Entering the final months of 2022, and with both SummerSlam and Clash at the Castle now in the rearview mirror, WWE is looking to continue their strong momentum into the Fall. With Survivor Series set as the next truly big show, the one event that fans will have their eye on is 2023's Royal Rumble PPV.
Kicking off the year, The Royal Rumble is often a fan-favorite event. With two Rumble matches determining the main events for WrestleMania, it is the easiest ways for fans to know if they should be hyped for WWE's biggest show of the year or if it is something they should not look forward to. Just a few months a way, it seems about right that the early predictions for the Royal Rumble winners, both male and female, begin being made.
10 Mandy Rose
Currently the NXT Women's Champion, Mandy Rose has become one of the most polarizing figures in women's wrestling. Drawing the ire of many fans for her dominant booking while failing to elevate those around her and underdelivering in every one of her matches, Rose's remaining fans seem to love her for her Toxic Attraction gimmick and the increased sex appeal she brings to shows.
Regardless of when she loses her NXT Women's title, Mandy Rose winning the 2023 Women's Royal Rumble feels like a possibility due to her mega push from NXT possibly transitioning to the main roster as a top heel in the women's division.
9 Bron Breakker
The current NXT Champion, Bron Breakker has been a name that the WWE Universe and many outside observers have dubbed as the next megastar for WWE. With a great look, solid charisma, and promising in-ring work, Breakker feels like a future main event player for Raw or Smackdown just waiting to be made.
While it remains to be seen when Bron will eventually lose his NXT Championship for the second time, the time surely is coming sometime soon. Should Bron Breakker be defeated before the 2023 Royal Rumble, a shocking entrance into the match and possible victory could lead to a marquee match for the young star at next year's WrestleMania!
8 Rhea Ripley
One of the biggest stars from WWE NXT's Black and Gold Era, Rhea Ripley has transitioned nicely onto the main roster, now a staple of Raw as a part of Finn Balor's Judgement Day faction. Being a top heel on the brand now, the company managed to delay a clash between Ripley and Bianca Belair due to Rhea suffering an injury earlier in the year.
With Ripley healed up, a dominant performance in next year's Royal Rumble could secure Rhea another WrestleMania headlining match. Should Bianca Belair remain champion, Rhea Ripley vs Bianca Belair for the Raw Women's Championship could be a huge match for WWE at WrestleMania 39.
7 The Rock
No doubt the most controversial pick to win the 2023 WWE Royal Rumble, rumors have circulated for months that WrestleMania 39 will see Dwayne Johnson face off against his cousin, Roman Reigns. While it remains up in the air if Reigns will still be holding both WWE World Championships by next year's Mania, having just defeated Drew McIntyre at Clash at the Castle, it does feel like a strong possibility.
The controversy surrounding giving The Rock a Royal Rumble win in 2023 certainly comes from the fact that Triple H has just taken over creative for WWE and is on quite the hot streak lately. Should the company decide to give the biggest part-timer in wrestling a Royal Rumble win and a subsequent WrestleMania main event, it will surely draw lots of news, though a large portion of the fanbase may turn on the match.
6 IYO SKY
Making her main roster debut in shocking fashion at Summerslam 2022, the former Io Shirai would align with Dakota Kai and Bayley to form the new all-female, Damage Control faction on Raw. Easily one of the best women's wrestlers alive, IYO SKY thrilled fans with her work in both STARDOM and NXT, and now has a chance to do so on the biggest stage of them all.
While there is no storyline reason to buy inot SKY as a possible contender for the Royal Rumble, she was one of Triple H's main women's stars in NXT and could receive similar treatment on the main roster, leading her to be a sleeper pick for next year's match!
5 Johnny Gargano
Returning to wrestling after 9 months away, Johnny Gargano would making a shocking appearance on Raw during the live episode from Toronto. Showing up out of the blue with no rumors surrounding his return, Johnny Wrestling feels like a major player within HHH's new WWE.
In the weeks since his return, Gargano has not done much, though it was likely due to him not factoring into the Clash at the Castle PPV. In the coming months however, it seems clear that Gargano will be one of the main stars on Monday Nights under HHH, and with him stating he wants to win every title in the company, winning the Rumble is a good start.
4 Sasha Banks
Still one of the biggest question marks in wrestling right now, Sasha Banks' status with WWE remains a mystery. Rumored to be both released and still on the roster, nobody knows if Sasha Banks will be returning to WWE, and if she is, when she will. With HHH now in control, the chances of a return for The Boss seem more likely now.
Should the company decide to hold off on a return for the former Women's Champion, having Banks make a crazy surprise entrance in the 2023 Women's Royal Rumble, only to win the match as well, would be one of the biggest possible storylines coming out of that event on the road to WrestleMania 39!
3 Roman Reigns
Another very controversial, yet possible pick for the 2023 Men's Royal Rumble Winner could very well be Roman Reigns, while still holding at least one world championship. An unprecedented booking decision, having Reigns enter the match as world champion, only to win the match, could see WWE build one of its most intriguing Road to WrestleMania's ever, with Reigns having the option to choose his own opponent.
Playing with the Tribal Chief character in a new way, the company could position Reigns to have several viable options, with a dream match against The Rock looming, Cody Rhodes having called out his destiny, and Seth Rollins' having a technical win over him at 2022's Rumble event. Regardless, should Roman actually succeed at winning the Royal Rumble, the chance of it now going over well with fans feels quite strong.
2 Becky Lynch
Going down with an arm injury at SummerSlam 2022, Becky Lynch has been on the shelf for a bit now and has yet to return. Sadly missing out on Clash at the Castle, the comeback for a freshly-turned, babyface Becky should be huge. With Bayley and Bianca Belair set to clash in the near future over the WWE Raw Women's Championship, could The Man be the one to win 2023's Women's Royal Rumble?
With Bayley looking like a strong contender to end Bianca Belair's reign as Women's Champion, Becky Lynch could be positioned to win the women's Royal Rumble come January 2023, with a major singles match featuring Becky Lynch and Bayley being a headlining match for WrestleMania 39!
1 Cody Rhodes
Since returning to WWE at WrestleMania 38, after quite the run in AEW, Cody Rhodes would arrive back home in the Sports Entertainment Giant where he would immediately be positioned as one of the top stars in the company. Entering an extended feud with Seth Rollins, The American Nightmare would state that his destiny in WWE is to one day become WWE Champion.
With the story writing itself, Roman Reigns remains the most dominant champion in modern WWE history, currently enjoying a two-year long world championship reign, and now holding both the WWE and Universal Championships. Having Rhodes return from injury to win the Royal Rumble in 2023, then going on to dethrone The Tribal Chief at the Show of Shows, would be nothing short of poetic.