WWE Royal Rumble 2017 Predictions: Who Could Win The Match And Main Event WrestleMania 33?

The 2017 Royal Rumble match has a much different feel surrounding it compared to recent years. The match still includes 30 wrestlers competing for a spot in the main event of WrestleMania, but there is no overwhelming favorite heading into the Jan. 29 pay-per-view.

It was pretty clear that Triple H would win the battle royal last year, and the fans booed much of the match in 2014 and 2015 because it was obvious that Batista and Roman Reigns would be the respective winners. The introduction of a new world title in the summer, however, makes this upcoming match difficult to predict.

John Cena will challenge AJ Styles for the WWE Championship at the PPV, and Kevin Owens will put his WWE Universal Championship on the line against Roman Reigns. It’s likely that none of those four WWE superstars will compete in the Royal Rumble, and one of the two winners is expected to face the battle royal winner at WrestleMania 33.

Chris Jericho’s impending WrestleMania match with Owens made him a favorite to win the Royal Rumble a few weeks ago, but his chances took a significant hit when he won the United States Championship on “Monday Night Raw.” The betting odds give Randy Orton better than a 3/1 chance to win the Royal Rumble, but his recent stint with The Wyatt Family doesn’t make him seem to be a likely winner. Brock Lesnar and Goldberg are both in the Royal Rumble, but it’d be a surprise to see either one of them win since they’ll likely face off against each other at WrestleMania 33.

Who has a realistic chance to win the 2017 Royal Rumble?

Braun Strowman

As the most unstoppable force in WWE since July’s brand split, Strowman might have a better chance than anyone to win the Royal Rumble. He’s never been pinned or submitted in WWE, and only a handful of wrestlers would be able to realistically toss him over the top rope in the battle royal. There have been rumors that Strowman might face Reigns at WrestleMania 33, and they could meet in a WWE Universal Championship match since Reigns seems likely to beat Owens at the upcoming PPV.

The Undertaker

Since this is The Undertaker’s first appearance in the Royal Rumble in eight years, he has to be considered among the favorites, if not the one wrestler with the best chance of winning the match. Cena is likely to take the WWE Championship from Styles earlier in the night, and a title match between Cena and The Undertaker is the biggest possible match the company can make in 2017.

Finn Balor

It’s easy to forget about Balor because he hasn’t wrestled since SummerSlam. He would probably be entering the match as the WWE Universal Champion if he hadn’t gotten hurt, and he could very well face Owens or Reigns in a rematch for the belt at WrestleMania 33. The biggest thing standing in the way of Balor’s Royal Rumble chances is his health, and it’s unknown if he’ll be cleared to wrestle in the match.

Samoa Joe

With nothing left to accomplish in NXT, it’s only a matter of time before Joe gets called up to the main roster. Much like Styles did in 2016, Joe could make his debut in the battle royal, setting up a big push for the rest of the year. If Styles is able to retain his WWE Championship until WrestleMania 33, Joe might make the perfect opponent.

Baron Corbin

If a darkhorse candidate is going to win the Royal Rumble, Corbin might be the best bet. He’s yet to hold a title in WWE, but the company appears to be high on him as a future top heel. Corbin has been booked strong since moving to “SmackDown Live” in July, and a WWE Championship opportunity could be in his near future.