After weeks and weeks of anticipation, fans will file into Tropicana Field and tune into Peacock in mass to finally see the 2024 Royal Rumble, a show that will be absolutely jam-packed with WWE Superstars despite only having four official matches on the card.
Soon, fans will see if there's a new Undisputed WWE Universal Champion, a new United States Champion, and, most importantly of all, who will win the men's and women's Royal Rumble matches, which will go on to define two of the biggest matches at WrestleMania 40.
The stakes are high, the crowd will be hot, and the fallout will fuel the next few months of WWE programming, with the Elimination Chamber likely to only add more fuel to the fire lit in Tampa Bay.
So, without further ado, here are five bold predictions for the 2024 Royal Rumble.
5. There are no A-List surprises in either Royal Rumble match
As though it may be to admit, fans have become a bit spoiled when it comes to surprise debuts and returns at the Royal Rumble.
From AJ Styles in 2016 to Edge in 2020 to the slew of performers before and after who made names for themselves in the match, fans expect to see star power in the Royal Rumble more so than at any other event on the WWE calendar year and get disappointed when those expectations aren't met.
In 2023, there wasn't really an A-Lister who made his debut, with a few NXT stars appearing in the women's match and Booker T headlining the men's side of things. Could that change in 2024? Sure, but based on the rumors and expectations surrounding the show, it feels like the show will be filled with B-level debuts at best, which might be a good thing, considering the top of the cards are already so loaded with talents.
4. Logan Paul retains his United States Championship
Heading into the Royal Rumble, it felt like this was Kevin Owens' match to win, but after news broke that Paul was officially joining WWE as a full-time performer, that all changed. If Paul plans to stick around, do television a few times a month, and work big-time matches at Premium Live Events, it feels more appropriate to keep the belt on him to capitalize on his star power.
Who, then, should dethrone the “Maverick” in the future? Well, why not LA Knight, who could finally become a main roster champion just a few hours away from his hometown at WrestleMania 40? Yeah!
3. Bayley wins the Woman's Royal Rumble
When news broke that Charlotte Flair was going to be out of action for pretty much all of 2024 after suffering a compound knee injury, it left the plans for WrestleMania 40 very much up in the air.
Sure, there are plenty of talented performers who could take Flair's spot, more performers than there are spots, to be frank, but few are as surefire as “The Queen,” who felt like a worthy challenger for IYO SKY in the same way Becky Lynch is for Rhea Ripley on RAW.
One solution? Bayley wins the Royal Rumble, gets turned on by Damage CTRL, and finally turns babyface for the first time in what feels like forever. This option, unlike, say, Damian Priest winning the Money in the Bank ladder match, is rich with drama and could produce the sort of compelling program that rises above your typical Rumble fair, as it would make an inflection point in a story nearly two years in the making.
2. Roman Reigns retains his Undisputed WWE Universal Title.
At this point, how do you make a Roman Reigns title defense feel relevant, especially when he's borderline guaranteed to hold the strap until WrestleMania 40 at the earliest?
Two words: Fatal Fourway.
That's right, in this match, Reigns doesn't even have to be pinned in order to lose his belt, with AJ Styles, LA Knight, and Randy Orton all having an even 25 percent chance to win the belt. What could happen? Could Orton RKO Styles for the win? Could LA Knight get planted with a Phenomenal Forearm?
… yeah, Jimmy Uso and Solo Sikoa will probably interfere, the match will continue, and Reigns will retain, with the only drama really coming from a potential appearance by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, which feels questionable at best.
1. CM Punk wins the Men's Royal Rumble.
And last but not least, the winner of the men's 2024 Royal Rumble should be… CM Punk.
I know, I know, rumor has it the spot is going to Gunther, who came a few seconds away from besting Cody Rhodes in last year's running of the match, but come on, is there a more contentious feud going right now that Punk versus Seth Rollins, who seems to legitimately hate the “Best in the World” and isn't too shy about saying it?
Yes, Punk versus Rhodes could be cool in a bizarro world AEW sort of way, but Punk needs to finish his story with a main event win over Rollins, and the “American Nightmare” can still earn a rematch against Roman Reigns at the Elimination Chamber, assuming The Rock doesn't beat him to it.
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