WWE Royal Rumble 2015: Power Ranking Likely Rumble Winners After Dec. 22 Raw

Roman Reigns remained a formidable force on the December 22 edition of Raw, firmly holding onto his spot as the favorite to emerge from WWE Royal Rumble 2015 with a WrestleMania opportunity ahead of him.

The Christmas-themed Raw also saw Dolph Ziggler triumph and Dean Ambrose add to his loss column. Those results shift the list of expected Rumble winners. They offer glimpses into WWE's mindset and how the company views each man's future.

In the month-plus until the Royal Rumble, fans will be paying close attention to who WWE appears to be prepping for a coronation.

The following is a look at which wrestlers are in the best position to kick off 2015 with a Rumble win. Rankings are based on current momentum, spot on the card and how good of a fit one is for a world-title match at WrestleMania.

Dark Horses and Question Marks

• Sheamus 
• Cesaro 
• Seth Rollins 
• Bray Wyatt
• Rusev

There has been little word on when we can expect Sheamus back in action. WWE has provided minimal info other than announcing on its official website in November that, "Sheamus will not be able to compete this Sunday at Survivor Series."

Should he be healthy in time, he has an outside chance to win a second Rumble.

He would be a good opponent for Brock Lesnar, thanks to his power and physical size. Cesaro is a similarly intriguing matchup for the champ, but he has been used less and less as of late. He didn't appear at all on Monday's Raw.

Rollins has been at or near the main event for months now. Even after a loss to John Cena on Monday night, he has ample momentum to head to a big bout at WrestleMania.

His Money in the Bank contract, however, makes a Rumble win redundant.

WWE is clearly looking to build up Wyatt. He knocked off Dean Ambrose once again—this time surviving a Miracle on 34th Street Fight. The company may be just prepping The Eater of Worlds for a showdown with Undertaker or Sting.

If Lesnar is still champ at WrestleMania time, he and Wyatt would make an odd double-heel pair atop the WrestleMania card. The same drawback holds Rusev back as well.

5. Ryback

If the Royal Rumble were in February and Ryback were going to face Rusev at a pay-per-view in January, then we would be talking about him a lot more as a top candidate for winning the 30-man bout.

Ending Rusev's undefeated streak is a major momentum-boosting victory. He's unlikely to get that before the Rumble, though.

WWE would be foolish not to milk Rusev's first loss by making it part of a bigger show.

The company looks to be pushing Ryback as a high-rung babyface, however. The Big Guy hasn't lost by pinfall or submission since returning from injury, per CageMatch.net (link contains SmackDown spoilers). 

He spent his time on Monday's Raw beating Rusev down with forearm shots, with the two powerhouses brawling during a Piper's Pit segment.

Being booked to overpower the monstrous Rusev like that points to how much Ryback's career has experienced a resurgence. He just doesn't have enough time to catch up to his peers before the Rumble.

4. Dolph Ziggler

Dolph Ziggler is fighting the Intercontinental Championship curse the best he can.

In recent years, that title has often led to numerous losses, being passed over for high-profile feuds and a lot of running in place. It's early in Ziggler's latest reign, but his time with the belt has felt different so far.

On Monday's Raw, he put the belt on the line against Luke Harper. Even with Harper attacking him before the bell and hitting him with his signature discus clothesline, Ziggler came out on top. 

Beyond being a win, the length of the match made it feel more like a showcase for The Showoff. That follows a Ladder match at TLC where Ziggler opened the pay-per-view with a show-stealing performance.

WWE is building on his quest to move up the ladder, even featuring him in an interview with Michael Cole centered around whether he can become "the man" in WWE. All this points to him moving up the ranks.

He has an outside chance of winning the Royal Rumble. That chance increases if the company can get him more wins in the next few weeks and remove his title before the big event.

No IC champ has ever won the Rumble.

3. Dean Ambrose

Dean Ambrose sits on the periphery of center stage. He's featured enough to be considered a contender for winning the Rumble, but his win-loss record says otherwise.

While he continues to get opportunities in the main event, they often end with him on his back.

On Monday's Raw, for example, Bray Wyatt outlasted him in their Miracle on 34th Street Fight. Roman Reigns, meanwhile, felled a giant on the same show.

Being booked to lose so often and fight in gimmick matches like these point to WWE believing Ambrose to be just a fun sideshow act and not a marquee talent.

At the same time, Ambrose closed Monday's Raw just as he closed TLC and Hell in a Cell. The company seems to want him in the spotlight, but it seemingly isn't committed to building him up.

Reigns and John Cena ended the night looking stronger, charging toward Royal Rumble with big wins. Should Ambrose win his feud with Wyatt in the next few weeks, he'll garner momentum that will have him catching up to those two.

2. Randy Orton

Even though he has been absent from WWE programming for over a month now, Randy Orton is still a strong candidate for winning the Royal Rumble.

WWE would irk a lot of fans tired of him seeing him and John Cena get the best opportunities, but it's not as if the company hasn't gone that route before. Orton provides a great matchup for Brock Lesnar, a man with a world-championship pedigree who would be a fresh option as The Beast Incarnate's rival.

The Authority's attack to write him off TV points to a babyface turn upon his return. Seth Rollins' association with Lesnar makes it easy to weave The Viper into a story with the champ.

Orton's history and dependability as a main eventer make him an option WWE will certainly consider. Roman Reigns, meanwhile, remains an unknown.

Still, the signs point directly at Reigns. WWE's plan to elevate Reigns is transparent.

1. Roman Reigns

Roman Reigns' first match after returning from injury was a one-sided beatdown. Reigns trounced Fandango on last week's SmackDown.

On Monday's Raw, WWE continued to make Reigns look strong. He knocked Big Show over the announcer's table with a Superman punch, leading to a count-out victory for the former member of The Shield.

Reigns remains the sole Superstar to officially enter his name into the Royal Rumble field. And the company is clearly prepping him for that match by getting him wins like this one against Big Show.

As his battles with The World's Largest Athlete continue, fans will see just how high WWE is on Reigns. Should he pin the big man a few times in a row, that will be as clear as writing on the wall gets.