Way-Too-Early Rankings For the Most Likely WWE Royal Rumble 2023 Winners

WWE Clash at the Castle is just a few days away, but fans should already be looking ahead and salivating even more for what's to come a few months down the line.

The next of the Big Four events is Survivor Series, but before we know it, WrestleMania season will start with one of the most exciting shows on the calendar: the 2023 Royal Rumble.

This will be the first year Vince McMahon doesn't choose the winners who will go on to fight for a championship shot on The Grandest Stage of Them All. It could be even more monumental than it normally is—which is saying a lot, considering it is arguably the second-most important night of the year.

Roman Reigns, Bianca Belair and Liv Morgan currently hold the titles. Will they still be champions? Who stands out as the most likely challengers for those belts come WrestleMania?

Let's jump four months into the future and try to predict who will win the Royal Rumble matches in 2023!

Women's Honorable Mentions

Credit: WWE

Without knowing who the Raw and SmackDown women's champions will be, it is hard to pinpoint a true definitive third-ranked option. However, the field can be narrowed down to a handful of names, regardless of their current status.

That is because even under Triple H's rule, there will still be an upper-echelon of main event talent and preferred Superstars at the top who are prioritized, while many others are extremely unlikely to be in this prominent a position.

Someone like Dana Brooke carrying the 24/7 Championship around just isn't on the same level as Bayley, who can slide into the title picture at any moment but will probably have another role at WrestleMania.

Liv Morgan hasn't been booked strong. She probably won't still be champion, but there's at least a chance she gears up for another comeback story.

The other honorable mentions are: Asuka, Iyo Sky, Rhea Ripley, Ronda Rousey and Sasha Banks.

Asuka was treated exceptionally well in NXT. Triple H could restore her back to her nigh-unbeatable status. However, there are bigger fish to fry, and she's already had her time in the sun.

Sky seems much more likely to be in the tag team title scene, but she could still make a run for the two main championships as a former NXT women's champion in her own right.

Ripley has a history of dominance and was already No. 1 contender before an injury sidelined her. It's a safer bet to assume she fights Bianca Belair before WrestleMania, though, rather than at that show by winning the Royal Rumble match.

Rousey won this match in the past and is one of the absolute top draws. She can't be counted out. However, it is more likely she beats Morgan to win back the SmackDown Women's Championship and isn't even in the Royal Rumble match to begin with.

Finally, The Boss could make her return and spin that into another world title challenge, but since she's yet to reappear in any official capacity, she's far from a guarantee.

Men's Honorable Mentions

Credit: WWE

Realistically, Roman Reigns is not dropping the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship until WrestleMania 39, if not after that.

There is a chance Triple H decides to book something wherein the two titles are separated, allowing Raw and SmackDown to have a world champion once again, since no single unified belt has been fashioned. Until that happens, though, it should be treated as just one champion to fight.

Technically, The Tribal Chief could also lose the title ahead of time to a challenger like Drew McIntyre or even a Money in the Bank cash-in from Theory, but these honorable mentions and others on this list will assume The Head of the Table is still in charge.

To be blunt, there are really only two serious picks for the men. Everyone else stands a snowball's chance in Hell.

But as far as honorable mentions go, if there were a series of injuries getting in the way like how WrestleMania 32 was booked, watch out for AJ Styles, Riddle (who should be busy with Randy Orton), Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn (who are better off fighting The Usos for the tag titles), Ciampa, Johnny Gargano and Karrion Kross as notable stars Triple H could feasibly want to run with as backup plans, for no reason other than their status as top guys who wouldn't have recently already fought for the championship.

Women's Bronze-Medal Pick: Raquel Rodriguez

Credit: WWE

This list is working under the assumption the Raw Women's Championship stays with Belair and the SmackDown Women's Championship is no longer around Morgan's waist come January. Whoever beats her for the belt is a major factor in possible Royal Rumble winners.

If you're looking for an outsider prediction, imagine a scenario in which Charlotte Flair returns, beats Morgan and puts over Raquel Rodriguez in one of the WrestleMania main events.

Rodriguez is one of the few women on the roster tall enough to just stand next to The Queen and look intimidating. She's a former NXT women's champion, which shows Triple H has faith in her as a prospect. That feud would be fresh, and it would spotlight making a new star rather than banking on previously established names.

Royal Rumble is often at its best when a babyface wins and goes on to beat a heel for their first title. Rodriguez is being slowly built up to the point where, come January, she might be ready to make that leap.

