Ryan Dilbert's 10-Count: All Signs Point to a Roman Reigns Royal Rumble Win

1. Roman Reigns, Rumble Winner

Daniel Bryan's return to the WrestleMania marquee is the better story. Bryan vs. Brock Lesnar is the better matchup. That's not the direction WWE looks to be going, though.

The 2015 Royal Rumble is to be Reigns' coronation.

The company continues to tell fans this as it did on Monday's Raw. That night, Shawn Michaels, Ric Flair and Hulk Hogan all named other Superstars as their picks to win on Sunday. That certainly felt like a bit of reverse psychology.

That's especially true because WWE then gave the audience an obvious a piece of visual foreshadowing. Reigns stormed into the ring to save Flair from Big Show, in the process knocking the giant over the top rope.

Credit: WWE.com

Add to that how strongly WWE has booked him as of late. 

Per CageMatch.net, he has won every match he's been a part of since returning to action in December, a streak that is up to nine now. WWE has taken every opportunity to thrust him forward before the Rumble.

He pinned Seth Rollins on SmackDown two weeks ago and has been inserted into a number of big segments despite his deficiencies on the mic. Reigns then spent the go-home Raw overpowering a man WWE has tried to make look like a major force.

Betting on Bryan to emerge with a victory at the Rumble is to bet on disappointment. WWE wants Reigns to rise.

2. Ever Present at the Rumble

When Bryan steps into the 30-man match, it will be just his third time to do so. For Reigns, this will mark Rumble No. 2. Those two men are sure to be consistent presences in that match in years to come. 

As of now, Kane remains the Rumble's elder statesman. He is far and away the active star with the most appearances in the match.

Not counting part-timers like Triple H, Chris Jericho, Undertaker and Rey Mysterio, here are the most prolific Rumblers still competing today, per ProFightDB.com:

• Kane, 17
• Goldust, 9
• Big Show, 9
• John Cena, 7
• Randy Orton, 7
• Mark Henry, 7
• The Miz, 7
• Dolph Ziggler, 6
• Kofi Kingston, 6
• R-Truth, 6
• Cody Rhodes/Stardust, 6

With as long as Kane and Big Show have been in this business, every Royal Rumble could be their last.

Orton, on the other hand, is just 34 years old. The Miz is the same age. They will both have opportunities aplenty to add to their Rumble total, making the slow climb to the number Kane sits at.

3. Double X-Pac

Damien Mizdow did it again. Just when his act begins to lose some of its spark, he hits us with another moment of hilarity.

Mizdow seemed to be auditioning to be X-Pac's stunt double in a backstage segment on Monday's Raw. 

GIF from WWE.com

That's one of many times that he has been a part of the funniest moment of the night. The Miz and Mizdow partnership is destined to break up, likely forcing Mizdow to leave his stunt-double shtick behind. Until then, it's best to savor moments like these.

Humor home runs like this don't come around often.

4. Expect Several Match of the Year Candidates from NXT Again

Sami Zayn and Adrian Neville kicked off 2015 with a great match on last week's NXT.

Fans who regularly tune into the action filmed at Full Sail University were not surprised. Those two have been producing excellence on a regular basis.

Both Neville and Zayn are sure to add their names to the list of the year's best matches several times over.

Zayn still has battles ahead against Kevin Owens. Neville will be looking to earn his way back into title contention, likely leading him to face some of NXT's best as well as visiting main-roster stars like Curtis Axel.

Neither of them has faced Hideo Itami or Finn Balor yet. Those collisions are bound to lead to some instant classics as well.

With Raw straying from in-ring action so often, expect NXT to be a steady source of the best bouts on WWE programming.

5. The Reconstruction of Bray Wyatt

For much of last year, WWE failed to make Wyatt look like a monster. His wins didn't come often enough and came cheaply when they did.

More recently, the company is clearly building him up for a major showdown on the horizon.

The Eater of Worlds knocked off Daniel Bryan on Monday's Raw. That win was his fifth in a row.

In his last 15 matches, Wyatt is 13-2, and he went from Sept. 15 to Dec. 9 without suffering a loss. Some of the recent victories have been emphatic as well.

Surviving the storm that is Dean Ambrose and then stuffing his lifeless body into an ambulance is an image that elevates Wyatt. Add The Man of 1,000 Truths dominating R-Truth and exercising mental control over Erick Rowan before overpowering him to his list of recent accomplishments.

With as much as WWE has portrayed Wyatt as a predator as of late, look for him to do some damage at the Royal Rumble. Lower-rung guys like Fandango and Kofi Kingston are going to be roadkill in his path.

