WWE Royal Rumble 2015: Stars Who Will Shine in Defeat

Many WWE fans are thinking about who will win the annual Royal Rumble match. Could Daniel Bryan emerge victorious at the pay-per-view and get his spot in the WrestleMania 31 main event? Or will fans see Roman Reigns pick up the victory this Sunday?

While only one wrestler can win the Rumble, expect other stars to shine brilliantly, even in the throes of defeat.

Dean Ambrose

Credit: WWE.com

It’s hard to see Dean Ambrose leaving the Wells Fargo Center in triumph. WWE’s writers have squandered his potential over the last few months. First, there was the absurd hologram distraction at October's Hell in a Cell. At TLC in December, there was the strange exploding television monitor. Finally, there were the wacky—and unfunny—segments with the crazy psychiatrist on Raw.

He’s also lost so many high-profile matches—to men such as Seth Rollins and Bray Wyatt—that you have to wonder if WWE isn’t intentionally sabotaging him.  It’s impossible to see him winning the Rumble. The company just hasn’t built him up for it at all.

However, free of the restraints of shoddy, complicated and counterproductive WWE booking, expect the former Shield member to thrive in the Royal Rumble, particularly if he is allowed to last in the match for a decent amount of time.

Let’s just hope there are no hologram distractions.

Kofi Kingston 

Credit: WWE.com

A neglected and marginalized longtime midcarder, Kofi Kingston almost certainly won’t win the Royal Rumble. It would be the biggest shock in years if he did.

However, expect Kingston to make his usual mark on the match by avoiding elimination in some acrobatic manner. Indeed, the show is usually his one chance to stand out and make the WWE highlight reels.

In previous years, he’s used a handstand, a chair, the ring steps, the barricade and Rusev to avoid his feet touching the ground. This raises the pivotal question: Just what does Kingston have up his sleeve for this year’s match? 

Fans on Twitter are excited too:

Bray Wyatt

Credit: WWE.com

It's hard to see Bray Wyatt winning the Rumble. He appears to be firmly out of the WWE World Heavyweight Championship picture—for now, anyway.

However, going by his recent high-profile wins, WWE does have plans for him the future. Reports from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, via WrestlingInc.com, indicate Wyatt is tentatively scheduled to be The Undertaker’s opponent at WrestleMania 31 in March. That is a huge deal, and it indicates the company has high expectations for him.

Wyatt should have a decent—and lengthy—performance in this year’s Royal Rumble, but fans probably shouldn’t expect the star to pull out a victory.