While Wrestlemania is The Showcase of the Immortals, there has always been a soft spot for the Royal Rumble for most fans of sports entertainment. Most of us have a Royal Rumble match when we were much younger that we remember fondly, a special night where the over-the-top rope, battle royal just meant so much to us.
One of the more interesting things about the big pay-per-views these days is that the betting sites are offering markets on the matches. We all know that they are pre-determined results so they are more for fun stakes only but with the 2024 Royal Rumble just around the corner, we take a look at some of the potential 30-man field, including the bookmaker’s favourite, CM Punk.
The story with Punk goes back a long way. He picked up his first World Champion run in 2008, and he was one of the most popular performers, no matter whether he was a face, heel or a tweener character until he left the WWE in 2014.
The pipe bomb promo of 2011 is one of the most famous moments in WWE history but he was still with the company for another few years before he and the WWE would part ways in a split that few thought would ever be mended.
Having walked out on the company in January of 2014 and being sacked in the June of that same year, on his wedding day no less, there seemed to be no hope that anything could possibly be reconciled from that position.
Time is a great healer though and wrestling is one of those businesses where you never say never. Even the deepest rifts can be filled in and it was on November 23 2023 that he was back on WWE TV again to a huge pop in his hometown of Chicago.
It was no surprise then that he was put straight into the 2024 Royal Rumble match and has been the favourite to win the match ever since. Will the obvious happen or will the WWE start a new feud with a swerve and a screwing over to give us a more left-field winner?
Away from CM Punk, there is one wrestler who looks to have a strong chance of being crowned the winner of the 2024 Royal Rumble.
The first man to be named as a participant way back in November, the 2023 Royal Rumble winner is bidding to become the 4th man to go back-to-back in the match. The other three are Hulk Hogan, Shawn Michaels and Stone Cold Steve Austin.
Rhodes has had a great run since returning to the WWE from AEW and a second win in the Royal Rumble would cement his position as one of the top stars in the business today. He is second in the betting to win the 2024 Royal Rumble so the bookmakers are taking no chances.
One of the great parts of the Royal Rumble through the years has been waiting to see what wrestlers were returning. This has perhaps lost a little of its lustre these days with the internet and dirt sheets making genuine surprises rare. Despite that, there are always some returns from injury that are held back for this event and sometimes a new arrival in the WWE to inject some life.
The last time that the Celtic Warrior was seen in a WWE ring was August last year, losing to Edge in the Canadian’s final match in WWE. His contract is due to expire in 2024 but it would be a bit of a surprise if an agreement can’t be made given that his in-ring work in 2023 was as good as any in his career. Sheamus has a win in this match to his credit, the 2012 Royal Rumble and he will hopefully make his return to action in the 2024 Royal Rumble.
Summerslam was the last time that Brock Lesnar was seen in a WWE ring. Fans are well used to gaps between appearances from Lesnar so that will have not been a shock to anyone. There are potential plans for a clash with Gunther at Wrestlemania 40 and the belief is that it will start with one of them eliminating the other at the 2024 Royal Rumble. We’ll have to wait and see but The Beast Incarnate is anticipated to make his return in Tampa.
The end of 2023 saw his AEW contract expire and the expectation is that the former NXT and United States champion is on his way back to the WWE. It would see him back working with his wife Charlotte Flair at the company, although she is missing for a few more months after an injury suffered in November.
Missing since an injury at Crown Jewel in November, Mysterio has gone on record as saying that he is working as hard as he can to get back for the 2024 Royal Rumble. It is a fight against time for the 49-year-old but he is expected to be at the event whether taking part in the match or not.
There are always some surprise entries in the Royal Rumble. Some are nostalgic, some are comic relief but they are all there to serve a purpose as part of the fabric that makes this match what it is.
Ok, while it is never a surprise per se when The Rock turns up for another run, would a Royal Rumble spot be one? There are rumours of a program coming up with Roman Reigns which is not going to be for everyone but can The Great One kick off the road to Wrestlemania 40 with an entry here?
The bookmakers seem to be thinking that it is entirely possible as there are only a couple of men who are shorter prices than The Rock for winning the entire thing. There were rumours of The Rock at the 2023 Royal Rumble so whether the 2024 edition can be slotted into his busy schedule remains to be seen.
