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Arguably the most entertaining aspect of the Royal Rumble is the mystery surrounding who will be in the match. WWE has confirmed the following stars.
The Royal Rumble is just a day away now, and fans may be wondering who WWE has confirmed will be in the match for both the men and the women. There haven’t been a bunch of qualification bouts as in some years gone by, so it’s been a bit tougher than usual to keep track of everyone who has raised their hand and said, “count me in.” Still, 16 men and seven women have been announced as participants in the Royal Rumble. WWE could add more during the go-home SmackDown show—those names, if any, will be added to this list after the fact—but as it stands right now, these are the wrestlers WWE fans can expect to enter the over-the-top-rope battle royal on January 28.
On the men’s side: Santos Escobar, Austin Theory, Braun Strowman, Sheamus, Dominik Mysterio, Baron Corbin, Ricochet, Kofi Kingston, Omos, Cody Rhodes, Gunther, Drew McIntyre, Seth Rollins, Bobby Lashley, Karrion Kross, and Rey Mysterio have all been confirmed. For the women: Zelina Vega, Raquel Rodriguez, Liv Morgan, Emma, Rhea Ripley, Shayna Baszler, and Candice LeRae will be in the Royal Rumble.
Sami Zayn, Asuka and Other Likely Royal Rumble Entrants
There are a handful of wrestlers who WWE hasn’t announced but will likely appear in the match. Sami Zayn, for instance, isn’t a confirmed participant but has the second-best odds of winning the Royal Rumble, according to Las Vegas. Roman Reigns stated at Raw is 30 that he didn’t want to see the Honorary Uce until the premium live event. Be careful what you wish for, even when you’re the head of the table. WWE has also reportedly been hopeful that Logan Paul will be able to participate in the battle royal. He’s been shelved with an injury since Crown Jewel but might be healthy enough for this match. Bad Bunny, Pat McAfee, and John Cena are a few more names that WWE could bring in to boost the star power of the men’s event.
The women’s Royal Rumble match is much wider open, with more than 20 openings left to fill. Asuka might not only enter the fight but could win it as she debuts an offshoot of her old “evil clown” gimmick. As of Friday afternoon, three of Vegas’ five most likely winners haven’t been confirmed yet. That’s Becky Lynch, Bayley, and Alexa Bliss. Bliss has a title match against Bianca Belair on Saturday, but that hasn’t prevented fans from thinking she’ll be involved in the Royal Rumble. Saturday night would be a superb spot for a Naomi return, and at least a few NXT standouts will be utilized. Don’t count out a Chelsea Green re-debut or Beth Phoenix reappearing to take out Rhea Ripley, either. Reports indicate that, as of the middle of this week, there were no plans for Ronda Rousey or Charlotte Flair to be involved.
WWE is walking the line between confirmed entrants and mystery well this year. The women’s Royal Rumble seems exceptionally light, however, opening the door for twists and turns along the way. This is the starting line on the road to WrestleMania 39, and Triple H will want to make this show a massive one. There are enough pieces in place to maintain interest—the 2023 version will probably be the most-viewed Royal Rumble in history—but there are also enough openings for WWE to drop in some massive surprises. It might not be The Rock or Stone Cold Steve Austin, but that won’t make this show any less entertaining.
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