Current champion announced for WWE Royal Rumble match; Drew McIntyre also joins the fray
With the Royal Rumble just a week away, several WWE Superstars have announced their participation in the Royal Rumble match for a coveted spot in the main event of WrestleMania.
The Royal Rumble match is arguably one of the most anticipated encounters in WWE. The winner is guaranteed a title shot at the champion of his or her choosing at WrestleMania. This year, the Premium Live Event will emanate from the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas, on January 28.
On the latest episode of SmackDown, former WWE Champions Drew McIntyre and Sheamus told Megan Morant during an interview segment that they will be joining the 30-man Royal Rumble match. Both stars have won the event previously and could be credible bets to win it again.
In addition, Braun Strowman also declared himself for the match. The former WWE Universal Champion will also find his current rival, Gunther, in the match.
The list of superstars announced for the Rumble are:
- Cody Rhodes
- Kofi Kingston
- Ricochet
- Bobby Lashley
- Seth "Freakin" Rollins
- Austin Theory
- Gunther
- Drew McIntyre
- Sheamus
- Omos
- Braun Strowman
- Baron Corbin
- Santos Escobar
- Rey Mysterio
- Karrion Kross
.@Gunther_AUT
@TheGiantOmos
@WWESheamus
Who will earn their right to main event WrestleMania? #RoyalRumble https://t.co/qPPVGBe1zM
Things are also heating up in the women's division as Zelina Vega, and Shayna Baszler put their names in the hat for a chance to challenge a champion of their choosing at The Grandest Stage of Them All. The women announced for the Rumble include:
- Liv Morgan
- Raquel Rodriguez
- Rhea Ripley
- Candice LeRae
- Zelina Vega
- Shayna Baszler
The #RoyalRumble is almost here!
The following WWE Superstars have newly declared for the #RoyalRumble Match:
@ZelinaVegaWWE
@QoSBaszler
@DMcIntyreWWE
#BraunStrowman https://t.co/hjGVxbXMNG
It will be interesting to see which other superstars are revealed for the Rumble match on RAW and SmackDown in the final week leading up to the Premium Live Event.
Roman Reigns will also put his title on the line at WWE Royal Rumble
The stakes will be higher than ever for The Tribal Chief as he puts the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship on the line against Kevin Owens.
The rift between Sami Zayn and The Bloodline has started to show in the weeks leading up to the match. KO also put the entire faction on notice as he Powerbombed Reigns through a table during their contract signing this week on the blue brand.
On #SmackDown, Kevin Owens ambushed The Bloodline & powerbombed Roman Reigns through a table during the contract signing segment!
#WWE https://t.co/LfkpH2TsZh
It will be interesting to see if The Tribal Chief can continue to reign over the "Island of Relevancy" with the threat of Owens looming over his historic title run.
Do you think KO will dethrone Roman Reigns? Sound off in the comments section below.
Watch: 10 Crazy Royal Rumble botches that shocked everyone