Projecting the Most Likely Heel and Face Turns at WWE Royal Rumble 2024

The Road to WrestleMania is littered with twists and turns, and few nights promise more surprises and moments than the Royal Rumble.

The 2024 Royal Rumble will set the stage for one of the most important stretches in WWE history. It is the first build to The Show of Shows under TKO management and sets the stage for WrestleMania 40, an important milestone for the marquee event.

The men's and women's Rumble matches cannot just be good contests, though. They also need to deliver twists and turns that could chart an unforgettable path for WWE.

Part of that journey is defined by what decisions top names will make to get to 'Mania.

Will CM Punk do anything, including screwing over Cody Rhodes, to win the men's match? Is Bayley's victory in the women's match something that Damage CTRL and Iyo Sky truly want?

Could Damian Priest finally step out on The Judgment Day to forge his own world title path? How far will AJ Styles go to beat Roman Reigns and make LA Knight pay for getting in his way?

These are the most likely heel and face turns to come out of the Royal Rumble 2024.

Face: Bayley

Damage CTRL has grown more dangerous than ever, but it seems that's at the expense of leader Bayley. She is losing her grip on the group, especially since Kairi Sane joined.

This will come to a head by WrestleMania 40 where Bayley will likely challenge Iyo Sky for the WWE Women's Championship, but first it's just a matter of when the stable will turn on The Role Model.

Bayley is the most likely winner of the women's Royal Rumble match, particularly because she is the best option to face The Genius of the Sky at The Show of Shows on April 6-7.

The Role Model could win the Battle Royal in spite of the group, or Damage CTRL could beat down its leader following her victory.

Even if the turn is delayed a few weeks, a Rumble victory would be the first step in turning Bayley face. As long as WWE is committed to that direction, this move is inevitable.

Heel: CM Punk

CM Punk is back, and it seems like he has made more enemies among the babyfaces in WWE than the heels.

As he clearly established what he would do to win the men's Royal Rumble, he made some potential enemies in Seth Rollins and Cody Rhodes.

What will The Best in the World do in order to win a Royal Rumble for the first time in his career? Could he take a cheap shot to get past a motivated Rhodes?

While the crowd is still very invested in Punk as a babyface, he has always shined more as a villain and will tell his best stories in WWE as a cocky veteran who is unafraid to do anything to get ahead.

There are plenty more chapters left in Punk's WWE story. The heel turn may not come right away, but it's going to happen—likely sooner than later.

Face: Damian Priest

Every month, at least one member of The Judgment Day teases breaking off to start their own journey. At the moment, Damian Priest is the clearest candidate.

Señor Money in the Bank cannot get on the same page as Rhea Ripley, and it's dangerous for any member of the faction to question Mami.

If Ripley feels Priest has overstepped his standing, she could choose to set up his elimination in the men's Rumble match.

This would make The Archer of Infamy a more interesting presence on the road to WrestleMania. Would he get desperate to cash in, or would he focus his efforts on ruining his former teammates' plans for The Showcase of the Immortals?

He could even choose to work with R-Truth all the more, forming his own unique version of The Judgment Day.

While Priest still holds the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship with Finn Bálor, this turn could allow DIY to take the gold heading toward WrestleMania or set up The Prince to transition to defending the gold with Dominik Mysterio or JD McDonagh.

Heel: AJ Styles

AJ Styles has already set the stage for his dramatic heel turn after taking out LA Knight en route to Saturday's Fatal 4-Way match, which also features Roman Reigns and Randy Orton.

The two are likely to get in each other's way of beating The Tribal Chief, but how far will they go to hurt one another? Could Styles take Knight's involvement personally and try to put him out of commission ahead of WrestleMania 40?

Knight vs. Styles is an intriguing pairing that should be explored further, and the Royal Rumble is the next step in the evolution of that feud.

While fans have seen The Phenomenal One as a villain before, he should have a unique presentation in this heel run. Triple H is in charge and can give him the freedom to decide his own direction.

Styles has already distanced himself from Luke Gallows, Karl Anderson and Michin. Perhaps he will even introduce some new heel support to back him up in taking down Knight.