10 Early Favourites To Win WWE Royal Rumble 2018 Match

6. Bobby Roode

Roman Reigns
WWE.com

It's an outside bet - but then, so was Randy Orton this time last year.

Bobby Roode's character worked so well in NXT because he's every bit as good as he says he is. His ridiculous, borderline masturbatory appeals only work because he is glorious. He'd look an absolute t*t waving his hands about if he wasn't - about as legit as The Miz during his 2012-2015 wilderness years. The line between massive success and pitiable joke is perilously close - which might trigger concerns over his main roster promotion. They can't mess him up. Worryingly, an act as precarious Roode's narrows the scope for failure. Roode debuted to much fanfare on SmackDown Live - in a face role, bizarrely, given that his heel run in NXT has been, well, you know the rest.

Roode is 40 years old. In phenomenal shape he may be, but there is an imposed ceiling looming over his head. And, while he wrestles a safer style than that of his peers, he's punched his bump clock a fair old number of times. His age and his schtick practically necessitate an immediate push to the top. There are fewer better avenues to that than a successful Road to WrestleMania.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!