CM Punk, Charlotte Flair, and Top Picks to Win 2025 WWE Royal Rumble Matches (2024)

As the dust settles on an extremely eventful SummerSlam, the build for Survivor Series and even the Royal Rumble is already underway.

It's never too soon to start speculating what the WrestleMania 41 lineup card will consist of and the outcomes of the upcoming men's and women's Royal Rumbles will determine what the top matches look like.

Everyone on Raw and SmackDown should begin building momentum coming out of SummerSlam to increase their chances of winning their respective Rumble. As it currently stands, there are several early favorites for both bouts.

Anything is bound to change between now and 'Mania, but it's safe to assume that Cody Rhodes and Gunther will remain world champions until then. Rhodes is riding high on Undisputed WWE champion on SmackDown while Gunther just kicked off what should be a dominant run as World Heavyweight champion on Raw.

Potential injuries notwithstanding, WWE has a number of different directions they can go in for The Show of Shows.

Based on the seeds that have been planted so far for various WrestleMania matches next April, the following seven Superstars are the top picks to win the 2025 Royal Rumble matches.

Immediately following CM Punk's departure from AEW in September 2023, rumors ran rampant among fans that a Royal Rumble return could be in the cards considering that was where he had his final WWE match a decade earlier.

Punk instead shocked the world by resurfacing at Survivor Series in Chicago before subsequently signing with the Raw brand and announcing his intentions to win the 2024 men's Rumble.

Although he was ultimately eliminated by Cody Rhodes, his road to WrestleMania would have been derailed regardless by the injury he sustained during the match. That setback was the catalyst for his feud with Drew McIntyre that has been a recurring highlight on WWE TV ever since.

Once he wraps up that ruthless rivalry by avenging his loss to McIntyre at SummerSlam, surely his sights will shift back toward world championship contention. He has not one but two feasible opponents in Gunther and Rhodes at WrestleMania 41 seeing as how he's never faced either one of them on a major stage before.

The Second City Saint has never before won a Rumble in his illustrious career and 2025 could be the year it finally happens, unless a non-title 'Mania match with Seth Rollins is where he's headed.

After months of anticipation, Jade Cargill made her long-awaited in-ring debut for WWE in the 2024 women's Royal Rumble and had a strong showing by lasting until the very end.

She's been on an absolute tear since then alongside Bianca Belair in the women's tag team ranks, quickly capturing the WWE Women's Tag Team Championship at Backlash. Their reign was cut short by Alba Fyre and Isla Dawn at Clash at the Castle and they've been in hot pursuit of the twin titles all summer.

The time has come for the two powerhouses to go their separate ways so they can formally feud and prove who the superior athlete truly is. The question now is who will be the one to turn on the other.

Regardless of what role she finds herself in during her pending program with Belair, Cargill should be involved in a meaningful match at WrestleMania 41, potentially with the WWE Women's Championship on the line.

If Nia Jax isn't champ by then, there's a good chance it will be Ms. Money in the Bank Tiffany Stratton. Both of those matches are 'Mania-worthy and would likely result in Cargill scoring her first taste of singles gold in WWE.

Few Superstars know both of the current WWE world champs better than Sami Zayn.

Newly-crowned World Heavyweight champion Gunther's last loss came at WrestleMania 40 when he was beaten by Zayn for the Intercontinental champion. Gunther entered the King of the Ring tournament instead of attempting to get the belt back from Zayn.

As for Rhodes, Zayn has aided him in his rivalries with The Bloodline and The Judgment Day on multiple occasions over the last year. It could be time for Zayn to take what's his at the expense of The American Nightmare.

Zayn losing the Intercontinental title to Bron Breakker at SummerSlam frees him up to move up the card, though it's been teased that he'll first focus on clinching the World Tag Team Championship with Jey Uso.

Beyond possible involvement in the Bloodline saga, Zayn should be in contention for the prestigious prize before long. The story is simple: He knows he can conquer Gunther, but he has yet to prove that he can win "the big one" on the grand stage.

A Rumble victory would put him on that path.

Although she's been out of sight since December, Charlotte Flair can't be considered out of mind in regards to potential Royal Rumble winners for 2025.

