WWE Hot Take: The Men's Royal Rumble Winner Already Seems Obvious

While it is only the start of December, it sure feels like we already know the obvious winner of the men's Royal Rumble on January 28.

Obvious doesn't have to be a bad thing, though—especially when obvious' name is Sami Zayn.

Zayn has been the best thing running in WWE, if not pro wrestling outright, since his involvement with Roman Reigns and The Bloodline began.

So much so that Zayn has quickly entered the conversation as a guy who could and possibly should dethrone Reigns, the unified champ. It's no small feat for a wrestler to elbow his way into a conversation that previously only included The Rock and Cody Rhodes, if not Seth Rollins.

Yet Zayn has done it, slowly winning over fans with the underdog dynamic as he tries to earn the approval and acceptance of The Usos and Reigns. This all played out beautifully at Survivor Series, where it was Zayn ultimately choosing the future with The Bloodline over his past. That, despite fans getting behind-the-scenes looks at the distrust and plotting his new family does behind his back.

Survivor Series was more of a launching point to something bigger than the end of an arc. Fans understand a betrayal is coming, but the actual dynamic of it is impossible to predict.

Does it happen soon? Is it Jey Uso? Does Reigns give the command? It's obviously going to be a hurtful sequence for all fans because everyone on the planet can see it coming...except for Zayn himself.

Natural storytelling and timing suggest this happens after the Royal Rumble. There aren't major shows between now and then, and it's best to have it happen with the most eyeballs possible.

Maybe the most effective fantasy booking is for Zayn to win the Rumble and challenge Reigns at Elimination Chamber. In the ring, Reigns commands him to lay down for the pin. Zayn kicks out. Chaos, match at WrestleMania. Everyone profits. Or...they just wait until 'Mania. But anything works. This is pro wrestling. Rules change, things go out the window and stuff gets altered on the fly.

One thing WWE can't ignore, though, is just how red-hot this Zayn angle is and what an all-timer of a tale it can write. That includes a Royal Rumble men's match that would have fans more invested than usual. Imagine how unpredictable a Zayn-Logan Paul-Seth Rollins-Brock Lesnar-Jey Uso final four or five would be (pending health, etc.).

Granted, we'd be remiss not to mention that the men's match is ripe for other interesting storytelling opportunities. We could always see the winner end up challenging for a mid-card title, much in the same way Austin Theory used the Money in the Bank briefcase. That would help WWE keep Reigns' unified run safe for other angles.

More interesting would be the winner only challenging for one of Reigns' titles. It might sound silly, but this is pro wrestling and sillier things have happened. Maybe it's Cody Rhodes only wanting to reclaim his father's strap. Whatever would work and permits WWE to a "get out of a jail free" card with the titles getting split and both brands having a top title again.

Still, these options pale in comparison to the obvious Zayn angle. One could argue Zayn actually becoming a unified champion at 'Mania would be a bit much. But again, there are options. Maybe Zayn only wins one. Maybe he loses or makes new Bloodline allies that prop up a title run. Should he win, it'd be hard to complain about Kevin Owens getting involved or him putting over an up-and-comer.

That's getting a tad ahead of things, but one can see how this organically developing story has plenty of fun threads to tug on even after 'Mania.

It's not just about that, either. It's about rewarding Zayn for his work. It's about taking the path that feels right in this WWE that now values long-term storytelling. Throwing Rhodes into the mix and tossing Zayn to the side would feel inauthentic. The Rock has more storyline claim to the spot than Rhodes, but fans would be right to bemoan his shoving aside Zayn for a one-off, no matter how big it is.

This is all far, far from what fans would have ever dared to predict half a year ago. But that's the beauty of pro wrestling. There's arguably nothing more important in the sport's storytelling than timing. And right now is Zayn's time, to the point anything else would feel like a step in the wrong direction.