WWE Royal Rumble 2018 Predictions for John Cena, Finn Balor and More Top Stars

With WWE Royal Rumble 2018 approaching on January 28, plans for some of the company's top stars are firmly at the top of the agenda.

The destiny of big names likes John Cena and Finn Balor is a huge talking point, with both of those guys leading contenders to win the annual 30-man bout.

But they are not the only ones.

WWE has a long list of stars in both the men's and women's matches who could win on the road to WrestleMania. So with that in mind, here's a look at some predictions for Raw and SmackDown's biggest names.

John Cena

It was anticipated John Cena's Royal Rumble—and even WrestleMania—plans would be a whole lot clearer than they are following Raw 25.

Speculation refused to go away linking Cena with a dream match against The Undertaker at Mania this year—though Taker's cryptic, vague promo on Raw gave little away about what is next.

Furthermore, speaking on Wrestling Observer Radio (h/t Cageside Seats), Dave Meltzer noted that the reason Taker vs. Cena wasn't set up was because the company wanted him to pick up his feud with Elias first.

So it's possible that Cena's plans at the Rumble revolve around Elias and a potential bout in the months leading up to Mania.

The chance of Cena winning the Rumble seems remote at best. There are many other guys ahead of him who stand a better chance, and with a feud against Elias in the works, winning seems illogical.

Expect The Drifter to eliminate Cena midway through the match.

Finn Balor

While it was a nostalgic, dream moment to see Balor Club join forces with D-Generation X for one night only on Raw this week, Balor fans will be far more interested in where his character is headed this weekend.

Balor enters the Royal Rumble as one of the favorites, with an overwhelming feeling that he is one of the leading candidates to win and headline WrestleMania.

But realistically, what are his chances?

Right now, they don't seem as great as perhaps some think.

Balor Club is only in its infancy, and WWE may feel that it wants to push that group as a trio before Balor gets a singles push.

He will probably be in the final five or six participants in the match and last a long time in the bout. 

But he won't be the winner this year.

Asuka

Can the Empress of Tomorrow make history this Sunday?

Don't rule it out.

With no confirmation that Ronda Rousey is appearing in the Rumble match, as things stand, Asuka is the standout candidate to win the first-ever women's Rumble.

Rousey showing up as a surprise entrant could yet change all that, but even with her involved, it would still rank as a major surprise if Asuka did not win the match.

WWE faces a serious challenge if it decides to end Asuka's unbeaten streak this weekend. That will crush her momentum and leave her facing an uphill battle heading to WrestleMania.

She should win, and she likely will win. Only Rousey can change that.

Roman Reigns

After dropping the Intercontinental Championship on Raw this week, the path seems open for Roman Reigns to embark on a one-way street to the main event of WrestleMania.

By the time the Rumble match begins on Sunday night, fans will know who will hold Raw's Universal Championship on the road to Mania. 

And should it be Brock Lesnar, then the chances of Reigns wining the Rumble and moving ahead to a blockbuster bout with The Beast Incarnate laster this year will only increase.

But realistically, WWE can find an organic path to that show without Reigns needing to win the Rumble. 

This should be an opportunity for someone on SmackDown, like Shinsuke Nakamura, to set up a dream match with AJ Styles for the WWE Championship.

Reigns can face Lesnar at the Mania, but he doesn't need to win the Rumble to do so. He should be cost victory by Lesnar himself to set that match up.

Fans would not be happy if Reigns was the last man standing.