6. Tag Team Masterworks

The Ascension is bringing up old memories of tag team greats. It continues to compare itself to The Road Warriors, among others. 

On Monday, The Ascension met three memorable squads face to face, in a segment that further ruined Viktor and Konnor's aura. Perhaps they recover and make a real run at tag team success. 

In the meantime, fans can satiate their hunger for stellar tag work by seeking out these matches on the WWE Network and elsewhere:

• The Rock 'N' Roll Express vs. Ole Anderson and Arn Anderson, Starrcade 1986 (Steel Cage)
• El Hijo Del Santo and Octagon vs. Eddie Guerrero and Art Barr, WCW/AAA When Worlds Collide (Mask vs. Hair, 2-out-of-3 Falls)
• Kurt Angle and Chris Benoit vs. Rey Mysterio and Edge, No Mercy 2002
• America's Most Wanted vs. Triple X, TNA Turning Point 2004 (Six Sides of Steel)
• The Usos vs. The Wyatt Family, Battleground 2014 (2-out-of-3 Falls) 

7. Who Will Be the Iron Man?

The victor is not the only star of the Royal Rumble. We have seen that with performances from Bob Backlund in 1993 and Triple H in 2006, as they staved off elimination for impressive stretches of time.

This year, Dean Ambrose, Dolph Ziggler and Daniel Bryan are the three men most likely to earn the "Iron Man" nickname.

Giving this to Bryan is a consolation prize for not winning. It would ramp up the anticipation for him to stick around for a long time, WWE teasing at his victory. His character plays right into this role as well, an underdog with a never-say-die attitude.

Ziggler is portrayed as a survivor too. That and his stamina make it a strong possibility that WWE goes with him as the match's Iron Man.

Credit: WWE.com

The argument for Ambrose is similar. He has been struggling with a storyline leg injury as of late. That could be the center of a narrative about him gutting out a long stretch in the Rumble. 

In all three cases, WWE can further each man's case heading into WrestleMania, even without giving them the actual win.

8. Throwback Video of the Week: Sting

Sting swooped into Raw on Monday night, once again thwarting The Authority's tyrannical plans.

For many fans, Sting stepping onto WWE soil for only the second time was a surreal experience. His appearances have been nostalgia fixes, transporting fans back to The Stinger's run as the man who stood up to NWO.

The video showcasing his rebirth into his character inspired by The Crow was a work of art. It remains one of wrestling's best promo clips.

WWE needs to produce something in this vein for him leading up to WrestleMania. The company must build on the lore that is already there but also add new elements. It gets only one shot to integrate Sting, to transition him from his career elsewhere to the swan song he will be singing with WWE.

9. Armchair Booking: Surprise Royal Rumble Entrants

The Royal Rumble can accomplish a multitude of things with the right surprise guests.

For one, WWE should look to highlight NXT. With that in mind, bring in Adrian Neville. His high-flying style is something that can catch fans' attention even if they aren't familiar with his work.

Allow him to have the kind of shocking escape from elimination that Kofi Kingston has had in the past few years. That would help make him a star right away.

Celebrate ECW with the Rumble being in that promotion's old home base—Philadelphia. Invite Rob Van Dam to take a spot in the 30-man match and welcome back The Dudley Boyz.

With Bubba Ray and Devon no longer under contract with TNA, WWE would be wise to add them to the currently thin tag division. The Rumble is a perfect way to bring them back into the fold.

The Rumble should begin, though, with a surprise that many will see coming.

Have Kane be the first entrant and his seething enemy Randy Orton be the second man in. That way, the battle can begin with previously built animosity and the excitement of Orton being back.

10. The Viper Awaits

Orton's presence gives WWE a variety of options. He is its ace in the hole, waiting to be played.

James Caldwell of Pro Wrestling Torch tweeted three intriguing possibilities for The Viper:

"

Intrigued by how Randy Orton fits in. Surprise Rumble return? Involvement in WWE Title match neutralizing Seth? Saved for post-Rumble Raw?

— James Caldwell (@jctorch) January 20, 2015"

Not knowing what WWE plans to do with the former WWE champ is just part of the fun of the Rumble. Officials could also send out Sting, surprise us with someone like Shelton Benjamin or have the long-awaited Goldust vs. Stardust feud begin. 

It is anticipation for the unknown and the many options at WWE's disposal that regularly make this one of the best events of the year. And chances are, this year won't feature Batista getting booed to close it out. 

Match statistics courtesy of CageMatch.net.