The road to WrestleMania 40 begins this weekend at the 37th annual Royal Rumble from Tropicana Field in St Petersburg, Florida.
You can watch the 2024 WWE Royal Rumble live this Saturday, January 27 starting at 8 ET/5 PT on Peacock in the United States on the WWE Network internationally.
Here’s the card for WWE’s first premium live event of the year:
- 30-Man Royal Rumble Match
- 30-Woman Royal Rumble Match
- Kevin Owens vs. United States Champion Logan Paul
- Randy Orton, LA Knight and AJ Styles vs. Roman Reigns for the Undisputed Universal Championship
The Royal Rumble is one of WWE’s most anticipated events of the year. The Rumble match itself is a spectacle like none other, but it also marks the beginning of the Road to WrestleMania. The winner of the Royal Rumble match earns a ‘championship opportunity’ at the ‘Grandest Stage of them All.’
This year’s Rumble matches are unique in that WWE has not announced many of the participants in advance. There’s a lot of uncertainty heading into the show, but that’s part of what makes this show in particular so exciting.
SEScoops correspondents Thomas Lowson, Mike Chin, Tyriece Simon, Bishal Roy, and Aaron Varble got together this week to run down the card and share their predictions for each match.
Kevin Owens challenges Logan Paul for the United States Championship
Thomas: I see this as an easy one. Paul isn’t dropping the title just yet, WWE want to keep him around for WrestleMania. Owens will give him a fight, but he’s not the guy right now (Prediction: Logan Paul)
Mike: Kevin Owens finds himself in the familiar role of challenging for a title at the Royal Rumble, but rather than chasing Roman Reigns like he did two out of the last three years, he’s pursuing the United States Champion Logan Paul. Paul is well-positioned to make the United States Championship matter at WrestleMania 40, and this match seems like it’s mostly there to add credibility to his reign, with an opponent who all but guarantees a good bout and who has the credibility to further Paul’s standing as a champion fans should take seriously. (Prediction: Logan Paul)
Bishal: Amid their intensifying rivalry, Logan Paul’s title run might face a formidable challenge at the hands of Kevin Owens. However, Paul’s surprising resilience and momentum could tilt the scales in his favor, potentially outmatching Owens’ experience and securing a narrow, yet memorable victory in this high-stakes battle. (Prediction: Logan Paul)
Tyrese: I think Logan Paul will retain the title in a great back-and-forth match. I don’t believe Paul will lose the WWE United States Championship at WWE WrestleMania 40 in April. My prediction for the finish is Owens getting close to winning, and Paul lands the right-hand punch for the win. (Prediction: Logan Paul)
Aaron: Logan Paul is a fine US Champion, and he got his title reign in with WWE. I actually asked about any serous issues with having a part-time United States Champion when LP won the US Title. I was told in November last year that “the internal feeling about Logan Paul is that he’s already generated great publicity for the US Title.” Although it would be fun to see Kevin Owens win the match, KO doesn’t need the title, and he can make The Maverick look great in the process. The bottom line is that WWE will get a lot more attention with Logan Paul as US Champion as they head into WrestleMania 40. (Prediction: Logan Paul)
- Prediction: Logan Paul retains
Roman Reigns defends the WWE Undisputed Universal Championship in a Fatal 4-way match against Randy Orton, AJ Styles, and LA Knight
Aaron: Roman Reigns is winning this match. Do I need to explain why? As Paul Heyman puts it, this is not a prediction, it is a spoiler. The Royal Rumble starts the road to WrestleMania, and since Roman Reigns vs The Rock is once again a very real possibility, it stands to reason that the Bloodline will help the Tribal Chief pull off another win. The bigger question is whether this match will close the show, and if The Rock is poised to break the internet at Tropicana Field, if he doesn’t really shock us by winning the Royal Rumble match. (Spoiler: Roman Reigns)
Mike: While hardly anyone thinks Roman Reigns is losing his title before WrestleMania, if anyone were to unseat him, it’s conceivable it could be one of his three challengers—not to mention that the Fatal 4-way structure offers an out in which Reigns can drop the title without eating a pin or tapping. More realistically, though, fans get a fun, fresh mix of talents here that all but guarantees a solid match. That’s as much as we can ask for while WWE bides its time on the Road to WrestleMania (Prediction: Roman Reigns)
Bishal: I believe Roman Reigns is poised to prevail of in this bout, of course with the help of Solo Sikoa and Jimmy Uso. Randy Orton, AJ Styles, and LA Knight will pose a massive challenge for ‘The Tribal Chief.’ However, we know that Reigns has a tactical edge over them. Though he has odds stacked against him, he will find a way to hold onto the title. (Prediction: Roman Reigns)
Thomas: Despite the numbers, I can’t see WWE taking the title off Reigns this close to WrestleMania 40. I’m interested to see how the match goes but I don’t think the winner is in any doubt. (Prediction: Roman Reigns)
Tyrese: It’s not time for Roman Reigns to lose heading into WWE WrestleMania 40. I can see a scenario where Randy Orton, RKO’s AJ Styles, and LA Knight lead to Reigns stealing the win. (Prediction: Roman Reigns)
Prediction: Roman Reigns retains
30-Woman Royal Rumble Match
Confirmed entrants include Becky Lynch, Nia Jax, Bayley and Bianca Belair.
