WWE Royal Rumble 2015: Power Ranking Likely Rumble Winners After Jan. 5 Raw

The Authority's return to WWE Raw ended with two potential 2015 Royal Rumble winners out of a job.

Triple H and Stephanie McMahon "fired" Ryback and Dolph Ziggler. The storyline sacking only serves to push both those men toward the center of the spotlight as they become deeply entrenched in this angle.

Despite both losing on Monday's Raw, they end the night with better Rumble-winning prospects. They slide past one Superstar scheduled for surgery and one who earned a surprise championship opportunity.

The following rankings tackle the question of who on WWE's roster is the safest bet to outlast 29 opponents come Royal Rumble time. The order of wrestlers is based on current momentum, how WWE is booking them and how good a fit they would be for a world title bout at WrestleMania.

Dark Horses, Superstars Now Likely Out of the Running

• Bray Wyatt
• Sheamus
• Seth Rollins
• Randy Orton

Wyatt ended his feud with Dean Ambrose in emphatic fashion. In what was billed as their final clash, Wyatt and Ambrose throttled each other. The Eater of Worlds, though, emerged as the victor in the Ambulance match.

A Sister Abigail to the concrete allowed Wyatt to toss Ambrose's limp body into the ambulance for the win.

That gives him more momentum than he has had in a long time. While WWE is clearly prepping him for something big, a battle with Undertaker or Sting seems more likely than a world title match.

Wyatt would be an odd fit against Brock Lesnar and has just recently feuded with John Cena.

As for Rollins, he now finds himself in the Royal Rumble title bout. On Monday's Raw, Triple H changed that contest to a Triple Threat to make room for Mr. Money in the Bank. That yanks Rollins out of the Rumble match in favor of a chance at the gold.

Both Sheamus and Orton may not be healthy enough to compete by Rumble time. 

WWE has been very quiet about the nature of Sheamus' injuries and has not announced a timetable for his return. The Viper, meanwhile, is dealing with a deviated septum. The Wrestling Observer Newsletter (h/t Wrestling Inc) reports Orton is expected to have surgery to repair it soon, putting him out of action for a few weeks.

That could allow him enough time to sneak in as a surprise entrant, but his status for the Rumble remains a question mark for now.

5. Ryback

WWE had Ryback momentarily step away from his rivalry with Rusev to battle The Authority.

In doing so, the company made it clear once again that it is high on the powerhouse. He ended up losing on Monday's Raw in a Handicap match against Seth Rollins and Kane but more than held his own. For a moment, it actually seemed like he would pull off the upset, but a distraction from J&J Security did him in.

Ryback looked strong, his performance boosting him forward despite the loss.

He later joined Dolph Ziggler and Erick Rowan in the employment line after The Authority punished the trio for their involvement with Team Cena. It's uncertain where that story is headed, but it's a sure bet that The Big Guy will be a big part of WWE programming in the next few weeks.

As fans have seen with guys like Cody Rhodes and Big Show, getting fired onscreen is usually a precursor to being a central figure in a key angle.

That will add to Ryback's momentum, but he still has unfinished business with Rusev. For now, that's the more probable direction for him than a Royal Rumble win.

4. Dean Ambrose

The road ahead for Dean Ambrose is obscured.

One of WWE's hottest babyfaces to close the year, he once again fell victim to Bray Wyatt. Ambrose lost in an Ambulance match against The Eater of Worlds, dropping the rivalry as a whole to him as well.

That hurts Ambrose's chances of suddenly catching fire and winning the Rumble. Still, he remains a big part of what WWE does each week. The showdown with Wyatt was hyped like the show's main event.

He is still a dependable option for WWE if it wants an emerging star on the marquee for WrestleMania. He would put on a great match with Brock Lesnar or John Cena. His history with Seth Rollins makes a potential title match with the two of them filled with intrigue.

If Ambrose's next feud is a short one where he can get some big wins, he'll move up this list. For now, he stands behind a man freed from a midcard title and his former partner with The Shield.

3. Dolph Ziggler

On the surface, it sounds like Dolph Ziggler had a horrendous night. In actuality, his chances of winning the Royal Rumble shot up after Monday's Raw.

He opened the show by losing the Intercontinental Championship to Bad News Barrett. He ended it without a job, just like fellow Team Cena members Ryback and Erick Rowan.

His not being IC champ anymore means he is free to move out of the midcard and into the main event if WWE decides to do so. The storyline sacking assures him plenty of airtime in the weeks ahead. Like with Cody Rhodes in 2013, his attempts to get his job back will be a key part of Raw.

On Monday, The Showoff was in Raw's opening segment, opening match and the segment that capped off the show. If he continues to get that kind of attention, his fans will get more excited about how he fares in the Rumble. 

He would undoubtedly put on a great match against whoever is WWE champ at WrestleMania. The issue holding Ziggler back is that WWE has only allowed him to be on the precipice of headlining status. The two men above him are firmly entrenched in that position.

2. Daniel Bryan

As perfect and poetic as it would be for Daniel Bryan to make a triumphant return at the Royal Rumble and defeat Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania, his not being on Raw suggest that WWE is still leaning strongly toward Roman Reigns for that spot.

Bryan's popularity and main event status before his injury assures him consideration for winning the Rumble.

WWE knows fans will be thrilled to see the bearded warrior rise again. It can be extremely confident that regardless if Lesnar, John Cena or Seth Rollins is the world champ in March, Bryan will deliver a classic against them. His resume is full of them at this point.

Officials don't know, however, how he is going to hold up physically. There are major question marks facing Bryan's longevity right now.

His absence could be a sign of WWE's uncertainty about the answer to those questions. Bryan didn't wrestle on Monday's Raw. He didn't speak to the crowd again or appear at all.

There are still a number of weeks left before the pay-per-view to change things around, but his momentum will be behind Reigns' if the company continues to keep him on the sidelines.

1. Roman Reigns

WWE continues to protect Roman Reigns' record and let him battle big men in an attempt to stock up momentum. 

Reigns came away with a disqualification win against Big Show on Monday's Raw. That extends his current streak to six straight wins since returning from injury, per CageMatch.net. The company looks to be delaying Reigns' actually pinning Big Show, but in the meantime he has looked mighty powerful.

While other stars on the rise like Dean Ambrose and Dolph Ziggler are suffering losses, Reigns is handing out Superman punches to everyone in his path.

He and Bryan are the only stars to officially be entered in the Royal Rumble, and Reigns remains the favorite to win it. 

WWE's high opinion of him is obvious. It has handed him a number of wins and consistently given him the spotlight. Just like with Batista in 2005, it seems as if the company wants to use WrestleMania as a welcoming party for a new headliner.