Ah, it’s almost that time again.
For those that follow professional wrestling, the Royal Rumble is one of the biggest spectacles of the entire wrestling calendar. It simply isn’t missed by wrestling fans across the globe due to its popularity, specifically in the Royal Rumble match. Of course, the winner of this match goes on to main event WrestleMania and vies for a World Title in the process.
In years past, it’s been a little easier to map out who was going to win the Rumble.
Last year, a returning Cody Rhodes was the clear favorite to win the match and continue his story towards the title his dad, Dusty Rhodes, never won. Roman Reigns winning to set up another title match with Brock Lesnar years ago was a spottable outcome.
However, this year feels like it’s anyone’s game.
Cody Rhodes is a popular choice to repeat as the Royal Rumble winner. Jey Uso, Drew McIntyre, Sami Zayn are all likely competitors for the field, along with many others.
Of course, a returning CM Punk also adds intrigue as he gears up for a potential feud with WWE World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins.
But there’s one man that I think is the best choice to win the 2024 Royal Rumble match.
WWE Intercontinental Champion Gunther.
Since his call-up to the main roster, the frontman of Imperium has been nothing short of impressive. Shortly after joining Smackdown, he defeated Ricochet to win the Intercontinental Title and has held it since. In fact, he’s the longest-reigning Intercontinental Champion in WWE history.
The most refreshing thing about Gunther’s reign is he doesn’t have to resort to heel tactics too often during his title defenses. He grapples and goes toe-to-toe with his opponents before earning victory. While Imperium’s Ludwig Kaiser and Giovanni Vinci are around, they seem to cause more of a headache than help to their leader.
But like everything in life, it seems like the historic title reign of Gunther may be reaching its bookend. And that’s not a bad thing, especially with the Road To WrestleMania quickly approaching.
Foes like Chad Gable, Bronson Reed and The Miz have all fell short lately to the Ring General, making it a bit more confusing as to who will topple Gunther to win the gold. However it goes, it should happen before or at the Royal Rumble.
The reason why is to free Gunther up for his world title run.
With Reigns and Rhodes gearing up for a rematch in Night 2 of WrestleMania 40, Night 1 featuring the World Heavyweight Champion and Gunther duking it out would be worth the watch.
WrestleMania is where stars are made, and while Gunther may already have star-power, a chance to be the top champion of RAW would be the ideal next step.
The cracks have been showing for Imperium’s eventual breakup, which could mean Gunther is due to eventually lose focus momentarily and lose. All it leads to is the next step in the ladder of success, an accomplishment he’s earned.