The Royal Rumble is one of the most famous events on the WWE calendar, with the 30-wrestler battle royales always carrying a sense of suspense and a belief that anything could happen. The sheer mass of storylines coming into play can lead to action making fans forget for a bit what’s at stake.
There’s a place at WrestleMania for a shot at the champion, ready for the one person who’s left standing at the end of the Rumble. So, approaching the colossal January 31 event, what storylines could pile together to make the Men’s 2021 Royal Rumble one of the biggest in years?
Vindication for a beloved veteran
Very few wrestlers have officially announced their intent to compete in the Royal Rumble, with the WWE liking to keep secrets and surprises for the main event. In a statement of intent, however, Daniel Bryan became the first to confirm himself as an entrant, which has helped propel him to the top of the Royal Rumble 2021 odds. Sitting at +120 to triumph over the 29 others, doing so would certainly be seen as vindication for the veteran.
Many will look to Bryan’s impending retirement from being a full-time superstar with the WWE as the cause for a push at the Royal Rumble triumph, but there’s a lot more to the story. In 2014, wrestling fans lamented his exclusion from the Rumble, then saw it as a mistake that he was eliminated by Roman Reigns in 2015. On both occasions, fans wanted Bryan to compete and even win, with both eventual winners being booed.
A boxer enters the squared circle
Been looking all over Edinburgh for you @DMcIntyreWWE come out and fight the gypsyking #letsgo @wwe @frankwarren_tv @btsportboxing @WWEonFOX @trboxing @mtkglobal @btsportwwe pic.twitter.com/jqPKQF9nzM
— TYSON FURY (@Tyson_Fury) September 8, 2020
In 2019, towering British heavyweight boxer Tyson Fury made a big splash in the WWE. After bubbling up a feud with Braun Strowman, the ‘Gypsy King’ showed up in Saudi Arabia to battle the ‘Monster Among Men,’ which proved to be quite a success. Since, he’s returned to boxing, flattened Deontay Wilder, and rightfully claimed a world heavyweight strap, but has always kept his name in the WWE hat.
So, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the secret line-up of the 2021 Rumble has some experts tipping Fury to enter the ring. At long odds of +6000, he’s not expected to win, but as the British Boxing Board of Control has suspended boxing in the UK for January and he’s yet to finalize his next fight deal, an appearance may be on the cards. Given that many anticipated him to attend WrestleMania last year, and he’s enjoyed a social media sparring match with Drew McIntyre, Fury might just be on the card.
Rises from the ashes
Thank you ⭕️ pic.twitter.com/NlhvR0rz74
— Bray Wyatt (@WWEBrayWyatt) December 21, 2020
A storyline that looked set to conclude with Randy Orton setting his arch-nemesis on fire might just see its next chapter at the 2021 Royal Rumble. Bray ‘The Fiend’ Wyatt hasn’t been seen since his gasoline bath at WWE TLC, but a few cryptic tweets have indicated that he’s not just alive, but reborn. Since, pyromaniac Orton has been involved in more fire-engulfed lines, but The Fiend might return to ruin his Rumble efforts.
The bookies have Randy Orton out at +2000 to win the Royal Rumble, with the general thinking being that, should Orton close in on a win, The Fiend would rush out and end his evening. This explains why Bray Wyatt is up at +1300 to win the event, with a late Orton elimination potentially putting The Fiend in line for a quick triumph.
Whether it be Bryan getting a long-deserved win, Fury making a shocking appearance, or The Fiend rising from the ashes, Royal Rumble 2021 has the potential to showcase some exhilarating action.
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