Who is Going to Win the 2023 WWE Royal Rumble?

The 2023 WWE Royal Rumble is this Saturday, and it's shaping up to be an exciting event. As with every year, the Rumble will feature returns and surprises. However, Saturday's event could end up being one of the biggest in a while. Below, we will go over five possible winners for the 2023 WWE Men's Royal Rumble.

Possible Winners for the 2023 WWE Men's Royal Rumble

Roman Reigns

This isn't the most exciting option, but if any year could have a defending champion win and make it worthwhile, it could be this one. Roman Reigns has two belts that he could defend at WrestleMania, and one way to give him storylines to put both on the line is to give him options. Reigns’ ego has been a mainstay for the Bloodline storyline and having him seal his own fate by putting both belts on the line could make sense in his desperation to gain admiration.

Having the Bloodline, namely Sami Zayn, help Roman win before his hubris breaks the group apart would be thematic in its own right. It's not the most likely option, but don’t count out one last moment of glory for the Bloodline before it all falls apart at Roman’s feet.

Seth Rollins

The WWE rumors for a time had Seth Rollins competing against Cody Rhodes for one of the two top titles at the Showcase of the Immortals. How exactly we get to that moment could be challenging from here, but not impossible. Rollins won against Roman at last year’s Royal Rumble by DQ, so him being the one to finally beat his old ally would be in tune with that storyline, at the very least.

Not to mention Seth has earned another main event. He’s been carrying WWE RAW in part since it lost its top champion slot, and another chance to renew his feud with Rhodes after winning the 2023 WWE Royal Rumble would be an apt reward. Those plans could still take place without the title, or simply be put aside for other possible winners with more momentum, so Rollins will have to wait a little longer for his next title reign most likely.

Photo by@TheRock/Instagram

The Rock

These next three spots have all been reported on heavily and could realistically be the ones to face Roman Reigns at WrestleMania. However, none of these hold more controversy than Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.

First, the cons. This plan seemed all but certain with Vince McMahon more clearly in charge of WWE, and it has lost a little steam since then while other names like our top two picks gaining momentum under Triple H. The Rock himself has actually denied an appearance, if you believe him, claiming to not be in good enough shape to compete in the ring (somehow). And perhaps most critically for this pick, The Rock doesn’t need the win to face Roman. Showing up and costing Roman the Royal Rumble or simply antagonizing the Tribal Chief could be enough for a legend like The Rock to get a shot at one of the belts.

That all aside, this is a true once-in-a-lifetime moment on the table. The Rock winning fits perfectly into the story of Roman’s quest for family dominance, an obvious plot hole in Roman’s own claims of pride so far. No name would generate more attention or eyes on the product, and who knows if this chance could ever come up again. While perhaps not perfect choice, fans may hate to admit how much sense one more win for Dwayne would make.

Sami Zayn

He’s not the number one choice, but the question is, should he be? Sami Zayn has been the center of WWE’s narrative for close to a year now. He has scratched and clawed his way to being the top babyface of the company, and any other year this storyline would be too obvious to ignore. Roman has ruined Zayn’s life while also giving him false hope all the while, and a moment of ultimate revenge would be so sweet.

But is this a case of choosing sweets over a healthier option? Zayn’s win is thematic, gigantic and perhaps the most popular choice, but what happens from the Royal Rumble to WrestleMania? How does the will-they-won’t-they turn dynamic last that long? And is it worth giving up the option of Zayn facing his fears in front of his home crowd?

For some, this may seem like the only right choice, but I think Sami Zayn’s story could be so much more interesting than this easy choice. Zayn and Owens reuniting and winning the tag belts before Zayn eventually gets the big one has an even higher upside, in my opinion. And best of all, I think there’s one name who is even better to win the 2023 WWE Royal Rumble.

Cody Rhodes | Royal Rumble Predictions

Just this once, let’s not insist on a change of plans. Cody Rhodes sold his soul to win the big one for his Dad and sold his body to give the fans a show we didn’t deserve. His only sin is that he’s not Sami Zayn, but Rhodes deserves this win anyway.

Right or wrong, Cody’s circumstance demand to be capitalized on. While Zayn and The Rock have compelling arguments, they both have workarounds that still make sense. Zayn can have his true support shown in Kevin Owens before building to another crowning moment with even higher stakes, and The Rock is still The Rock, his shine doesn’t need a Rumble. Cody’s first full year in WWE again, coming off one of the greatest performances of all time in his Hell in a Cell efforts, only happens once. The story of winning one for the American Dream through this adversity can’t be told again like this, so the time has to be now. Just this once, the obvious choice is the right one.