WWE Royal Rumble 2023: Predicting All 30 Entrants

16. Cody Rhodes - #15

Cody Rhodes WWE Champion
WWE

It is important here not to dispatch Cody Rhodes too late.

While there's a loose thread of fantasy booking linking these entries together, this is true in reality. The latter numbers are stigmatised as those drawn, conveniently, by returning/surprise part-time entrants who go on to win the whole thing. Batista drew #28 in 2014 and was instantly marked as a wheezing, unfit, entitled mercenary who didn't put in a worthy enough shift to earn the victory.

Cody Rhodes must therefore enter at the midway point, if he's to win the whole thing or at least fail nobly with a view to finding another route to WrestleMania. The man to dethrone Roman Reigns, after all this time, can not be seen as somebody who waltzed in at the last minute and was handed that mega-push - nor as somebody who has done little in comparison to Sami Zayn.

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!