Smark Out Moment

Here in the first edition of A Roche's Perspective, I will break down five choices of who I think could possibly win the 2015 Royal Rumble. Obviously, anyone in the match has a chance at winning, and at this point, we don't even know who will compete in it or not. However, I am putting a writer's logic into this prediction. Who could realistically end up main-eventing WrestleMania XXXI?

1. Dean Ambrose

Dean Ambrose is absolutely a future star. It is clear he is a fan favorite, his fueds are great, and his character is at an all time high. With Seth Rollins (technically) having a guaranteed title reign in the future, I could see a possible Shawn Michaels/Undertaker setup, where Rollins cashes in on the champion and Dean must win the Royal Rumble to get a title shot. This could be a great situation if WWE put the right amount of effort into it, and it would definitely give back to the fans for Batista's pointless win this past year. I am definitely voting Rollins and Ambrose's feud as the best of the year right now, and this would only set that in stone.


2. Guys on Their Last Run

None of the following guys are people that could stand up on their own as far as this list, so they're all grouped together in this one category. They are the wrestlers who—despite their age or other factors—could end up getting one last push before they fade off into the sunset. Ranked from most likely to least likely potential winners, the names I could throw out are Chris Jericho, Triple H, Sting, Undertaker and Jack Swagger. Next week, I will go over outrageous returns you can expect to see.

3. Dolph Ziggler

Nowadays, it seems like everyone is pushing Dolph Ziggler...except the company, that is. Fortunately, it is the fans that the company pays attention to.

Dolph Ziggler is my personal favorite on the roster. He performs great, has an awesome personality, and is in the perfect position to be brought back into the main event.

Ziggler has won the Money in the Bank, held multiple midcard championships, and has won the World Heavyweight Championship twice, making him the 22nd Triple Crown winner. He has been noted as a Most Improved and Most Underrated wrestler.

It's time for Dolph to move past the midcard triumphs and go on to the main event for real. The Royal Rumble is the perfect transitional match to do this to a Superstar and a win for Ziggler would be legendary.

4. A Returning CM Punk

I really feel like this one could be a definite possibility. WWE surely has realized that bringing CM Punk back would cause a spike up in the ratings a whole lot. With Punk being last year's Iron Man, it would both make sense in kayfabe and be something they could offer to him in real life as incentive to return. Punk is a fan favorite (and my favorite in the modern age). Having him win the Rumble is...well...best for business.

5. Roman Reigns

As if you didn't expect this one, right? Roman Reigns is the powerhouse of WWE, and what seems like the main focus for the writers. He is in a rare position right now, being right at the top, yet somehow, not quite officially there, either. Despite how he came up short, Reigns was a big contender for the Money in the Bank ladder match for the vacated WWE World Heavyweight Championship. It wasn't meant to be, but if Reigns gets some great feuds over the next few months, leading into a Royal Rumble victory, then it could be the perfect path for him to gain the championship.

There's another angle that I've been exploring when leads me to believe that Reigns is the top choice to win the battle royal: Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar. I guarantee that Lesnar will have the championship at WrestleMania XXXI. As Paul Heyman says, "it's not a prediction. It's a spoiler."

Reigns is clearly going to be a champion within the next year if things continue going as well as they have for him as of late. This past year, he broke the record for most eliminations at the Royal Rumble and nearly won the title at Money in the Bank a few weeks ago. It's only a matter of time before seeing him as the champion comes to fruition. He is arguably being positioned as the next face of the company even without the titles in his possession, considering how over he is with the crowd. Like Daniel Bryan at WrestleMania XXX, his time will be well overdue come the Royal Rumble.


It is already known that Brock Lesnar's contract ends somewhere around Extreme Rules 2015. Right now, it appears that Brock is set for SummerSlam and Night of Champions, and through many reliable sources, Brock Lesnar will win the championship at SummerSlam against John Cena, the "greatest" transitional champion ever.

With these factors, and the rumors of a feud between The Beast and The Powerhouse, there is almost no doubt that Roman Reigns will be in the title situation come the Road to WrestleMania in 2015.