One of the main rumours around the 2024 Royal Rumble is the possible participation of Sean Waltman. One of the key parts of the Attitude Era and DX, Waltman was seen at the WWE Performance Center and the rumours have taken over from there. Waltman has been quick to say that there is no chance that he will be in the match but that’s exactly what he would say!
It is well known that MJF’s contract with AEW expired at the end of 2023. After dropping the title at the end of December, it was reported that he was suffering from a string of injuries and would need some time off to recover.
Was that just a cover for his departure from the company or will he genuinely be taking a few months off to heal his body and then return to AEW to continue the feud with Adam Cole and his devil persona? The bookmakers are taking no chances with MJF’s price for the 2024 Royal Rumble, they believe that he is WWE-bound but we have our doubts.
It has been almost a year since Uncle Howdy or Bo Dallas as most fans will know him better has been seen on WWE TV. The younger brother of Bray Wyatt was born in the Tampa area, about 50 miles up the road in Brooksville.
Following the passing of his brother last year, is there a way that the WWE would like to pay a small tribute to the work that Wyatt did for the business as a whole by bringing back Uncle Howdy or Bo Dallas back into the fold, even if it is only for a spot in the Royal Rumble match?
There was recent news that Shamrock recently signed a Legends contract with the WWE. 1999 is the last time that he was under contract here so it will be interesting to see if the most dangerous man in the world is an entrant in the 2024 Royal Rumble in Tampa.
There are a few other wrestlers who are short in the betting that look unlikely winners of the 2024 Royal Rumble but they will play a significant role in the story.
The 2018 Royal Rumble winner has been coming up short in feuds of late which is what makes him a very unlikely winner of the match. It would be strange booking to suddenly see him take a leap forward again but his talent should provide some bright spots.
Another former winner of the match, he has been producing some great matches in recent months. That could be something that could give him another push here but there are other stories like the return of CM Punk that make us think that others are more likely winners.
The longest-reigning Intercontinental Champion is a relatively short price with the bookmakers. Despite that, he is one who has other potential storylines coming up, possibly with Brock Lesnar, so it would make others more viable winning options for all his excellent work in recent years.
There are always rumours doing the rounds ahead of the Royal Rumble but some of those names are just rumours and unfortunately, there is very little chance that they are going to be making an appearance between the ropes at the 2024 Royal Rumble
Hollywood has been good to Cena but he continues to make appearances once in a while on WWE TV, including in the second half of 2023. Having undergone surgery on both arms in November, it seems very unlikely that he would be cleared to wrestle again that quickly.
He appeared on WWE TV just after Christmas to put fans’ minds at rest that he is not retired but there have been teasers on his social media that suggest that the time is just around the corner. There might be one more run in the ring left for him but it seems highly unlikely that it is going to include the 2024 Royal Rumble.
We would all love to see Big E back in action again. A crowd favourite, the former WWE Champion has missed almost two years after a broken neck in February 2022. As far as anyone knows, he is yet to be cleared to return to wrestling action.
This would be the perfect place for E to return as the hometown hero. Born in Tampa, the roof would blow off the Trop if his music hit during the Royal Rumble but unless the WWE are suddenly much better at keeping secrets than they normally are, we will not see him during the match, not in the ring and taking a bump at least!
There have been a lot of rumours flying around about the Japanese star joining the WWE. While this could be true, he is still under contract by New Japan Pro Wrestling until the end of the month. The likelihood of him being released early so that he can make his WWE debut at the 2024 Royal Rumble has to be slim to none.
According to the bookmakers, it is the most anticipated result with Punk trading at short prices in the betting. The anticipation is that yes CM Punk will win the 2024 Royal Rumble. It would fall under the category of the obvious and that is not always the way that fans will want things to be but in Punk’s case, they are likely to make an exception.
The storylines within WWE at the moment would make Cody Rhodes the most likely second favourite for the title with The Rock another possibility given the rumours of an upcoming feud with Roman Reigns.
Our money would be on Punk, though. From the return in his hometown of Chicago in November at Survivor Series: WarGames, it feels like this has been the plan for his ascent back to the top echelons of the company.
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