WWE Royal Rumble 2025 Match Card Predictions After Saturday Night's Main Event

The stage is set. WWE has delivered another memorable Saturday Night's Main Event, including three great title defenses from Gunther, Rhea Ripley and Bron Breakker.

Since no championship changed hands, it will be down to Royal Rumble 2025 to deliver the true surprises and ground-breaking moments on the road to WrestleMania 41.

This year has the potential to be one of the greatest shows WWE has ever produced.

An energized Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana will see new stars emerge that hope to take over the wrestling industry.

Will John Cena begin his retirement tour with a record-tying third Royal Rumble victory? Could CM Punk finally win the match that has eluded him all these years?

Will Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair make their long-awaited return in the Rumble, possibly winning the match a second time? Is this the time for Bianca Belair or Iyo Sky to level up?

Will Cody Rhodes retain the Undisputed WWE Championship against his greatest rival to date? Can Kevin Owens change the direction of WWE on the road to WrestleMania?

These questions hang over a night of true opportunity that will set the course for WrestleMania's arrival in Las Vegas.

Following are predictions for the 2025 Royal Rumble match card, highlighting the likely winners and potential breakout stars.

The consequences of this final battle between Cody Rhodes and Kevin Owens sweep wide across the landscape of WWE.

Everyone has expected The American Nightmare to hold the WWE Championship until at least WrestleMania 41 after finally winning the big one at WrestleMania 40.

However, circumstances have changed around Rhodes. While everyone expected him to face The Rock, The Final Boss may have let go of his anger toward The American Nightmare.

John Cena has returned, and he could very well want a shot at whoever holds the top prize come WrestleMania.

Most importantly, KO has delivered some of the best work of his career in recent months, emphatically turning heel to step into Rhodes' spotlight.

The Prizefighter has made a strong case for dethroning Rhodes. It does still feel unlikely though.

At the end of the day, The Show of Shows needs to highlight the best in WWE at the top of the card, and it is hard to imagine Rhodes not leading that charge into WrestleMania after the past year.

Prediction: Rhodes retains despite KO recruiting help.

In one of the greatest years in WWE's history, the women's division struggled to keep up with the men's division repeatedly.

Injuries and major names absent from the show did not help, but the spotlight also needed to shine brighter on the company's lead stars.

The women's Royal Rumble has a chance to be a major turning point, bringing back top names and highlighting fresh talent.

Charlotte Flair has announced her return while Becky Lynch will likely follow suit. Both could win the match.

Roxanne Perez is likely to get the call-up, already appearing on Raw and SmackDown recently. Cora Jade will likely follow as well.

Despite these names and plenty of other top stars putting their hat in the ring for this contest, the best way to elevate this division would be elevate one of the top stars that was somewhat sidelined in 2024.

Bianca Belair has waited her turn for a while, focusing on the women's tag team division throughout 2024. 2025 should be her year.

Fans have long awaited a match between Rhea Ripley and The EST as the two have mostly avoided each other since their incredible showdown in the women's Royal Rumble in 2021.

This would her second Rumble win of her career., which is something that has not happened for the women yet. She needs that kind of accolade more than The Queen or The Man, who are also favorites.

Of all the options, Belair simply makes the most sense, allowing her to put the tag team division aside and focus on herself for a while.

Prediction: Belair wins, last eliminating Charlotte.

WWE has set the stage for how special this year's men's Royal Rumble match can be. It will be John Cena's last Rumble.

Many of the top stars in the business have already declared for the match, including Roman Reigns, CM Punk, Seth "Freakin" Rollins, Drew McIntyre, Sami Zayn, and LA Knight.

The result of the ladder match between Cody Rhodes and Kevin Owens will certainly play a major role in this match, but the winner is just as likely to challenge World heavyweight champion Gunther.

Either way, the biggest names in the business will want to win this match. Cena stands out as the obvious favorite in his retirement year.

Much like many years ago, if The Rock appears, he will win it all, setting up a long-awaited rematch with The American Nightmare.

The easiest answer, though, is often the best one. The Best in the World has sold how much it means to him to win the Royal Rumble match and main event WrestleMania.

This is the perfect year for Punk to do just that. He has fresh money matches with any of the possible world champions and has waited a year for his chance to win the world title.

Prediction: Punk wins, last eliminating Cena.

Iron Man and Iron Woman

Great workers anchor the Royal Rumble match each year, earning the title of Iron Man/Woman. It is an important spot for the contest as well as the performer.

This year, WWE has so many great wrestlers that many could work their way through the field. Sami Zayn stands out as an option, but this feels like Seth "Freakin" Rollins' year.

In a down year for the women's division in 2024, Iyo Sky was the absolute in-ring MVP. She can go the distance this year and rival Bayley's record-setting performance in 2024.

Prediction: Rollins and Sky, each lasting just about one hour.

Most Eliminations

This is typically a spot for WWE to highlight the powerhouses of the division that might not necessarily win the whole match.

Bron Breakker is the perfect star to have a big run and eliminate some known names with Spears.

The men's elimination record of 13 feels unattainable, but he should still be able to stand out by taking out names like Sami Zayn or even John Cena.

The women's Royal Rumble record has been held at eight since 2020, and it is time to change it up.

Who better to break the record with a dominant performance than a returning Jade Cargill?

Prediction: Breakker with seven, not breaking records but certainly making an impact. Cargill with nine, setting a new record.

Biggest Surprise Entrants

While the Rumble typically features some big legend returns, this year seems like an opportunity for surprise returns and debuts.

With the TNA partnership in full swing, an appearance from newly crowned TNA world champion Joe Hendry feels necessary. This could also be a perfect time for Jeff and Matt Hardy to appear once again in WWE.

The women's Royal Rumble has a chance for many unforgettable appearances. Fans will likely see the official debut of Jordynne Grace and possibly an appearance from the Knockouts champion Masha Slamovich.

While other options might be more unexpected, no surprise return would be more significant than Becky Lynch, who could not only get involved but win her second women's Rumble.

Prediction: Hendry and Lynch.