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Unless WWE separates the Undisputed Championship, winning the 2023 Men's Royal Rumble match will be even more important.
With only one Championship to pursue, it further narrows the field of possible winners. Hot new stars with momentum might not have the same chance as in the past when both RAW and SmackDown had major titles.
Last year's match was won by part-timer Brock Lesnar, leading to the title unification at WrestleMania 38. With so many deserving full-time stars on the roster, it essentially canceled out any championship opportunities on the Road to WrestleMania.
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Unless the titles are broken up before the Show of Shows, then stars like Matt Riddle, Braun Strowman, and Karrion Kross will only have outside shots of winning.
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If the titles remain unified on the Road to WrestleMania, these five stars mentioned on this list have the best odds of winning the men's Royal Rumble.
#5 Bobby Lashley has enjoyed a career resurgence
Lashley won the WWE title at last year's Royal Rumble thanks to interference from Roman Reigns. He would eventually lose the belt at the Elimination Chamber event in February. Lashley then later captured the United States Championship from Austin Theory.
While his chances aren't as high as some other superstars, few performers pose as much of a physical threat as Lashley. Physically imposing stars are always treated as favorites to win battle royals.
The former WWE Champ has also become a fan favorite, so much so that he's facing Brock Lesnar at Crown Jewel.
#4 Kevin Owens is a workhorse for WWE
Owens was one of the first challengers after Reigns won the Universal title. He hasn't held a major title since 2017 but has done some of the best work of his career in 2022. His promos and matches have solidified why Triple H had faith in Owens as the face of NXT at one point.
Another reason behind a potential Royal Rumble win for Owens is the aforementioned history with Reigns. Outside interference marred every one of his fights for the Universal title.
The Prizefighter always does his best work, whether it's a serious feud against Seth Rollins or a comedic take opposing Ezekial. Owens deserves a good title run after dropping the Universal title to Goldberg years ago.
#3 Bray Wyatt is one of the most unique performers in wrestling history
Before his release in 2021, Bray Wyatt was one of the most captivating characters in all of wrestling. Few stars in wrestling have the presence that Wyatt has, leading to intriguing and compelling angles.
Building on his history with Daniel Bryan, Seth Rollins, and John Cena made those feuds some of the best in recent history. He had been out of wrestling for a year but made a triumphant return to WWE at Extreme Rules.
Another interesting fact is that Reigns beat Wyatt for the Universal Championship two years ago. What better way to pay Wyatt back than for him to win the Royal Rumble?
#2 Cody Rhodes could be back for the Royal Rumble
If Rhodes can return in time for the Royal Rumble, he has to be one of the heavy favorites to win.
His arc when he returned revolved around his father never winning the WWE Championship. For that reason, and for the fact that he has immensely delivered within his short return, Rhodes deserves both a Rumble win and a title win.
Furthermore, it's well past time for some other stars to represent WWE as the top Champions. Due to his great work since April, Rhodes winning the Royal Rumble would make a lot of sense.
#1 The Rock is always one match away
If rumors are true that WWE wants Roman Reigns to face The Rock in the main event of WrestleMania 39 in Hollywood, the easiest way for that to happen would be for The Rock to win the Royal Rumble.
The match makes sense from a storyline standpoint due to the familial connection, but it also means that Reigns will likely win.
It's past time to take one or both of the titles from Reigns. Despite being a huge name, the person to dethrone The Tribal Chief should be a full-time star and not someone returning for one match. However, The Great One would still be a fan-favorite to outlast 29 other stars in January.
