NFLNBAMLBNHLWNBACFBSoccer
Featured Video
Thunder Take Game 1 Over Lakers ⛈️
Paul Heyman, left, celebrates with Brock Lesnar after his win over the Undertaker  during Wrestlemania XXX at the Mercedes-Benz Super Dome in New Orleans on Sunday, April 6, 2014. (Jonathan Bachman/AP Images for WWE)
Paul Heyman, left, celebrates with Brock Lesnar after his win over the Undertaker during Wrestlemania XXX at the Mercedes-Benz Super Dome in New Orleans on Sunday, April 6, 2014. (Jonathan Bachman/AP Images for WWE)Jonathan Bachman/Associated Press

WWE Royal Rumble 2015: Predictions for Event's Biggest Stars

Donald WoodJan 20, 2015

The 2015 Royal Rumble from Philadelphia is one of the biggest shows of the year for the WWE, and the excitement surrounding the Triple Threat championship match and the 30-man Battle Royal has the wrestling world buzzing.

With Brock Lesnar defending the WWE World Heavyweight Championship against both John Cena and Seth Rollins, as well as the No. 1 contender at WrestleMania being crowned in the Royal Rumble match itself, this pay-per-view is the official start of the road to WrestleMania 31.

Here are the predictions for the top stars gracing the stage at the 2015 Royal Rumble.

TOP NEWS

Monday Night RAW
WWE NXT Live Grades
SmackDown

Breaking Down the WWE Championship Triple Threat

The intrigue surrounding another one-on-one matchup between Lesnar and Cena for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship wasn’t as high as the company would have liked, but adding Rollins to the mix has been the shot in the arm the match needed.

Not only has Rollins been portrayed as a viable contender to win the bout outright, but he is also the holder of the Money in the Bank contract and could cash in after the Triple Threat match if the situation presents itself.

Add in a possible conspiracy brewing between Paul Heyman and Rollins, and there is a case to be made that all three men have a chance to walk away with the belt.

Lesnar has to be the favorite as the defending champion. He destroyed Cena at SummerSlam in a way no one has in the past and is a genuine physical freak. It’s not too hard to imagine Lesnar beating both Rollins and Cena in the same night.

It’s hard to count Cena out because of his status with the company and the WWE’s willingness to put him back on top whenever possible, but the stage has been set for Lesnar to successfully retain and keep the belt all the way to WrestleMania.

After conquering The Undertaker’s undefeated streak and beating Cena in their feud, the Royal Rumble winner who eventually squares off against Lesnar will be given the ultimate rub if the champion drops the belt on the biggest PPV of the year.

Lesnar winning the Triple Threat match at Royal Rumble and going on to lose the title at WrestleMania 31 is truly best for business, regardless of who he is squaring off against.

The Royal Rumble’s Final Four

The last four wrestlers in the Royal Rumble match usually are some of the brightest stars in the company and should expect a big push following the result. Another positive that can come from the final four is monumental feuds that will culminate in WrestleMania matches.

There are several wrestlers who legitimately could win the 30-man over-the-top-rope Battle Royal, but fans should be looking to see Daniel Bryan, Dolph Ziggler, Roman Reigns and Bray Wyatt as the last stars left in the match.

Making it as one of the last four Superstars in the Royal Rumble is a huge accomplishment, but the storylines that will come out of this will be exactly what the company needs. With Bryan’s return likely resulting in one of the top faces turning heel, the best possible option would be Ziggler joining forces with The Authority and eliminating Bryan.

If Bryan’s not fighting for the WWE Championship until after WrestleMania, a long-term program against a newly heel Ziggler would be a marquee angle that would elevate both men and solidify Ziggler as a top heel in the company.

On the other hand, the final two should be Reigns and Wyatt. The booking makes it look like Reigns is the front-runner to win the Royal Rumble match, and if that is the case, allowing Wyatt to look strong before ultimately being the last elimination would be the ideal ending.

While Philadelphia may boo if Reigns wins over Bryan, WWE’s commitment to Reigns will likely result in a trip to the main event of WrestleMania for the Superstar.

The Triple H vs. Sting Storyline Lingers…

One of the biggest pieces of news from 2014 was the debut of Sting in the WWE and his attack on Triple H at Survivor Series. With The Authority running the show once again with an iron fist, it was just a matter of time before the injustice brings him around again.

After showing up on the go-home edition of Raw to distract The Authority, what better place to make a mark and set up a WrestleMania match than at the Royal Rumble?

Sting showed up at Survivor Series after watching Triple H and Stephanie McMahon abuse their power for long enough, and the situation has once again resulted in the same action. After watching Ziggler, Erick Rowan and Ryback get fired for no reason, Sting appeared on Monday's Raw and should make another appearance Sunday.

The Authority has a vested interest in who wins the Royal Rumble, so their involvement in the match is just a matter of when, not if. Triple H trying to influence the outcome of a match of this importance should be enough to get Sting to attack once again.

With Sting possibly beating down Triple H and pointing at the WrestleMania sign, the stage would be set for the feud between the two legends at the biggest PPV of the year.

For more wrestling talk, listen to Ring Rust Radio for all of the hot topics or catch the latest episode in the player below (some language NSFW).

Thunder Take Game 1 Over Lakers ⛈️

TOP NEWS

Monday Night RAW
WWE NXT Live Grades
SmackDown
Monday Night RAW

TRENDING ON B/R