For the first time in many years, both the men's and women's Royal Rumble matches feel genuinely unpredictable due to the depth of the overall active roster.

WWE has done an effective job of hyping up the men's Rumble in particular as being among the most star-studded installments ever. John Cena, Roman Reigns, CM Punk and Seth Rollins declaring their entry for the annual Battle Royal instantly added to the excitement and created a sense of uncertainty surrounding the outcome.

While the build for the women's Rumble hasn't been nearly as strong, the potential is there for it to be equally entertaining. Bayley, Iyo Sky, Bianca Belair and the returning Charlotte Flair are all key competitors with varying chances of coming out on top.

Nothing seems to be set in stone for WrestleMania 41, so there are any number of directions WWE can go in with the card. As the Road to WrestleMania officially gets underway, the biggest bouts at The Show of Shows should become clear starting this Saturday with the Royal Rumble results.

Let's look at the best, worst and most likely Royal Rumble match winners ahead of the event.

Most Likely: Charlotte Flair, Becky Lynch

Charlotte Flair was out injured for the entirety of 2024, but fans will still take exception to her being back in championship contention immediately upon her return.

A WrestleMania match with Tiffany Stratton for the WWE Women's Championship is the most obvious route for her and a Rumble win would set that up. By doing so, she'd make history by becoming the first female to win two Rumble matches.

It shouldn't be nearly as polarizing as her previous Rumble victory in 2020, where NXT standout Shayna Baszler had much more to gain from winning.

Although Becky Lynch's return hasn't been announced in advance, it would hardly come as much of a surprise since she's been expected back for some time. She could also conceivably challenge for a world title at WrestleMania 41, much like at last year's installment where she fell to Rhea Ripley.

There's no reason for WWE to revisit that rivalry so soon, but purely from a marquee match standpoint, a rematch between Ripley and Lynch would be logical, especially if The Man was to avenge last year's loss to Mami and reclaim the gold.

Most Likely: John Cena, CM Punk

It's imperative John Cena chases what would be his record-setting 17th world championship at some point in 2025, and it's possible that happens as early as WrestleMania season.

WWE may find it difficult to pass up the opportunity to deliver on the ultimate 'Mania moment of Cena capturing the prestigious prize on The Grandest Stage of Them All, starting with him winning his historic third Royal Rumble this weekend.

The 47-year-old should overcome a bit more adversity before then, which is why CM Punk would be a better pick of the odds-on favorites for the men's Rumble match at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

Unlike Cena, Punk has zero Rumble wins to his name. He has three realistic 'Mania matches on the table right now with the likes of Seth Rollins, Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes, and any one of those could be contested for a world title with Punk serving as the challenger.

It would be only fitting for Punk to win the Rumble one year removed from getting injured during his in-ring return at the same event in 2024. His wave of momentum should lead him to his first world championship WrestleMania match since 2012.

Worst: Nia Jax, Bayley

There's no denying Nia Jax had the best year of her career in 2024 and did fantastic work on both Raw and SmackDown, culminating in her beating Bayley for the WWE Women's Championship at SummerSlam.

Her reign ran its course and by the onset of 2025, it was time for Tiffany Stratton to cash in her Money in the Bank briefcase and dethrone her as champion.

Stratton vs. Jax made sense as the follow-up feud, but although they've interacted since the championship changed hands, a formal feud between them has yet to materialize.

If the idea is for Jax to win the women's Rumble match and build toward them finally facing off at WrestleMania 41, that would be the wrong outcome. Stratton vs. Jax would be a better fit for Elimination Chamber on March 1.

Meanwhile, Bayley has teased on multiple occasions setting her sights on Rhea Ripley's Women's World Championship. It would be a fresh feud, but The Role Model winning a second straight Rumble isn't necessary.

Ripley vs. Bayley could work for 'Mania, but another Rumble victory for Bayley would likely fall flat given all of the other options available.

Worst: Logan Paul, Roman Reigns

As soon as Logan Paul planted the seeds for him eventually challenging Gunther for the World Heavyweight Championship, he entered himself into the conversation of possible men's Rumble winners for 2025.

The YouTuber has contended for the Undisputed WWE Championship twice before—both times in Saudi Arabia—but came up short against Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes. There's no need for him to get another shot at WrestleMania 41, especially if there's little chance of him actually winning.

That said, Paul vs. Gunther would undoubtedly be an attraction inside the squared circle, if only for the beating Paul would endure at the hands of The Ring General.

Paul isn't and will presumably never be a full-time wrestler for WWE, so he's not the ideal first choice for Rumble winners.

Roman Reigns, who last won the Rumble in 2015, wouldn't be much better. When he was finally conquered by Rhodes at WrestleMania 40, the consensus was that it would be a while before he found himself in the world title mix again.

WrestleMania 41 is way too soon for that as there are other important matches he can be involved in at the event instead.

Best: Iyo Sky, Jordynne Grace

Iyo Sky has quietly been killing it in the WWE women's division for the better part of the past five years and should be considered a strong candidate to reign supreme in the 2025 women's Royal Rumble.

Her terrific work as WWE women's champion is well-documented, and she's since become a recurring highlight on Raw and belongs in the main event mix again for WrestleMania 41 with Rhea Ripley. The caliber of match they could produce would certainly be worthy of the grandest stage.

The only better potential opponent for Ripley at The Show of Shows would be Jordynne Grace, who has just put pen to paper with WWE, according to Fightful Select.

She made a fantastic first impression in last year's Rumble before having a memorable run in NXT in the second half of 2024. She should report straight to the main roster and pose a threat to one of the two top titles, specifically the Women's World Championship.

It would be a long shot for Grace to go the distance and win the whole thing, but if she was successful, she would cement her status as a star on the rise from the get-go.

Best: Bron Breakker, Jey Uso

A majority of the Superstars who could believably win the men's Rumble match have either already accomplished the feat or are established main event players.

Bron Breakker and Jey Uso don't fall into either of those categories, which is exactly what would make a Rumble win for them so satisfying.

Uso has failed to win a world title time after time and that's the story WWE is emphasizing with him heading into Saturday. Lucas Oil Stadium would erupt for him getting that monumental moment and punching his ticket to WrestleMania 41 for one more opportunity at Gunther and the World Heavyweight Championship.

Breakker would be another intriguing option in that he's the current intercontinental champ but is simultaneously being primed for a massive main event push. He previously teased targeting Gunther after losing the IC title in the fall, which could be something WWE goes back to for WrestleMania season.

If WWE wants to cause someone's stock to skyrocket and elevate them to the next level with a surprise Rumble win, Breakker or Uso would be the top two candidates.

Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, has specialized in sports and entertainment writing since 2010. Visit his website, WrestleRant, and subscribe to his YouTube channel for more wrestling-related content.