Three names appear to be the favorites: Batista, Daniel Bryan and CM Punk. The case for Batista is pretty simple: he's a former top guy that's returning in a major way. He is fresher than anybody else right now, which gives him a huge advantage. The fact that he's also one of the bigger guys on the roster also helps him a lot because pushing big guys is something WWE has loved to do as long as they have been around. Daniel Bryan is the guy that SHOULD win. That doesn't mean he will. If you have watched the shows regularly since the summer he's the one that has been treated unfairly despite the fact that he's the most popular guy on the show. He won the WWE Title at SummerSlam and then he lost it after Orton went heel with Triple H. Bryan never lost it in a fair match. He's had to overcome everything to get to where he is. If he wins the Rumble then the story comes full circle with him getting a WWE WHC match at WrestleMania. He deserves it more than anybody. A few months ago, Punk would have been my pick. That opinion has changed. Right now it appears that a CM Punk showdown with Triple H will most likely take place at WrestleMania 30. That would mean that a lot of people will be going after Punk in the Rumble match, so the chances of him emerging victorious are pretty slim. With all of his issues with The Shield plus a heated verbal exchange on Raw with Kane, I would expect Punk to get screwed out of a win. There are others that have an outside chance to win, but I would be very shocked if somebody else won the match. As of right now, I think Batista wins the Royal Rumble. I want it to be Bryan, but last I checked the decision wasn't up to me.
John wrote at WhatCulture from December 2013 to December 2015. It was fun, but it's over for now. Follow him on Twitter @johnreport. You can also send an email to mrjohncanton@gmail.com with any questions or comments as well.
