Early Contenders to Win Men's and Women's WWE Royal Rumble 2020 Matches

With 2019 coming to a close, everyone is already starting to think about what 2020 has in store for the Superstars of WWE, and it all starts at the Royal Rumble on January 26.

The annual event began in 1988 and has been the official start of WrestleMania season ever since WWE added a title shot at The Show of Shows for the winner of the titular Battle Royal.

We will see both the men's and women's division compete in over-the-top-rope action as they all attempt to be the last person standing out of 30 Superstars.

The great thing about this event is WWE can use it to instantly take a Superstar from midcard to main event status in a single night. 

While there is no way of knowing who the company is planning on pushing heading into WrestleMania 36, we can make some educated guesses about who will win the Rumble matches based on current storylines and past booking decisions. 

Let's look at the top contenders to win both Royal Rumble bouts next month.

Braun Strowman

Braun Strowman has had a decent 2019, but it doesn't even compare to how hard the company was pushing him in 2018.

A couple of injuries caused The Monster Among Men to miss time this year, but it looks like he is back and WWE cannot afford to waste another opportunity to push him as a top star.

Despite winning The Greatest Royal Rumble in 2018, Strowman has yet to hold any singles titles in WWE. For someone who has as many highlight-reel moments to his name, you would think he would have held at least one non-tag team championship by now.

In addition to the victory in Saudi Arabia, Strowman has also won the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal. Giving him a Royal Rumble victory would give him a trifecta nobody else has accomplished and set him on a course toward finally winning the WWE or universal title.

If WWE waits much longer, he will lose all credibility as a monster and fans will stop caring about him as a character. The Rumble is the perfect place to begin his rise to the top. 

Sasha Banks

Sasha Banks returned to WWE programming and immediately entered into a feud with Becky Lynch for the Raw Women's Championship. 

She lost, got drafted to SmackDown and has been serving as Bayley's enforcer ever since. It's time for The Boss to take her rightful place back on top of the women's division.

All signs initially pointed to Banks getting a bigger push when she returned on August 12. She had a new theme, new look and returned to her villainous attitude. 

Her loss to Lynch at Clash of Champions on September 15 surprised a lot of people, but it isn't too late for WWE to reignite her push and put her back into the title scene. 

This might put her at odds with Bayley, but WWE could always have the SmackDown women's title change hands so The Boss challenges a babyface at WrestleMania 36. 

Andrade

All signs point to Andrade having a breakout year in 2020. WWE is pushing him harder these days, and he is beginning to be one of the most frequently booked stars on Raw.

His matches always receive praise from the WWE Universe, and his partnership with Zelina Vega has allowed him to thrive without needing to speak English on a regular basis. 

WWE is teasing a breakup between El Idolo and Vega, but management knows how foolish it would be to take away his mouthpiece. They need each other and this storyline will likely end with the two of them celebrating over a defeated opponent soon.

It would be incredible if both managed to win their respective Rumble matches, but WWE has not pushed Vega as a competitor outside of a few matches, though she can still help Andrade win his bout.

It's clear WWE recognizes what he brings to the table but has been waiting for the right opportunity to bring him up to the next level. 

Lacey Evans

While she may have had a rocky start on the main roster, Lacey Evans has been getting more love from the WWE Universe lately.

She has shown marked improvement in the ring and on the mic, but it's turning babyface that has helped her win over certain critics.

Frankly, WWE should have been pushing her as a heroic character from the start. She is a veteran of the U.S. Marines, a dedicated mother and one of the most physically imposing women on the roster. 

If management really wants to push her to the moon, giving her a victory at the Royal Rumble and a shot at Bayley's title would be a great place to start.

The Sassy Southern Belle still has a lot of growing to do as a Superstar but so did a lot of people who have won the Rumble in the past. 

Can't you just picture her celebrating in the ring with her daughter as confetti reigns down in the arena? WWE lives for moments like that. 

Cain Velasquez

Cain Velasquez lost his first WWE match to Brock Lesnar at Crown Jewel on October 31, but WWE didn't have him sign a multi-year contract so it could use him to put other people over.

The former UFC champion is going to get a big push in 2020, and he will almost certainly end up across the ring from The Beast Incarnate again. It may as well happen at WrestleMania 36.

WWE dropped the ball with their first match in Saudi Arabia. It was too short and did not live up to the hype. There is video evidence of Velasquez being capable of putting on better performances so there is no reason to book him as someone who relies solely on his MMA background.

