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Despite the event only being less than two days away, the 2021 Men's Royal Rumble Match remains one of the most unpredictable editions of the 30-man showcase. There are so many possible winners on both, RAW and SmackDown.
This is the most anticipated match of the year, one that is filled with intrigue throughout. There are lots of potential surprises that could take place, as well as some high-profile moments. The Royal Rumble always promises a litany of memorable spots and confrontations, among other things.
This article is a last-minute attempt to predict some of the major plot points that could occur in this year's Men's Royal Rumble Match, as well as how this match could be laid out. This includes possible shock entrants, key eliminations, some major moments, and of course, the winner.
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Along with this, check out our last-minute predictions for the Women's Royal Rumble Match. It is incredibly tough to predict a match like this, but here goes.
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#5 The chaos from SmackDown continues at the start of the Men's Royal Rumble Match
The final half an hour of the go-home SmackDown before the Royal Rumble was an absolute mess. A proposed classic between Daniel Bryan and AJ Styles eventually turned its way into a 10-man tag team match, following various interferences from some SmackDown Superstars and a couple of visiting RAW Superstars.
The likes of Cesaro, Sami Zayn, and Shinsuke Nakamura should all continue their in-ring brawling in the opening moments of the Royal Rumble Match. The opening ten entrants could all be from the main event of this week's SmackDown, featuring a great cast of technical geniuses.
Either Styles or Bryan could be the iron man of the Royal Rumble, while Cesaro is also primed to have an impressive showing in the match. He and Shinsuke Nakamura could further get into it on Sunday, as the entire first third of the Men's Royal Rumble Match is dedicated to some excellent wrestling.
However, the most entertaining part of all of this could be Sami Zayn. Whichever position he enters from the opening ten spots, he is sure to complain and claim that there is a WWE-wide conspiracy against him. He is going to be so annoying while doing it and it is going to be awesome.
The messy end to SmackDown could be molded and used to create an extremely fun start to the Rumble Match. A combination of the technical genius of Cesaro and Shinsuke Nakamura, the star power of Daniel Bryan and AJ Styles, and the comic timing of Sami Zayn could create the best opening to a Royal Rumble ever.
#4 Seth Rollins headlines the surprise entrants in the Men's Royal Rumble Match
There are quite a few possible surprise entrants who could show up in the Men's Royal Rumble Match and make an instant impact. While names like Brock Lesnar are being thrown around, the biggest one might be Seth Rollins. His return is imminent, following his paternity leave to be alongside his fiancee Becky Lynch and their newborn daughter.
The four-time WWE world champion could have a major role to play at Royal Rumble, while other Superstars could make a comeback as well. Whether they are from NXT, the commentary desk, or simply a nostalgia entrant, Sunday could see some fun surprises. Each one is spoken of in more detail here.
Anyway, other surprise entrants aside from Rollins could include an NXT call-up for Damian Priest, who hasn't had anything to do since his defeat to Karrion Kross at NXT New Year's Evil. A one-time cameo from Carlito could be fun, considering he was set to be a part of RAW Legends Night.
Also, a couple of commentators in WWE could show up at Royal Rumble. Wade Barrett may return to the ring after nearly five years away, but it is a good bet for Samoa Joe to show up and be ready to fight. He has been out of the ring for nearly a year and has been sorely missed.
The RAW commentator could make a huge impact in the 2021 Men's Royal Rumble Match and after that, he better be factored into stories for the Red brand heading into WrestleMania.
#3 Other possible mid-Royal Rumble spots featuring Braun Strowman, AJ Styles, and the Mysterio family
There are several possible spots that are possible throughout the Royal Rumble Match, either through storyline continuity or as a one-off on the night. Here are a few of them that could very well happen on Sunday.
Braun Strowman, who returned on SmackDown, goes on a major tear and comes close to winning the Rumble. He looks in phenomenal shape and could throw out up to six or seven Superstars from the match. Speaking of phenomenal, AJ Styles could have his own story over the course of the match.
Omos might protect him from getting eliminated at every turn. Styles' giant bodyguard could catch him multiple times on his way from the ring to the floor, earning The Phenomenal One some heel heat as he goes on a lengthy stay in this match.
Meanwhile, John Morrison could have the (nearly) annual Royal Rumble spot that Kofi Kingston had and use his parkour skills to escape elimination in an astonishing way. With Kingston out of the match, Mustafa Ali and RETRIBUTION could have a mini-period of dominance.
In terms of shocking eliminations during the Men's Royal Rumble Match, we could see Dominik Mysterio chuck Rey Mysterio over the top rope, obviously in friendly competition. It would do wonders for the young star if he were to get one over on his legendary father in his Rumble debut.
#2 The Fiend returns to take out Randy Orton but not as an official Royal Rumble entrant
While all of the aforementioned spots were pretty fun, this one would be among the biggest during the entire Men's Royal Rumble Match. It is widely expected that 'The Fiend' Bray Wyatt will make his return and take Randy Orton out of the Royal Rumble, but how will he do it?
The Fiend does not need to enter the match, considering his sole purpose in WWE at this very moment is to haunt and destroy Randy Orton. The Viper could be on a roll and eliminate a bunch of Superstars before the lights start to flicker. Eventually, they are all out and Orton could feel The Fiend's presence.
There are two ways to approach this. Bray Wyatt's alter-ego could attack him immediately and get him eliminated, or the distraction is enough for Orton to get eliminated before getting absolutely destroyed on the stage. On a side note, The Fiend may show up as a deformed entity since he was literally set on fire at TLC.
Either moment would work towards an eventual conclusion between Randy Orton and The Fiend, possibly in a Firefly Fun House Match. Meanwhile, for the Royal Rumble, The Viper could get eliminated by his old rival, Edge. Man, Orton has made quite a lot of enemies in WWE over the past year.
#1 Daniel Bryan wins the 2021 Men's Royal Rumble Match
Not only is Daniel Bryan the favorite to win the Men's Royal Rumble Match, but he is also the best choice. This might be his last Rumble and he absolutely needs to win at least one before retiring from the ring. Bryan is the ideal challenger for Roman Reigns and the Universal Championship, in the main event of WrestleMania 37.
Other possible candidates to win it all are Edge, Big E, and outside bets, Sheamus and Cesaro. A surprise return could also come close, with Seth Rollins likely being in that spot. However, none of them make as much sense as Daniel Bryan emerging on top at the end of Royal Rumble 2021 with his hand held high.
While RAW's plans for WrestleMania seem to be all over the place, SmackDown's main event scene might be the clearest heading into April. Reigns has tons of potential challengers for The Show of Shows, with none fitting quite as well as Bryan would in the situation.
Roman Reigns vs. Daniel Bryan could very well be the only men's match locked in for WrestleMania 37 right now. This certainly bodes well for The Leader of the Yes Movement, who could finally get rid of the ghosts of the Royal Rumble from 2014 and 2015. It may come seven years too late, but a Rumble win is always special.
As mentioned near the beginning of these predictions, Bryan could be a part of the start of the Royal Rumble Match, serving as an extension of the chaos at the end of SmackDown. This would likely also make him the iron man of the match, an honor he is yet to receive in a 30-man Rumble.
Bryan does have the record for the longest time spent in any Royal Rumble Match, lasting around 76 minutes at the Greatest Royal Rumble. His chest was absolutely battered in that match. For that alone, along with everything else happening, Daniel Bryan deserves to win the 2021 Men's Royal Rumble Match. And he very well might.
