Royal Rumble 2014 - 30 Man Royal Rumble Match

[Jack-Hammer]

Since there's no thread talking about this particular match, the centerpiece of the event itself, I figured I'd go ahead and make one. As of right now, the known entrants to this year's Royal Rumble match are:

CM Punk
Batista
Alberto Del Rio
Big E. Langston
The Miz
R-Truth
Xavier Woods
Kofi Kingston
Cody Rhodes
Goldust
Dean Ambrose
Seth Rollins
Roman Reigns
Rey Mysterio
Fandango
Luke Harper
Erick Rowan
Jimmy Uso
Jey Uso
Damien Sandow

That leaves 10 spots available and I'm GUESSING these men will be entered:

Road Dogg
Billy Gunn
Ryback
Curtis Axel
The Great Khali
Jack Swagger
Antonio Cesaro
Titus O'Neil
Darren Young
Sheamus

CM Punk was given the #1 spot this past Monday on Raw after smacking Kane around a bit, so Kane smacked back by throwing his authoritarian weight around as "Director of Operations." I read a report earlier this week saying that there aren't plans to put Daniel Bryan in the Royal Rumble match, which is possible as I'm expecting him to lose to Wyatt due to interference either from Harper & Rowan or possibly even Shawn Michaels. HBK is part of a panel of past winners who'll be at the event, so I look for him to get some payback on Bryan for forcing him to tap out to the Yes Lock and knocking the gray whiskers off his face with the running knee. The reason I added The Great Khali is simple: he's the only semi-relevant super heavyweight that's available. Mark Henry was "injured" by Brock Lesnar and I don't think Show will be "physically able" to compete after his match with Lesnar. After all, you can't have a battle royal without at least one super heavyweight. Sheamus has been out injured and the last thing I read about him suggested that he'd be back in time for the Royal Rumble. I think most of WWE's tag teams will be featured in the Rumble match itself, I think the Rhodes boys & the NAO will be pulling double duty.

As for the winner this year, unfortunately, I think it's gonna be Batista. I'm sure WWE's paying him a pretty decent chunk of change and they're gonna want to get the most out of him. With this being Batista's very first match back in WWE in nearly 4 years, I don't really see him losing it.

 

[FitFinlay4Life]

Do you not see any surprise entrants this year? Given that this is regarded as the beginning of the road to WrestleMania and a milestone one at that - I'd be surprised if there are none and I'd actually expect more than normal this year... the only question would be who? Is Hogan a possibility? Warrior? Austin? Rock? What's your thoughts JH?

 

[MCMG]

Hopefully the NAO don't enter; leaving more spaces for "surprise" entrants. I'd think Jericho will appear and hopefully RVD. I'd even take Evan Bourne. I'd like to think they have a major surprise lined up but I can only dream (Hogan, Warrior Rock)

I'm quite invested into the idea of The Shield (and Punk) effectively dominating the entire match until the late 20's. Perhaps, The Shield eliminating half the field and Punk getting 4/5. I'm also interested in seeing what happens regarding how The Shield get eliminated (presuming Reigns doesn't win) Does one of them turn on another? The Wyatt Family? Batista, Sheamus, Bryan clearing them out. All options.

Right now I think there are four potential winners. Sheamus, Bryan, Punk, Batista. If Bryan enters surely he must win. Otherwise I'm going with the obvious name and saying Batista wins. I'm not overly keen for this result but it looks too likely. I'd much rather Punk or Sheamus win but they seem long-shots.

 

[Aquaman6686]

I'm hoping for a surprise return by Christian. Christian is WWE's most underutilized talent and could have been one of the biggest Superstars of all time if WWE hadn't sabotaged his main event push and had Randy Orton completely bury him in their feud.

Chris Jericho and Rob Van Dam would also be welcome additions to the Rumble match, and I could never completely count out a Jericho victory.

As for the winner, I'm hoping for either CM Punk or a shocker victory by Dolph Ziggler (hey, NOBODY called Sheamus winning in 2012).

 

[Ziirox]

I love the Royal Rumble. Favorite PPV of the year.

To a certain extent, I don't even care who wins this match. My hopes are that CM Punk walks out with a victory this Sunday.

Anyway... By far the most exciting part of the Royal Rumble is not knowing who will be coming out of that curtain when the buzzer hits.