The record-breaking, history-making trailblazer was sidelined with several injuries at the tail end of 2023. Updates on her road to recovery have been far and few between, which will make the timing of her inevitable return all the more shocking.

It's unlikely she'll be off television for the entirety of 2024, but WWE could realistically hold off on bringing her back until the Rumble. She won her first Rumble in 2020 and may very well repeat the feat five years later, even if she isn't saved as a surprise entrant.

The long-term future of Raw's women's scene beyond Rhea Ripley vs. Liv Morgan is unclear, but SmackDown should have Nia Jax and Tiffany Stratton in the main mix through WrestleMania 41. Flair staying on SmackDown is virtually guaranteed given that's where her husband Andrade currently competes.

Flair vs. Jax makes total storyline sense with Jax being the reigning Queen of the Ring, and Stratton vs. Flair is a dream match that must happen eventually. Flair doesn't need the Rumble to set either of those matches up for 'Mania, but it would certainly be one way to reintroduce her in emphatic fashion.

The Rock most definitely doesn't need to win another Royal Rumble, but that doesn't mean WWE wouldn't go through it, anyway.

The Great One rocked the road to WrestleMania 40 by inserting himself into the Undisputed WWE Championship scene at the most inopportune time. He wisely stepped aside to give Cody Rhodes his 'Mania moment but still managed to pin him in a tag team match on Night 1 of the event.

During a confrontation between the two on the post-WrestleMania Raw, Rock made it clear that he was coming for Rhodes at some point, and when he did, gold would up for grabs. With Rock not returning for SummerSlam, all signs point to Rock vs. Rhodes going down at WrestleMania 41.

It's all a matter of whether WWE aims to deliver Rock vs. Roman Reigns at The Show of Shows next April or at the following installment in 2026. If Rock vs. Rhodes is indeed penciled in for WrestleMania 41, the belt is bound to be at stake, making a Rock Rumble win plausible.

The Rumble would be better used to set up whatever Raw's World Heavyweight Championship match is going to be, but a Rock Rumble victory can't be counted out completely.

It's not often wrestlers contracted to other companies compete in the Royal Rumble, but Jordynne Grace joined an elite few to cross the line and make history in that way at the 2024 Rumble.

The Juggernaut took part in the women's Rumble while TNA Knockouts World champion, a title she has yet to be beaten for. She's had a remarkable 2024 so far and has successfully knocked off every one of her challengers, including WWE NXT's Tatum Paxley and Izzi Dame.

WWE should have strong interest in signing Grace once her current contract expires, which is reported to be in January 2025 per Fightful Select.

That would allow Grace to not only participate in the women's Rumble again in 2025 but also win the whole thing and punch her ticket to WrestleMania 41 in the process.

If there was ever an opportunity for WWE to make an instant star in one night, this would be it. There is a plethora of opponents for her to work with on Raw, most notably Rhea Ripley and Becky Lynch (assuming she's back by then).

The timing could be perfect for this fantasy to become a reality.

John Cena's upcoming retirement tour makes every match of his must-see in 2025, especially if he intends to chase what would be his record-setting 17th world championship.

The future Hall of Famer hasn't won a match on pay-per-view in over six years, but he could instantly earn himself an opportunity at either the Undisputed WWE Championship or the World Heavyweight Championship by way of the Royal Rumble.

Having reigned supreme in the annual Battle Royal twice before in 2008 and 2013, Cena would tie "Stone Cold" Steve Austin's record if he were to win his third Rumble next year. That would set the tone for the remainder of his retirement tour and guarantee him a high-profile match at WrestleMania 41.

Rhodes and Gunther would both be worthy of facing a competitor the caliber of Cena on The Grandest Stage of Them All. Cena doesn't need to challenge for a championship for his final match ever at the event to feel special, but it'd undoubtedly do big business and leave viewers excited for the aftermath regardless of the outcome.

Waiting until Cena's about to hang up his boots for good to have him win a world title would make for the more compelling chase, but a Rumble win leading to one more WrestleMania main event for a top title could firmly cement his legacy as WWE's greatest of all-time.

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.