a message for @fightbobby! pic.twitter.com/vBe3Tda4ni
— WWE (@WWE) January 24, 2023
There are plenty of reasons Rhodes is a heavy favorite to win. The legacy story is fantastic. The son of Dusty Rhodes is on a quest to win a championship his father never could. There is no doubt the “American Nightmare” will win a world title in WWE someday, but the early announcement of his return to the rumble is questionable.
The Royal Rumble is known for keeping the return of big name stars under wraps. John Cena, Triple H and Edge have all had triumphant returns that shocked crowds. The choice to put Rhodes' return out for the universe to absorb is indication that he will certainly be in the final four, but possibly only as a piece to be last eliminated.
In the case of The Rock, the ultimate goal is a match with Reigns at Wrestlemania. The goal is not to win a title, nor is it to win a Royal Rumble. Wrestlemania Hollywood is a worldwide event with The Rock’s name alongside Reigns fighting for rights to be the head of the table.
Now that Wrestlemania is a two-night event, it makes sense to get the titles off of Reigns and spread out the full card. That does not mean The Rock will not be in the Royal Rumble, as heavy rumors persist alongside an appearance with Stone Cold Steve Austin.
We said what we said.#RoyalRumblepic.twitter.com/nv7OYTv4sA
— WWE on BT Sport (@btsportwwe) January 25, 2023
Zayn gives the WWE complete flexibility in booking while riding a Daniel Bryan-like fan appeal. A Wrestlemania storyline as the Royal Rumble winner fits against Roman Reigns or best friend Kevin Owens.
WWE is determined to get The Rock or Austin in a main event with Reigns, but it would be foolish to deny Zayn from the thunderous reception received in every city on the road to SoFi Stadium.
Pick: Sami Zayn +200