Here are some my hopes for surprise entrants this year:

Sheamus
X-Pac
John Morrison
Dean Malenko
Lance Storm
Scott Steiner
DDP
MVP
The Hurricane
Muhammad Hassan
Sycho Sid
Jake "The Snake" Roberts
Vader

 

[Thewweera]

Is Sheamus healthy enough to come back? He might make a surprise return. Same with Jericho and RVD. I think Batista will win and Roman Reigns will make a huge impact.Punk will probably be screwed by the authority.

 

[Wolf Pac]

I was hoping The Usos or The Brotherhood would pull a "Demolition" and enter at numbers 1 & 2, I'd love to see a tag team start off a Rumble match again, but I'm good with Punk entering at #1. How awesome would it be if Daniel Bryan drew #2 and he begins the match against Punk, with the two lasting all the way to the final four? But we don't even know if Bryan will be in the match and if he is, I honestly expect one of The Shield members, likely Rollins or Ambrose, to start with Punk instead. Actually if Bryan is gonna be in the Rumble, probably would've better if he started off at #1 and repeated his mentor HBK's perfomance and went on to win the Rumble. What a moment that could've been, especially with Shawn watching as part of the PPV's panel. Plus it would be 10 years since he who shall not be named won the thing at #1.

For suprise entrants, I see RVD & Sheamus returning. Probably Jericho too but it would be the second year in a row that he returned in the Rumble, a return from him in this year's match wouldn't have the same impact as last year. Maybe they should save his return for Elimination Chamber. I'm expecting Jake Roberts based on his appearance from Old School Raw. I'd love to see a couple of Attitude Era names that we haven't seen in years, like Bob Holly and maybe Steve Blackman, those are two guys who I think can still go, or how about The APA even though we've seen Ron & JBL recently, but a tag team reunion in the Rumble match would be a cool idea.

As for the winner, I think it will be Batista for the reasons Jack-Hammer mentioned. And with Brock gunning for the title too, I can see him winning the belt at the next PPV and defending it against Batista in what should be a huge draw at Wrestlemania. Who knows what will happen with Batista & Lesnar in the next year, so WWE may wanna book that match as quick as they can. If not The Beast vs. The Animal then I could see it being Batista vs Orton for the title probably with Triple H as a special referee or something.

 

[Pedigree1]

I love the Royal Rumble PPV always around or on my birthday...

There is only like 4 names that have a chance to win the Rumble! Punk,Bryan,Batista,and my surprise dark horse pick Roman Reigns IMO! But more than likely Batista is going to win,although i dont want him too.. The WWE is paying him a huge chunk of change,and promised him the title I assume,but I hope they dont go this rout.. I want Daniel Bryan to win,but does he need to win to enter the Main event spot at WM?? I dont think he does...

I think JH is on point in saying at least this,Show will not be able to compete after Lesnar mauls him at the RR leaving Show unable to compete.. Khali would be the only superheavyweight that should enter,after henry was injured and show might not make it.. Daniel Bryan i suspect will lose against Bray after outside interference from the Wyatt Clan,that much is a given IMO..

Sheamus from I have read,is healing slower than expected as he tore both Labrums from my understanding.. One labrum is like a 8 month recovery i cant imagine tearing both of them.. I dont see Sheamus being cleared in time for the Royal Rumble unless WWE and Sheamus,are keeping this very hush hush... Its possible but i doubt it.. Y2J is the most likely i would assume,so i suspect he will be a surprise entrant..

The rock as far as I know hasn't finished up Fast 7,so I dont think he will make an appearance.. Batista Wins although I dont think its right after a 4 year hissy fit!!

 

[the_peoples_adam]

Well Royal Rumble is a real treat to watch.. Surprises.. Legends.. Great moments.. Nobody can dislike a RR match due to the eagerness that it brings to the fans..

This year a lot of legends may return at rumble for the 10 positions left..Out of the 10 left i think 6 or 7 will be surprise entrants and let it be..Dats where the bueaty of this match lies..

For the winner this year i clearly see BATISTA as the one. Brock lesnar(c) vs Batista for the WWE World title at WM 30 is most likely to happen. And they can add Hogan as the guest referee for this as he is not fit for a match...

With that maybe this year its CENA vs TAKER in the streak match..A great story buildup after RR to WM 30 for this can make it the greatest match in the history of this buisiness.

 

[Eyebrows]

Batista is definitely my pick to win. After the Orton/Flair interchange a few weeks back I thought they'd end up going with Batista/Orton, given the history both men have with Flair. I can definitely see an Evolution 'reunion' with all four men in the ring together (though not as allies). It's possible Punk could win giving his involvment with the Authority but it's more likely he'll be heading to face Triple H. I still wouldn't rule out Bryan yet based on the reactions he's getting.

