Ranking the chances of 7 men favored to win the WWE Royal Rumble this year

When it comes to the Royal Rumble, not every superstar is created equal. Some performers have a much greater chance of winning the match than others.

The likes of Cesaro, Dolph Ziggler, and Kofi Kingston are trusted veterans. When it comes to the likelihood of winning the 2022 Royal Rumble, however, their chances are not as great as compared to others.

If Drew McIntyre wasn't currently on the shelf with a neck injury, he would have been a big favorite to win the match.

This year's field is chock full of potential winners. Randy Orton could win another Rumble and join Stone Cold Steve Austin as the second three-time winner. He doesn't need another win in the match, but his angle with Riddle is nearing an end.

WWE could decide to push a current superstar that has been used in the mid-card, like Riddle or Damien Priest, into the main event with a win. It would be nice to see some new faces in the title pictures.

However, it's more likely that some perennial contenders and former Champions will win instead. Here are seven superstars who have a strong chance to win the Rumble and we have ranked them on the probability of them winning the bout. Current storylines, booking, and past track records are taken into account.

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#7 Sheamus could win a second Royal Rumble

The Celtic Warrior won the Royal Rumble 10 years ago on January 29th in St. Louis, Missouri. This year's event again takes place from the same place as well.

Sheamus is a superstar that has always been booked favorably. He has consistently gone over others new to the brand and has recently feasted on both Cesaro and Ricochet.

His character is essentially the same as usual, only this time he has a hat and a weapon. That doesn't mean WWE won't throw the fans a curveball by having Sheamus win another Royal Rumble 10 years after his first victory.

If a face dethrones Roman Reigns on the Road To WrestleMania, Sheamus could become a potential challenger. He's currently "mentoring" Ridge Holland after the former NXT Superstar was drafted to SmackDown.

WWE could decide to pay the Celtic Warrior back for his years of service with another win in the Royal Rumble. He may not have as great a chance as other superstars, but the company may not want to pass up the history between his Rumble wins.

#6 AJ Styles is a perfect choice to go the distance and win the Royal Rumble

AJ Styles debuted in the 2016 Royal Rumble. He entered third and had an encounter with current Universal Champion Roman Reigns. Styles later battled Reigns a few times and lost.

Since then, Styles has been booked as one of the top superstars in WWE. He has held the WWE Championship a few times as well as both mid-card Titles. Styles is also coming off his first run with the Tag Team Championships.

His former partner, Omos, will be in the Rumble. Because of his size, the commentators will say that the giant is a favorite to win. Larger superstars like Big Show, Mark Henry, Nia Jax, and the Great Khali, however, never won a Rumble.

With a strong track record, Styles could get revenge on Omos by eliminating him in the match. The Phenomenal One is a face again and he has great endurance. He hasn't been in the title picture in a long time, so a Rumble win could be in his future.

#5 Seth Rollins could win big at the Royal Rumble

There are a lot of moving parts regarding the men's Royal Rumble match. In the past, superstars who have lost title matches earlier in the night have entered the Rumble. Roman Reigns did it after losing to Kevin Owens in 2017.

Becky Lynch lost her Title match against Asuka in 2019 but won that year's Rumble.

A case to win can be made for each of the participants in the Universal and WWE Title matches this weekend. The losers of those Title matches would instantly become favorites to win the Rumble.

While Rollins could very well dethrone Reigns at the event, this is operating under the assumption that The Tribal Chief will win.

Rollins is one of the top superstars in all of WWE and can recover from losing to the Tribal Chief. He would then have a good chance of winning his second Rumble.

It would be best if someone new wins the Rumble instead. However, due to his position in the company, The Messiah could walk out of the event with another big win.

#4 Bobby Lashley looks set to have a big day at the Royal Rumble

Bobby Lashley faces Brock Lesnar for the first time at the Royal Rumble. The All Mighty has waited for this showdown for years. He gets it at one of the biggest pay-per-views of the year.

Lesnar recently won the Title at WWE Day 1. For that reason, there's a strong chance that the Beast Incarnate will retain at the Rumble. He doesn't win Championships only to drop them in his first defense.

Lashley could defeat Lesnar at the Rumble. That would make the Beast Incarnate a favorite to win his second Rumble match. But going with the thought of Lashley losing, he will be entering the 30-man match.

The former WWE Champ was booked almost as strongly as Roman Reigns in 2021. While he didn't have a record-breaking run as WWE Champion, he was rarely defeated. Even when he was the US Champion, he only lost it in a Triple Threat match.

Lashley has been built up as a major player. Because of that, he's a strong favorite in the Rumble if he enters it. Lashley is a physically dominant Superstar that could eliminate several men in the match.

#3 Big E looks to get back in the Title picture at the Royal Rumble

Big E is still a main event player in WWE and could win the 2022 Royal Rumble. He cashed in Money in the Bank on Lashley but lost the title to Lesnar at WWE Day 1.

The New Day member is still widely over with the crowd. He would be one of the sentimental favorites to win due to losing his title to Lesnar. That alone might not be enough, but Big E isn't attached to either of the Title matches at the Rumble.

Winning the 30-man match would be a good way to pay Big E back for losing his title due to unforeseen circumstances.

Big E and AJ Styles are two of the best options due to being faces. Each man would be a first-time winner, which is something WWE needs to keep using.

If the same stars are always winning things, the product is stagnant. A Big E win would surely change that scenario and the fans will not complain.

#2 & #1 Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns are instant favorites if either of them lose their Title match at Royal Rumble

Keep an eye on which Title match occurs first at the Royal Rumble. It would be strange for either the WWE or Universal Title match to open the pay-per-view. However, only four matches are currently announced.

Reigns is so used to closing every event that his match could go on early in the night. If he loses, it sets The Tribal Chief up to enter and likely win the Rumble. It wouldn't be all that exciting due to his utter dominance of WWE over the last two years.

The officials seem to be most comfortable with either Reigns or Lesnar as Champions. Reigns winning the Rumble would also be an excuse to have him challenge Lesnar if the Beast Incarnate retains at the event.

The match doesn't need a Rumble win to be booked, but WWE still likes that avenue of storytelling.

If Reigns or Lesnar loses, look for that person to enter and likely win his second Rumble. The Tribal Chief is the golden boy, so he has the best chance of winning if he enters.