Sports
Favourites to Win Men’s Match Revealed
Now that Christmas is over, New Year’s Eve celebrations have been and gone, and we’re into January, all eyes turn to one thing for WWE fans… the Royal Rumble!
On the 31st of January, WWE will play host to their 39th edition of the Premium Live Event, but for the very first time it will be held outside of North America. Unsurprisingly, the special event will take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia at the Kingdom Arena, a place where a lot of sport has gone to in recent months, including WWE. This will be their 14th event in Saudi after signing a 10-year deal with the country.
As usual, the Royal Rumble will feature Superstars from both Raw and SmackDown, with a handful of NXT wrestlers also expected to make cameos. There could also be some surprises from people who aren’t currently signed to the company. But who is the favourite to win this year’s men’s match?
Well, taking a look at the betting odds, thanks to SkyBet, we can see there is a clear frontrunner to win and go on to headline WrestleMania. Here are the 15 favourites to eliminate the rest of the pack and have their hand raised at the conclusion of the Royal Rumble.
|
15 favourites to win the men’s Royal Rumble (15-11) |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Position |
Superstar |
Betting odds |
|
15. |
The Rock |
20/1 |
|
14. |
Oba Femi |
20/1 |
|
13. |
Logan Paul |
20/1 |
|
12. |
Jacob Fatu |
20/1 |
|
11. |
Kevin Owens |
20/1 |
10
Dominik Mysterio
16/1
The WWE Superstar every fan loves to hate. ‘Dirty’ Dominik Mysterio comes in as 10th favourite to win the men’s Royal Rumble, with SkyBet having his chances rated at 16/1.
The son of the legendary Rey Mysterio has quickly become one of the best Superstars on the main roster, both on the microphone and in the ring. His ability to be booed out of any arena, and then his ability to steal the show with his in-ring performance is simply quite remarkable. Although it may be too soon to have him win the Royal Rumble, it wouldn’t be a surprise if he’s a future winner, and also a future WrestleMania main eventer.
9
Randy Orton
14/1
He’s already won the Royal Rumble twice in his legendary WWE career, in 2009 and then again in 2017, but Randy Orton is deemed the ninth favourite to win the 2026 edition in Saudi Arabia, despite being off WWE television for the past few months.
The Viper has done it all in his career, and although he’s closer to retirement than he would like, he could still be a big-time player in the company and hold either of the main singles titles. However, with some alternate names ahead of him in the pecking order these days, there’s a reason he’s an outside shot at 14/1.
8
Drew McIntyre
14/1
Joining Randy Orton at 14/1 is Drew McIntyre, who is another previous winner, having won the 2020 edition. The Scottish Warrior is one of the most-liked Superstars on the main roster right now, with plenty desperate for him to dethrone Cody Rhodes for the Undisputed Championship.
The two will share the ring on SmackDown on the 9th of January in a Three Stages of Hell match, but should McIntyre once again fall short in his quest for the title, he will then turn his attentions to the Royal Rumble, as he looks to win it for a second time and once again have a title shot at WrestleMania.
Should he beat Rhodes, however, he wouldn’t even need to enter the Rumble.
7
Brock Lesnar
12/1
Whenever Brock Lesnar is involved, he’s always got a chance, and SkyBet have him down at 12/1 to win this year’s men’s Royal Rumble. Similar to Randy Orton, he is also a two-time winner, having won the match in 2003 and then again in 2022.
Given some of the other names on this list, both already mentioned and yet to be mentioned, The Beast Incarnate winning a third Royal Rumble would probably not go down too well with the WWE Universe, especially given the controversies away from the ring that have followed Lesnar around the past couple of years.
6
CM Punk
12/1
CM Punk making the top 10, according to Sky Bet, does come across as a bit of a surprise, especially given the fact he’s already the World Heavyweight Champion. However, there’s nothing to say he couldn’t enter the Rumble, win it, and then challenge Rhodes to become Undisputed Champion as well.
That feels very unlikely, however, so unless WWE has a surprise for us between now and the Rumble, Punk being one of the favourites to win the event doesn’t truly make sense. But, as we all know, never say never, especially when it comes to WWE, and even more so when it comes to the Royal Rumble.
5
Sami Zayn
15/2
Although there is no denying his popularity with the WWE Universe, Sami Zayn being the fifth favourite to win the men’s Royal Rumble feels like another questionable inclusion.
He’s rarely being used on television in a meaningful manner, so to have him win the Rumble and then headline WrestleMania just a few months later doesn’t make logical sense. However, as we said with CM Punk, never say never, so maybe WWE has some surprising plans for the Canadian in the New Year. We wouldn’t bet on it though.
4
Gunther
6/1
Now we’re getting to the real contenders, and the man that retired John Cena is the first to kick us off. Gunther is currently the fourth favourite to have his hand raised at the end of the Rumble, with SkyBet having him as short as 6/1 to win.
Gunther enjoyed a remarkable 2025, having reigns as the World Heavyweight Champion as well as retiring both Goldberg and John Cena. He’s also heavily reported to be retiring AJ Styles in 2026, but the biggest heel in the company right now is also one of the favourites to win the Rumble in Saudi.
Whether he does win it or not, you can still expect him to carry serious heat with him for the next few months, given how he made Cena tape out in his last-ever WWE match.
3
LA Knight
4/1
Arguably the most popular WWE Superstar on the main roster right now. LA Knight is seriously over with the audience, but his booking in the latter stages of 2025 left serious questions over his future in the company.
Fans are desperate for him to receive the monster push they feel he deserves, but it’s yet to happen, with Knight falling short in his biggest matches time and time again.
Could the New Year represent a new chance for LA Knight, though? Time will tell, but as of now, he’s the third favourite to win the Royal Rumble at the end of the month. A booking decision that would go down well with the WWE fans. YEAH!
2
Bron Breakker
5/2
There is no doubt about it, Bron Breakker is a future champion, future Royal Rumble winner, and future WrestleMania main eventer, and that could all happen this year.
Breakker, guided by the legendary Paul Heyman, and with Logan Paul, Bronson Reed, and now Austin Theory all by his side, there is no reason why 2026 can’t be a truly breakout year for the 28-year-old.
He’s got a chance of becoming the World Heavyweight Champion when he takes on CM Punk on the first Raw of the year, but even if he falls short then, he’s got a great chance of winning the Rumble and going on to main event ‘Mania. But he’s not the favourite…
1
Roman Reigns
2/5
The favourite and by a long, long way. Roman Reigns. The Tribal Chief. No doubt the biggest Superstar in WWE right now.
It’s pretty well reported that WWE wants Reigns vs Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania, so it should come as no surprise that he is the strong favourite to win the Rumble at the end of the month.
Does he need it? Absolutely not. Will WWE fans like it? Maybe not. Will he steal the show at the Royal Rumble and then WrestleMania if given the opportunity? 100%.