As for surprise entrants, I think RVD will definitely be returning. I'd rather see someone like Rikishi as a surprise entrant for the superheavyweight instead of Khali, and having him out with the Usos would be fun. The only problem is that a lot of the legends that could have been surprises were on old-school Raw so they're still in recent memory. Guys like Jericho and RVD aren't much of a surprise anymore. It's great to see them and they'll get a pop but everytime they're brought back as a surprise it's diminishing returns. I don't know how many genuine surprises are left. If Roberts hadn't appeared on Raw, a Royal Rumble appearence from him would have been awesome. I have a feeling they chose Raw to test the waters with Jake to see if he was healthy enough for the Rumble.

Goldberg, Sting, Steiner, Warrior, Hogan would be sweet but I can't see it happening. Scott Hall/Razor Ramon could be cool too but I don't know what shape he's in.

I actually think Triple H will be a surprise entrant, coming in when Punk is in the ring with The Shield or NAO to personally eliminate him, then Punk returning the favour later in the night.

 

[CultOfPersonality]

I'm sure Bad News Barrett was announced for the rumble but he's not on that list. Have I missed something or is he no longer taking part? I was looking forward to his new gimmick ring debut

 

[kumarjtk]

this year royal rumble winner is not going to win the title. So leave the winner.

This year surprise entrants are

Return stars

Sheamus
Rvd
Jericho

Legends

Ddp
Jake roberts

Kane attack some jobber and get their spot to eliminated cm punk and set a match at ec.

Each year a superstar will eliminated quickly. This its going to be Fan Dan Go.

More elimination goes to Roman Reigns.

Shock eliminations are

Mysterio eliminates del rio.
Goldust eliminated cody rhodes.
Ambrose eliminates Roman Reigns.

 

[Trill Co$by]

this year royal rumble winner is not going to win the title. So leave the winner.

Considering WWE likes to keep going with the whole "Royal Rumble winners to become Champion at Mania" percentage each year, and with it being under 70% this year, I'm going to say that the person who wins the Rumble will definitely be walking out with the title. And, like I've said, I don't see Batista or Lesnar walking out of the rumble the winner. I don't even see them getting the title at Mania. Batista, I assume, will win the title at SummerSlam.

And to build up for SummerSlam, I think Punk will win the title at Mania and from there, he'll feud with the Authority after beating Orton at Extreme Rules. Then he'll go through the laundry list of former HHH & Stephanie McMahon allies, and it'll end with Batista beating CM Punk at SummerSlam.

If not CM Punk, then I wouldn't mind seeing Roman Reigns win the Rumble and go on to win the WWE World Heavyweight title. It's been a while since a person's come around and a vast majority of people instantly believed the said person could be the face of the company.

 

[Turnz05]

I'd love to see The Shield be given just one entrance number. (The first time in WWE history) That would be awesome and make for a good Royal Rumble moment as they enter through the crowd together and go in and take over the Rumble. It would also go well with their gimmick.

 

[wwe fan2009]

Batista wins. read an article on main page saying that is still the plan

 

[BareAssBarrage]

Anyone considered an Undertaker return? I wouldn't say he would go onto win it but maybe setting up a feud for his imminent WMXXX match.

 

[JoVilla21]

Batista vs Brock doesn't need the title. They are both big names that don't need the title to "draw." Much like how Brock vs Triple H didn't need the title.

Anyways, I'm predicting Bryan loses to Bray due to interference from Harper and Rowan. Rowan and Harper are already in the rumble match then the clock runs down to 1 and Bryan is the next entrant (what a pop that would be) and he eliminates both to get revenge for costing him the match.
Why I believe this will happen is because if Rowan and Harper get eliminated by someone like Sheamus or Batista, then they'll look weak, but if Bryan eliminates them, it won't be random, it'll be someone who they're feuding with.

To the poster who said, "No one called Sheamus winning in 2012", yeah, I called him winning, I didn't have an account yet though. I called either Sheamus winning or Jericho winning.

Hopefully Batista doesn't win this year. Why? Because it's obvious he'll win just like last year when everyone knew Cena was gonna win. Hopefully WWE gives a swerve and have someone else win. My personal pick would be Punk cause I'm a fan of his but I'd love for Bryan to win.That would create a huge moment.