Men's Bronze-Medal Pick: Seth Rollins

Credit: WWE

Spoiler alert: Seth Rollins is on this list entirely as a backup for the silver-medal choice, Cody Rhodes, who isn't even close to as likely a candidate as the top prediction everyone can already guess.

Theoretically, though, let's say WWE goes for a swerve. Rollins wins the Royal Rumble and is ready to challenge Reigns, but Rhodes is able to return in time to finagle his way into also fighting for the title.

A Triple Threat at WrestleMania between Reigns, Rollins and Rhodes crams three marquee names in the mix, allows the Rollins and Rhodes feud to settle without just a regular match, puts Rhodes in the title picture and can even allow for Reigns to drop the title without being pinned.

It is far from the best avenue, and its chances of happening are slim, but stranger things have happened.

Women's Silver-Medal Pick: Charlotte Flair

Credit: WWE

The Rodriguez pick assumed Flair not only returns before January but also beats Morgan for the SmackDown Women's Championship. What if that doesn't happen and someone else is standing tall on Friday nights?

Suddenly, Flair becomes a high-ranking candidate to win the Royal Rumble, but not to challenge for the blue belt, funnily enough.

Instead, she skyrockets to being the top choice to challenge Belair for the Raw Women's Championship.

Belair vs. Flair has happened before, but not with The EST of WWE being at this level. After beating Banks, Bayley and Becky Lynch, Flair would be the last of The Four Horsewomen Belair would need to check off her list.

The Queen is always a threat to any champion and can win the title at a moment's notice. Giving her the Royal Rumble victory and leading toward a match against Belair would put the Raw Women's Championship in serious jeopardy.

Men's Silver-Medal Pick: Cody Rhodes

Credit: WWE

At this particular moment, no timetable has been announced for The American Nightmare's return to action.

Rhodes could be out well past WrestleMania, ruling him out of the running entirely. Or, hopefully, he can heal up in time to use the moment of his comeback and carry that into a Royal Rumble victory.

His entire goal for coming back to WWE is to win the world title. He is arguably the best person to be the next in line and dethrone Reigns, even if it doesn't happen at WrestleMania.

The best-case scenario is always the main event of the biggest show of the year, but Rhodes might have to settle for another night. However, if the top choice isn't available, but Rhodes is cleared to compete, he is the definitive only real option to fight for the top prize.

Women's Gold-Medal Pick: Becky Lynch

Credit: WWE

Ronda Rousey is still a lingering threat to Morgan's title reign. If the champion overcomes Shayna Baszler, The Rowdy One is eventually going to get another shot and likely dethrone the spirited underdog.

Fast forward to Survivor Series, where Rousey fights Belair. That checks that match off the list and continues to put Rousey in the default heel role, which she's been leaning toward as of late, anyway.

A month later, rolling into 2023, a heel Rousey's worst nightmare would be for Big Time Becks to win the Royal Rumble, as Lynch beat her in the main event of WrestleMania 35.

Yes, it is derivative to go back to the well, but this is a prediction of what WWE would do, rather than a fantasy booking personal choice. WWE already redid Rousey vs. Flair this year. It seemed clear Rousey vs. Lynch was the next match on the schedule.

Just because Triple H is in charge now doesn't necessarily mean that plan has been derailed. He could well be just as fond of that direction.

Babyface Lynch against heel Rousey for the SmackDown Women's Championship is as safe of a bet as one can get.

Men's Gold-Medal Pick: The Rock

Credit: WWE

Let's be honest. Before you clicked on this, you already knew The Rock would be the main choice to headline WrestleMania against Reigns.

It is a match that has been talked about for years and is obviously the plan WWE has in store. Anything less going down in Hollywood would be shocking.

Since Reigns holds both titles, this cannot be a scenario in which someone else wins the Royal Rumble, allowing The Rock to get his match through just a regular feud. Unless WWE wastes the Royal Rumble winner on a match in February or March, The Rock effectively must win the Royal Rumble in order to challenge Reigns.

That is the outcome the WWE Universe is expecting and looking forward to. It is the biggest match this company can put on during this era, and if it doesn't happen now, it never will.

The Rock can win the Royal Rumble from a relatively late number to minimize his in-ring time and play it safe, avoiding any potential injuries. After resting up in February and March with some promo segments, a title fight against Reigns will headline the second night of WrestleMania 39, likely with Reigns retaining and proving himself the true leader of the family.

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Anthony Mango is the owner of the wrestling website Smark Out Moment and the host of the podcast show Smack Talk on YouTube, Spotify and everywhere you find podcasts. You can follow him on Facebook and elsewhere for more.