Livescore
Winning the Royal Rumble is obviously the biggest goal for any star entering the annual WWE match. For those who miss out on a title shot at WrestleMania, however, there are other ways to stand out during the battle royal.
Notching the most eliminations makes the fans take notice, as evidenced by runs from Roman Reigns, Kane, and Brock Lesnar in various years. Another way to stick out during a Royal Rumble is to stick around for the majority of the match.
Jey Uso (50:55) did this last year, and Gunther (1:11.40) did the same in 2023. This year’s match has a few names that make sense.
Austin Theory, Andrade, or Seth Rollins could fill the spot. However, the next six WWE stars could fill the role of the Iron Man of the 2025 Men’s Royal Rumble.
#6. Carmelo Hayes could brag about being this year’s Iron Man
One person who would be great for the Iron Man role in the men’s Royal Rumble would be Carmelo Hayes. The brash young star has already stepped up to top faces Cody Rhodes and Sami Zayn.
This will be his second Royal Rumble, as he lasted over 17 minutes in last year’s match. To make an impact, bookers should allow him to have a lengthy run.
He could enter third and be one of the final five or six competitors. Due to his heel status, fans will root for him to be eliminated.
#5. Chad Gable may have a plan
Chad Gable may be featured more on RAW lately but he hasn’t come up on the winning side often.
His match with Penta was a great first showing for the newcomer, but Gable is still fuming over his loss to the talented luchador. Gable has yet to win a singles title, so he’ll be on a mission to do all he can to win the Royal Rumble.
He’ll probably have American Made backing him up during the match or at ringside. If Gable starts in one of the first five positions and lasts for most of the match, it will certainly prove to fans that he could be a future champion.
#4. A mega-run for a Megastar
LA Knight was screwed out of two major titles. The Bloodline interfered in both of his opportunities when challenging Roman Reigns for the Undisputed Championship.
The Megastar also lost the United States title to Shinsuke Nakamura thanks to a wonky finish. While Reigns has been off TV, Knight has filled in as the top face battling the Bloodline.
Rhodes is still the face of WWE, but he’s fighting Kevin Owens. Knight is a believable winner and has the crowd on his side. A long run could at least let fans know he’s still a priority, just not one to main-event WrestleMania.
#3. Dominik Mysterio will keep the boos coming
Much like Carmelo Hayes, Dirty Dom would be a good person to be this year‘s Iron Man. Fans despise him and would love to see his elimination come very quickly.
To build anticipation for the actual moment, Mysterio should have one of the longer runs in 2025. He can stave off elimination several times and even eliminate a few faces, possibly including his father, Rey.
It will build the anticipation for when he is finally eliminated. If he stands out or is betrayed by the Judgment Day, fans may start to cheer for him.
#2. Finn Balor has loads of Royal Rumble experience
Finn Balor has been in the World Heavyweight title scene for the better part of the last two years. He battled Seth Rollins and Gunther, falling short against each performer.
His consolation prize was tag team gold, including a forgettable recent run with JD McDonagh. Balor has been the Iron Man in the past, making the final four in 2018 after a run over 57 minutes. His spot in the Judgment Day has to change for everyone to move forward.
He can either work with his allies to further his spot or be betrayed by Dominik or Carlito. The Prince has been regularly featured on RAW, so an Iron Man spot in the Royal Rumble would continue this trend.
#1. Sami Zayn is due for a major title run
Sami Zayn made a big statement on the latest episode of RAW. He claimed he didn’t need the World Heavyweight Championship, but he desperately wanted it. This furthers the advice Owens and Rollins gave him to look out for himself.
He put himself in the same conversation as Rollins, Drew McIntyre, and CM Punk, but those stars have won major titles. After his statements on RAW, Zayn’s quest should be one of the featured storylines during the actual Rumble.
Starting the match and lasting to the end would certainly build a lot of sympathy for the former Intercontinental Champion. Zayn will be an underdog to win the match since he’s never won a World Championship in WWE.
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