 

[Kris Benwa]

I actually thought about this earlier and while I haven't thought about the surprise entrants I love the idea of Triple H himself being one. I think Bryan enters the rumble at a late entrant like when you're thinking if they were going to put him in they would have done it already. Final four: Punk, Batista, Bryan, Reigns. How I'd book it the rest of the shield and Reigns throw out Punk to continue his feud with the authority but while they're celebrating, Ambrose and Rollins eliminate Reigns. Leaving Batista and Bryan. Give them enough time to make the final 2 look competitive but Bryan wins it.

From there how I'd book it is have either Orton or Cena win the EC for the title leading them to challenge Bryan. The loser would challenge Taker.
After EC have Heyman and Lesnar talk junk about he's the most dominant and beastly have Batista cut them off at that point and give them a staredown and a brawl.
Have Punk and Triple H's story go as planned
Shield Triple Threat for the US title

 

[Rhodes2TheFuture3313]

I'm all for bringing in some former talents to get a nostalgia pop or even compete longer than a few minutes in the Royal Rumble match, but I'm just curious. Has Any WWE superstar made his debut in the rumble match itself? If so I'd love to know. Why not take the time debut a couple of nxt talents? I know Bo Dallas didn't work out, but bringing the younger guys in as heels or having them eliminate a fan fav is a better way to debut someone. Mostly because these guys are unknown to a vast majority of the WWE Universe. Another cool way to debut a young guy at the rumble would be to have him come out to a current superstar's music or a legend and then be like WTH??? I'm not saying the guy has to eliminate 10 guys or make it to the final 4, but it would be a cool attention getter. Maybe even to get the attention of Brad Maddox and or Vickie Guerrero.

 

[berlinbrawler]

It has happened in the past. Two debuts stand out in my mind. The first was Daniel Puder, who, after winning the most pathetic season of Tough Enough ever, made his wrestling debut at the Royal Rumble. He came in, got beat up for 2 minutes by Eddie, Benoit and Hardcore Holly, then tossed out. Incidentally this was also his retirement match.
The other debut that sticks out is that of one Giant Gonzalez. It was truly surreal. He wasn't even really in the match. Undertaker is in the ring, out comes a naked sasquatch, eliminates him and beats him up. And left again. While Gonzalez' career lasted longer than Puder's, general consensus is that it was a damn shame that it did.
I'm sure there have been more, but that's all I can remember right now. From this standpoint, debuting at the Rumble is something any wrestler should be keen to avoid at all costs.

 

[WrestlingForumGod88]

I recall Bo Dallas last year making his debut and putting in an impressive display, I think he eliminated Wade Barrett which led to mini fued until Dallas was shipped back to NXT not long after the rumble. Debuts in the rumble never really generate much of an impact because no one knows who they are, I would rather them debut on a RAW after weeks of hype and let the legends or surprise returns take spare spots in the rumble.

 

[Romer318]

It's a tough call but I could see CM Punk winning it but what I would really love to see is Roman Reigns winning it and turning face on the way to Mania to face Orton. I don't really see it going down that way, but it's just something as a fan I'd like to see happen.

 

[CultOfPersonality]

I've just read that Wade Barrett has 'given up' his rumble place for a legend, and the clue to said legend is the word: Voodoo

I'm gonna be pissed if we don't get to see BNB Barrett debut just so Papa Shango can show up and get chucked out just like last year (as Godfather), why can't someone with no reason to be in the Rumble lose their place instead (yes, that means you, R Truth).

The only way this can be redeemed is if Voodoo is a more cryptic clue that it seems and someone better than Shango is going to be in the Rumble, but I doubt it.

 

[The Grizz]

I have put a lot of thought into this, and with all the irons in the Heavyweight Champ picture, I'm calling some sort of " no winner" finish.

If that's not the case, punk wins!

As for the BNB "voodoo" comment...it's billy or road dog...Voodoo Kin Mafia

 

[Romer318]

Both Bill and Road Dog are already in the Rumble I believe and I'd hate to see a no winner finish. I think that is the worst possible thing they could do, they need to either give the win to a young guy who could take the win and run with it OR give it to Punk and have him go on to Mania to beat Punk. Thinking about it more, a triple threat at Mania with Bryan, Punk and Orton would be a great match. Hell, I'd even love to see a fatal four way with those three and Reigns. But without Reigns winning the Rumble I don't see that being a valid option. For the first time in a while I'm actually going into the RR with no idea whose gonna win, it's a pretty exciting feeling.