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The Royal Rumble pay-per-view is one of the most important events of the year for the WWE, and the 2015 edition will set the tone for the road to WrestleMania 31.

Not only does the card feature the 30-man over-the-top-rope Battle Royal to crown the new No. 1 contender for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship, but it will also feature the Triple Threat title match between Brock Lesnar, John Cena and Seth Rollins.

Here is the full 2015 Royal Rumble card, the predicted winner for each match and a breakdown of the most important bout on the card.

2015 Royal Rumble Match Card Matches Stipulations Predicted Winner 2015 Royal Rumble Match 30-Man Royal Rumble Battle Royal Roman Reigns Brock Lesnar (c) vs. John Cena vs. Seth Rollins Triple Threat Match for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship Brock Lesnar The Usos (Jimmy Uso and Jey Uso) (c) vs. The Miz and Damien Mizdow WWE Tag Team Championship Match The Usos Paige and Natalya vs. The Bella Twins (Brie Bella and Nikki Bella) Tag Team Match The Bella Twins The New Age Outlaws (Road Dogg and Billy Gunn) vs. The Ascension (Konnor and Viktor) Tag Team Match The Ascension The New Day (Big E, Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods) vs. Tyson Kidd, Cesaro and Adam Rose Six-Man Tag Team Elimination Match The New Day Source: WWE.com. (c) denotes champion.

Breaking Down the 2015 Royal Rumble Match

The excitement surrounding the Royal Rumble match itself could be higher, but the lackluster build to the event has left some fans wanting more. Regardless of how the bout was built, the importance of the Battle Royal makes it arguably the most anticipated match of the year.

One of the reasons why the WWE Universe is legitimately excited despite the lackluster storytelling is that there are a plethora of wrestlers who have a shot to win the match. There were years in the past when the winner was clear for months, but the 2015 edition could go in many different directions.

The favorite is Daniel Bryan. After returning from a serious injury and never actually losing the WWE Championship, Bryan winning the Royal Rumble and going on to main event WrestleMania would create the biggest possible moment.

Fans wanted this last year, but the WWE made the mistake of riding with Batista. While the company managed to save itself by switching the game plan after the backlash from Bryan being passed over, the unique opportunity to book a similar storyline this year—but do it correctly—is the correct direction for this marquee match.

Another viable option is Roman Reigns. Also coming off an injury, Reigns has been booked to be an updated version of John Cena. With support from the right people backstage, the company has made Reigns look like he could easily win the Royal Rumble. Many fans think he lacks the experience to main event WrestleMania, but winning Sunday would instantly put him in the upper echelon.

As it has so many times in the past, though, there is little question that the WWE could swerve the fans and give them an unexpected winner.

Over the last year, many wrestlers have shined under pressure, and each has made their case to be a winner at the Royal Ruble. Whether it’s Dean Ambrose, Bray Wyatt, Dolph Ziggler, Ryback or a possible surprise entrant like Sheamus or Randy Orton, there are many different options that each could make sense with the proper booking.

Each of the aforementioned wrestlers has a chance to win at the Royal Rumble, but there can only be one man left standing, excluding the possibility of a freak tie situation like we had in 1994.

With everything considered, wrestling fans should expect Reigns to get the victory. The WWE has shown little faith in Bryan in the past, and he had his WrestleMania moment last year. The company will be looking to do something new, and all signs point to Reigns being the hand-chosen future face of the company.

If Lesnar goes on to retain the WWE Championship, the main event between Reigns and Lesnar would be highly anticipated, even by the most hardened skeptics. Add in the fact that Reigns would likely win, and the company would build a legitimate top star.

Predicted Winner: Roman Reigns

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