10 Most Likely WWE Royal Rumble 2018 Winners

Unlike last year, where Randy Orton went into the Royal Rumble as the odds-on favourite, few of us are prepared to put any money on the Viper taking home the spoils this time round. There's just no real sense that he is being set up for a main event push, and in any case, he is reportedly set for time off over WrestleMania season.

The most convincing case one can put forward for an Orton victory on January 28 derives from the fact that, despite falling down the WWE pecking order over recent months, he remains one of the company's biggest stars - as well as, so it seems, one of the most difficult to please.

If the 37-year-old's apparent desire for a reduced schedule is symptomatic of wider frustrations with his place on the card, then it's conceivable that Vince McMahon and co could decide to throw him a 'Mania-sized bone, promising him a place at the top of the Show of Shows in return for some renewed commitment.

Booking-wise, there's a lot of potential in a proper one-on-one feud between Orton and current WWE Champion AJ Styles too - we've seen them rub shoulders once or twice on SmackDown, though not to any meaningful extent - but the rumours that he will be away over February makes us doubt it.

A good, well-mapped build-up takes two.