Editors' Choice: Who will win the Royal Rumble Match?

Editors' Choice: Who will win the Royal Rumble Match?

It might be “One Versus All” in this year’s historic Royal Rumble Match for Roman Reigns’ WWE World Heavyweight Championship, but that doesn’t change the fact that any one of 30 Superstars can leave the annual donnybrook as WWE’s ace.

Watch Royal Rumble on the award-winning WWE Network 

With so many contenders abound, the big question remains: Who is best positioned to win? WWE.com editors offer their picks for this year’s over-the-top-rope ruckus, including a few dark-horse prospects. Add yours to the mix by writing your Royal Rumble Match prediction in the comments section below.

Brock Lesnar

Editors' Choice: Who will win the Royal Rumble Match?

It baffles the mind that anyone would presume to pick a winner other than The Beast Incarnate, The Conqueror, The One in What Is Now 22-1. Paul Heyman’s pet monster is a near-lock for any contest he enters, and Brock Lesnar won’t have to do something as nuanced as beat people up to win this one; just toss them over the ropes. Hell, he has done it once before. Add to the fact that Lesnar was screwed out of the title (twice) in the first place, and that’s all you need to know. — ANTHONY BENIGNO

Chris Jericho

Editors' Choice: Who will win the Royal Rumble Match?

Chris Jericho enters the Royal Rumble Match with experience that few of his 29 competitors equal. He’s been in eight Rumble Matches and finished in the final 10 on six occasions. He has had no problem lasting deep into the match; he just hasn’t been able to finish.

Jericho's "Highlight Reel" gets out of control!

Yet, after coming up short so many times, Jericho has learned the secrets to the match. Y2J will do whatever he needs to do to succeed. If that means forming a quick alliance, then tossing that Superstar over, he’ll do it with a smile over his face. With Jericho, you can never be sure what he has up his light-up sleeves. — JEFF LABOON

Roman Reigns

Editors' Choice: Who will win the Royal Rumble Match?

WWE World Heavyweight Champion Roman Reigns will have his hands full in the Royal Rumble Match, since he’s not only the No.1 entrant, but also the man to beat.

Video: Reigns ready to lead The Road to WrestleMania

However, if there is anyone qualified to get the job done, that man is The Big Dog. In his previous two appearances in the over-the-top-tope extravaganza, Reigns broke the record for most eliminations in a single match with a staggering 12 Superstars tossed, then won the whole thing the following year. In the 12 months since that victory, he has only gotten better, overcoming every obstacle The Authority has put in his way. I believe that, when all is said and done, Reigns will remain WWE World Heavyweight Champion. — ARTURO DE LA PENA

Kevin Owens

Editors' Choice: Who will win the Royal Rumble Match?

Are you and your buddies placing odds on who you think is going to win the most prestigious Royal Rumble Match in history? Are you counting Kevin Owens out off-rip because he has a Last Man Standing Match for the Intercontinental Championship against Dean Ambrose earlier that night? Are you assuming his body will go through so much torment against The Lunatic Fringe that he may not even be able to compete in the Royal Rumble Match itself?

You shouldn’t be. The Prizefighter will indeed be the last man standing on Sunday — twice — becoming the first Superstar in more than 25 years to hold the WWE World Heavyweight and Intercontinental Championships simultaneously. — RYAN PAPPOLLA

Braun Strowman

Editors' Choice: Who will win the Royal Rumble Match?

Let’s face it: Small Superstars just don’t win the Royal Rumble Match. Can you think of any sub-200-pound Superstars who won other than Rey Mysterio back in 2006? Standing 6-foot-6 and weighing a hulking 385 pounds, Braun Strowman has just what it takes to survive the onslaught of 29 other Superstars. Since his debut last summer, the “Black Sheep” of The Wyatt Family has proven to be a formidable force in WWE. The timing is perfect for this imposing Superstar to make an even bigger name for himself, and what better stage to do it than the first major event of 2016? — MITCH PASSERO

Sheamus

Editors' Choice: Who will win the Royal Rumble Match?

Even if you disregard the fact that The Celtic Warrior already has a Royal Rumble Match victory under his belt, Sheamus’ impressive track record over the past few months makes the brawler an odds-on favorite to win Sunday’s historic over-the-top-rope battle. After overcoming seven elite Superstars in last year’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match, the mohawked mauler captured Roman Reigns’ WWE World Heavyweight Championship at Survivor Series — reducing The Big Dog’s first reign to mere minutes — and then assembled the cruel coalition known as The League of Nations.

With a small army at his disposal and a ruthless desire to dethrone Reigns, the luck of the Irish is with The Celtic Warrior. — JAMES WORTMAN

WWE Network: Relive Sheamus' Royal Rumble Match win in 2012

Big Show

Editors' Choice: Who will win the Royal Rumble Match?

It’s pretty simple, really: Big Show is a giant. And based on the rules of the Royal Rumble Match — which say a competitor has to be thrown over the top rope to be eliminated — the contest’s largest entrant has a clear advantage. 

Big Show's most dangerous KO Punches

Now before you point out the fact that The World’s Largest Athlete has never actually won the annual over-the-top-rope affair, let me say that this may also be the argument for why he will win. When Big Show is motivated, he is the most unstoppable Superstar there is. And when you look at the giant’s resume, there is very little left to accomplish outside of winning the Royal Rumble Match. — SCOTT TAYLOR

Kalisto

Editors' Choice: Who will win the Royal Rumble Match?

Kalisto will walk out of the Royal Rumble Match as the new WWE World Heavyweight Champion. Not only is he an amazing, gravity-defying talent, but he is also on a roll. In the past month alone, The Lucha Dragon won a 2015 Slammy Award and captured the United States Championship. Moreover, because of his size and the fact that he is still perceived as an up-and-comer, he is the exactly the type of competitor that others in the Rumble will underestimate — much like what happened to Rey Mysterio when he won the Royal Rumble Match in 2006. — MICHAEL BURDICK

Rusev

Editors' Choice: Who will win the Royal Rumble Match?

The Bulgarian Brute had a busy 2015. There was a messy breakup, an engagement, the loss of a U.S. Title and the formation of a League of Nations. It’s easy to forget that Rusev started 2015 with an impressive performance in the Royal Rumble Match, entering the fray at No. 15 and picking up six eliminations before being the final Superstar eliminated by the victor, Roman Reigns.

WWE Network: Rusev's Royal Rumble Match debut

Rusev also made his main roster debut in the 2014 edition of the over-the-top-rope melee, where it took four men to toss him out of the ring. It often takes the combined strength of multiple Superstars to outmuscle The Bulgarian Brute under normal circumstances. With the WWE World Heavyweight Championship on the line at the Royal Rumble, it may take 29 men at once to stop Rusev from achieving glory. — BOBBY MELOK 

Bray Wyatt

Editors' Choice: Who will win the Royal Rumble Match?

In case anyone had forgotten, Raw and SmackDown were fitting reminders that The Wyatt Family is as dangerous as ever, and that spells good news for the clan’s leader. More than any other faction going, The Wyatt Family is unified in support of one individual. The Eater of Worlds may not get the job done by himself, but that doesn’t mean the job won’t get done. Expect the cryptic merchant of misery to cast his shadow over the WWE World Heavyweight Title and all of WWE. — JOHN CLAPP

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