Thomas: This really could go a lot of ways, and I wouldn’t be surprised if it goes to Becky Lynch. That being said, I think WWE will surprise fans by having Bayley win, and despite her recent claim about challenging Rhea Ripley, will stand against IYO SKY at WrestleMania (Prediction: Bayley)
Mike: While surprises are always possible, there are two key candidates WWE has set up as logical choices to win this match. On one hand, Bayley’s Damage CTRL has unexpectedly reached a new peak since the addition of Kairi Sane to their ranks and fans are just waiting for the group to turn on Bayley. Bayley winning the Royal Rumble offers a natural road to get to her babyface turn and challenging Iyo Sky at WrestleMania. On the other hand, WWE has Becky Lynch teased Becky Lynch challenging Rhea Ripley at WrestleMania. I could see this Rumble going either way, but a Rumble win feels like a nice reward for how hard Bayley has worked and her key role in getting her Damage CTRL counterparts over at such a high level, not to mention that her winning continues to “spread the wealth,” with no two-time women’s Rumble winner to date. (Prediction: Bayley)
Aaron: WWE has been teasing the Damage CTRL implosion for a while, so Bayley vs IYO Sky could be plausible, but another women’s match is also ready for the show of shows. Becky Lynch has stood up to Rhea Ripley as well, so fans may see The Man win in Tropicana Field. This Royal Rumble match is very unpredictable, because there are many options, including the idea that they may strap a rocket to Jade Cargill by letting her debut and win the Royal Rumble match. Since this one is a toss-up and the betting odds are also all over the place, I rolled a six-sided die for my prediction. (Prediction: Becky Lynch)
Bishal: Fans ar
e buzzing with the possibility of Mercedes Mone and Naomi returning to WWE, adding an exciting twist to the match. Additionally, Jade Cargill is poised to make her much-anticipated WWE in-ring debut. I think Bayley, a frontrunner, is likely to emerge victorious, amplifying her storyline with Damage CTRL. This triumph could set the stage for a compelling WrestleMania 40 showdown with IYO SKY for the Women’s Championship, adding depth to an already intriguing storyline. (Prediction: Bayley)
Tyrese: I think Bayley will get her moment. She had a great 2023 as both a performer and a manager for Damage CTRL. I believe she will win the Women’s Royal Rumble Match and challenge Iyo Sky for the WWE Women’s Championship (Prediction: Bayley)
- Prediction: Bayley
30-Man Royal Rumble Match
Confirmed entrants include: Cody Rhodes, CM Punk, Shinsuke Nakamura, Bobby Lashley, Drew McIntyre, Gunther, Damian Priest and Kofi Kingston.
Mike: It’s a very interesting year for the men’s Royal Rumble. The Rock hangs over the match as a specter, unannounced but teased. If the rumored match between him and Roman Reigns is going to happen at WrestleMania, a Rumble win is the most straightforward way to get there. However, I’m of the school of thought Rock simply doesn’t need the Rumble win to be credibly inserted in the main event picture. CM Punk is one of the more favored candidates, and another talent who seems to destined for a world title picture at WrestleMania. In the end, though, I’m going with Cody Rhodes. If WWE does intend to “finish the story” one way or another—be it in a Triple Threat or challenging Roman Reigns one-on-one on either night of WrestleMania this year, he’s the both the talent who most needs this win for storytelling purposes and the one who best fits the ethos of this journey—fighting his way against the odds to become the first man to win back-to-back Royal Rumbles in over twenty-five years and staking his claim to challenge The Head of the Table one more time. (Prediction: Cody Rhodes)
Bishal: The Men’s Royal Rumble 2024 promises a spectacular affair with an array of wrestlers, blending current stars and potential surprise entrants, including wrestling legends. This year’s match is anticipated to be a thrilling showcase of superstars. I pick CM Punk as the winner. He is widely tipped as the likely winner, given his growing momentum, potentially scripting a remarkable comeback story in this spectacle similar to what Cody Rhodes attained last year. (Prediction: CM Punk)
Thomas: Okay, so this really could go a lot of ways. Up until recently, I would have said Cody. But with all that’s been said, I’m not so sure. With it being his first TV match in a decade, I’m predicting a Best in the World victory (Prediction: CM Punk)
Tyriece: There are several superstars that can win this match, but I think CM Punk will walk away victorious. I can see him entering at number 30 and winning his first Men’s Royal Rumble Match. For fans worried about Cody Rhodes finishing his “Story,” I can see him competing in an elimination chamber match to earn his shot at Roman Reigns for the WWE Championship at WWE WrestleMania 40. For Punk, I’m confident he faces Seth Rollins at the “Grandest Stage Of Them All.” (Prediction: CM Punk)
Aaron: Currently, GUNTHER and CM Punk are tied for most likely in the betting odds, with +150 each, Cody Rhodes has +225, and The Rock is in the 4th spot with +900. If you asked me in September who would win the 2024 Royal Rumble match, my answer would have been 100% Cody Rhodes. A lot of things have changed since then. I’ve exclusively reported this, and I welcome you to read up on how the winner of this match went from confirmed to questionable. Since Cody Rhodes is no longer set to finish his story at WrestleMania 40, as he is going to face CM Punk, then that makes things difficult to predict. I’m also holding out hope for GUNTHER vs Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 40, so let’s go with Black Adam on this one; just because it would guarantee front page headlines on every publication the next morning. (Prediction: The Rock)
- Prediction: CM Punk
[Conclusion]