Velasquez could be a surprise entrant at No. 30 and wipe the floor with whoever is left in the ring. It would help him regain some of the momentum he lost after his first match and give WWE a logical reason to book him in another championship showdown.

Also, it's one of those moments that would get WWE a lot of mainstream media attention, which is something the company needs to help fix the declining ratings we have seen throughout 2019. 

Shayna Baszler

Shayna Baszler has been running roughshod over the NXT women's division for over two years. She is the only Superstar to win the NXT Women's Championship twice and held the belt for roughly 550 combined days.

There is nothing left for her to accomplish on the black-and-gold brand. She has beaten everyone and overcome multiple opponents at once. It's time to move her to Raw or SmackDown.

The Queen of Spades should not be advertised ahead of time. She should be a surprise entrant and last almost the entire match before winning so the fans who have not followed her in NXT can see how scared the rest of the division should be.

Baszler is a unique talent who will add some variety to the Raw or SmackDown locker room. She knows exactly what her character is supposed to be and plays the role to perfection. 

If she were to win the Rumble and one of the women's titles at WrestleMania, it would give WWE an incredible opportunity to put her in the ring with Ronda Rousey, which is a match both MMA and wrestling fans would be excited to see. 

Randy Orton

Randy Orton had a lot of memorable moments in 2019, but he hasn't been pushed as a real contender for the WWE Championship since he lost it to Jinder Mahal at Backlash 2017.

The Viper has proved he is still one of WWE's most popular stars in recent months. His move to Raw and subsequent babyface turn have put him back in the spotlight, and the WWE Universe still pops whenever he hits one of his signature RKOs out of nowhere.

He is the kind of Superstar who can have a great match with any kind of wrestler. Whether he is in the ring with a giant like Big Show, a powerhouse like Drew McIntyre, a high-flyer like AJ Styles or a megastar like John Cena, Orton is going to put on a standout performance.

It feels like the right time to set him back on the path to tying and eventually breaking Ric Flair's record of 16 world titles. The Royal Rumble can be where that path begins.

His encounter with Lesnar at SummerSlam 2016 did not live up to expectations. It would be satisfying to see him not only have a better match with The Beast, but also to defeat him at WrestleMania. 

Ronda Rousey

With the exception of appearing on Total Divas, Ronda Rousey has been off WWE television since losing the Raw Women's Championship to Becky Lynch at WrestleMania 35.

Her return is inevitable, though, and if WWE wants her to appear at this year's Show of Shows, it should have her win the Royal Rumble to earn a rematch against The Man.

The way Lynch defeated Rousey was controversial because it looked like Rowdy Ronda got one of her shoulders up before the ref counted the pin. It doesn't matter if it was an intentional part of the story or a mistake because it perfectly sets her up to call out The Man for carrying a title she didn't earn.

Rousey vs. Lynch at WrestleMania is a money match. It would be heavily promoted and a contender to serve as the main event. All it would take to set it up is having the former UFC champion outlast 29 other women to win the Rumble. 

Then again, she could always choose to head to the blue brand to challenge Bayley to give us a fresh storyline. 

John Morrison

John Morrison is officially back with WWE but has yet to make his return to television. So far, he has only appeared on WWE's web series, The Bump.

If the plan is to push Morrison as a main event player, having him show up to win the Royal Rumble would put him on the right track.

It has been just over eight years since Morrison left WWE to focus on his acting career and work with other promotions. He has found a lot of success by winning titles in AAA, Impact, Lucha Underground and several indie promotions while appearing in a handful of movies and television shows.

The former ECW champion has evolved as a performer and would be better suited to hold a top title than he was during his first run with the company.

Carmella

Carmella spent several months in 2019 running around with R-Truth as he attempted to keep his 24/7 Championship. She even won the belt herself on two occasions.

However, as entertaining as they were as a duo, The Princess of Staten Island is destined for greater things on SmackDown.

It might not seem like a big deal to many people, but WWE giving Mella pyro on Friday's SmackDown is a sign the company intends to push her as a major player in 2020. Few people get fireworks for their entrance these days, especially for a non-PPV match.

She also picked up a clean submission victory over Sonya Deville. This wasn't just a random win. This was the start of something big for her that could lead to a win at the Royal Rumble.

Carmella is a better performer in every way than she was when she won the SmackDown Women's Championship in 2018. She has shown improvement in the ring and got to show the fun side of her personality while aligned with Truth. 

She and Bayley are known for being best friends outside the ring, so seeing them collide at WrestleMania would be fun for the people who have known them collectively as Baymella since their days in NXT.

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Who do you think has the best chance of winning the 2019 Royal Rumble matches?