Zelina Vega Feels 2023 WWE Royal Rumble Winner Is Obvious

WWE's annual Royal Rumble event typically lays the groundwork for some of the year's biggest WrestleMania matches. Rising stars experience breakout moments, legends of the past surprise fans with one-off returns, and feuds kick into hyperdrive on the road to WrestleMania. In the end though, only one winner emerges to secure a spot in the main event at WrestleMania. Everyone has their pick for who that might be, and Zelina Vega is no different, recently appearing on "WWE Die Woche" to name who she believes is the "obvious" winner for this year's men's Royal Rumble match.

"I mean, it makes sense for it to be Santos [Escobar], doesn't it? That screams obvious to me," Vega said. "It's cool seeing people like Rey Mysterio say that he's going to be part of that because he's somebody that I've admired since childhood, so it's crazy to even be witnessing that. But I've got to give it to Santos because if anybody can do it," she continued, "and we haven't really gotten the chance to see what he can do." Vega noted that there are people who have already seen Escobar's capabilities on display in "NXT," but they haven't yet gotten the chance to see what he can do on "Raw" or "SmackDown." Nevertheless, Vega believes Escobar's talents will be on full display in the Royal Rumble.

Escobar made his "NXT" debut in 2020 and soon after captured the "NXT" Cruiserweight Championship. He formed and led Legado del Fantasma with Joaquin Wilde, Cruz Del Toro, and Elektra Lopez until the group was called up to "SmackDown" in October 2022 – sans Lopez. Instead, Vega was paired with the faction to serve as their manager and mouthpiece. Escobar recently took part in the WWE World Cup tournament before losing in the finals to Ricochet.