2015 Royal Rumble Preview and Predictions

On January 25, 2015, the WWE brings one of its biggest shows of the year – Royal Rumble – to the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.

This year’s pay-per-view event, the twenty-eighth annual Royal Rumble, features Brock Lesnar and John Cena squaring off in the main event. The bout will be for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship, which Lesnar currently holds thanks to a dominant victory over Cena at SummerSlam.

Who is going to take home the belt come January?

Brock Lesnar vs. John Cena (WWE World Heavyweight Championship):

Both Lesnar and Cena are uber-popular fighters and are considered tremendous ambassadors for the WWE brand. The organization isn’t likely to lose any popularity with either as champ. But after Lesnar’s domination at SummerSlam, it feels like they’re setting up Cena – long the face of the organization – for a feel-good comeback story.

Also, Lesnar is likely to leave the WWE after WrestleMania 31, and there is speculation that this will be the match to send him on his way. With that in mind, we give the edge to Cena.

Royal Rumble:

Before the two mega-stars take the ring, fans will be entertained by the eponymous 30-man Royal Rumble match. The winner of the every-man-for-himself pandemonium will earn a shot at the Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 31 in late March. Who are the top contenders to square off with Lesnar or Cena come spring?

Roman Reigns is the favorite. Reigns had a record 12 eliminations at the 2014 Royal Rumble, and his fame and appeal are growing rapidly.  With Lesnar likely on his way, Reigns is the perfect fighter to step into his shoes and become Cena’s new nemesis.

Dean Ambrose is a gambler that loves to take chances, especially when he’s in the spotlight. With the house lights on bright at Royal Rumble, Ambrose would love to make the jump to WWE Superstar. The organization doesn’t seem to be set on him as a future champ, though. He fights in a lot of main events, but loses his fair share.

Daniel Bryan is a bit of a long shot as Royal Rumble will likely be his first match back from injury. Bryan, the ultimate good guy, was incredibly popular before his injury (and still is). But the WWE can get traction from a prolonged comeback story, so we don’t expect him to emerge victorious from the 30-man pile.

(Image credit: Alexander Vaughn [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], from Wikimedia Commons. Image has been cropped.)