WWE Royal Rumble 2025 Predictions: Wrestling Inc. Picks The Winners

It's that time again, some say the most magical time of the pro wrestling season: Royal Rumble time. For the eighth straight year, 30 women and 30 men will compete in two matches to determine who gets the precious few and highly-coveted world title shots at WrestleMania, and this year seems like one of the more unpredictable Rumble events in recent memory. We should know, since we're here now to try and predict it!

2025 has gotten off to a reasonable start, picks-wise. A disqualification victory sent our collective SNME 38 picks to 3-1, meaning we're 6-2 overall counting the "WWE Raw" Netflix debut. Now it's time for our first official PLE picks of the year — and because it's the Rumble, we once again only have four matches! While one of those has been met with near-total agreement, we are far less sure about the other three, including both Rumbles. Will our moderately warm streak continue as we start down the Road to WrestleMania? Let's get to the picks!

The Motor City Machine Guns will challenge #DIY in a two-out-of-three falls match in an attempt to regain the WWE Tag Team Championships. Despite Tommaso Ciampa and Johnny Gargano's recent heel turn after winning the titles, a little over half of us here at WINC believe the titles are going back around the waists of Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin. The former champions felt like Ciampa and Gargano kept ducking them when it came to a rematch, so they convinced "SmackDown" General Manager Nick Aldis to give them the bout, with the added stipulation at the premium live event.

One of the only major things that could prevent MCMG from defeating the heels are Pretty Deadly's Elton Prince and Kit Wilson, who have been hanging around the champions after lying on their behalf about who attacked the Street Profits a few weeks ago. The pair have been stirring the pot backstage, and could possibly interfere on behalf of the champions to get on their good side, but if they do, most of us are convinced they're no match for Sabin and Shelley.

It could partially be because tag team titles aren't often defended on PLEs, especially with a stipulation, but 60% of us are confident that the Motor City Machine Guns walk out of Indianapolis with the championships, to much fanfare. The only other championship on the card is more than likely not changing hands, so a victory and title change at the Royal Rumble could very well be booked to keep up the crowd's excitement. Seeing MCMG as two-time champions so shortly after their WWE debut would be excellent and raise their stock even higher, in our opinion.

Written by Daisy Ruth

While much of the field remains foggy, Wrestling Inc. staff has a pretty clear vision for the winner of the 2025 Women's Royal Rumble. Like years past, we expect WWE to surprise us with a number of returns and debuts in this match, with Jordynne Grace, Becky Lynch, and even former WWE Divas Champion AJ Lee as potential candidates for these spots. Still, the majority of us believe it will be an already confirmed returnee, namely Charlotte Flair, taking the crown this year.

Last week, Flair announced her entry into the Women's Royal Rumble following a 14-month absence from action. "The Queen" last wrestled against Asuka on a December 2023 episode of "WWE SmackDown." In the process, Flair tore her ACL, MCL, and meniscus, rendering her unable to compete throughout the entirety of 2024.

In assessing Flair's past, we noticed a glaring trend as it relates to her various absences from WWE television. On multiple occasions, Flair has returned to action with an immediate title shot or win. A notable instance came in December 2022, when she bested Ronda Rousey to claim the WWE SmackDown Women's Championship. Prior to that, she came back at the 2020 TLC premium live event and won the WWE Women's Tag Team Championships alongside Asuka. This year, we believe Flair will continue that trend with her second victory in the Women's Royal Rumble, earning herself a title match of her choosing at WrestleMania 41.

Aside from her history, reports indicate that a WrestleMania match pitting Flair against WWE Women's Champion Tiffany Stratton is up for consideration. A Royal Rumble win, of course, would effectively put that plan into motion.

Other vote-getters in our poll are Bianca Belair (20%) and Liv Morgan (7%), the former of whom is a rumored WrestleMania opponent for WWE Women's World Champion Rhea Ripley.

Written by Ella Jay

His time is (almost) up, but his time is also now when it comes to the Royal Rumble. While the Rumble match is often difficult to predict with so many entrants and possible winners, just under half of the WINC staff (47%) believe John Cena will outlast 29 other men to win his third Rumble match and go on to a title match at WrestleMania 41. While that's not a majority, it does represent the highest percentage of votes; CM Punk came in second place with 27% of the vote, followed by Sami Zayn with 20% and Roman Reigns with 7%.

After making an appearance to declare for the match on "WWE Raw's" debut on Netflix and pop the crowd, this Rumble will be Cena's first in-ring stop of his retirement tour. Cena could enter later on in the match to protect him in the likely event of ring rust, but he could also enter a bit earlier to start potential post-WrestleMania storylines with other stars who want a shot at him. It's already been credibly reported that a match between Cena and Rhodes is on the table for WrestleMania, with Cena vying to win his record-breaking 17th world championship. There's always Elimination Chamber for Punk, Zayn, Reigns, or anyone else who ends up challenging for the other world title, and it would seem fitting to bring Cena back with a bang. In a men's Rumble match more star-studded than possibly any before it, the closest thing we have to a consensus says Cena is all the way back from the word go.

Written by Daisy Ruth

This weekend will mark the third bout of the trilogy between WWE Champion Cody Rhodes and friend-turned-mortal enemy Kevin Owens, with two championship belts suspended above the ring for a ladder match. Rhodes goes into this match with the statistical advantage, having already retained his title against Owens on two occasions, and while this is his first ladder match since dropping AEW's TNT Championship before leaving the promotion in 2022, the 93% of Wrestling Inc.'s staff have backed Rhodes to make it 3-0 on February 1. 

The story started back in August last year, with Rhodes extending a title shot to Owens as a thanks for standing with him against The Bloodline – new and original. Owens felt he didn't deserve the shot and turned it down, but after Rhodes insisted they finally met in the ring at Bash In Berlin; Rhodes defeated Owens, although it could be argued that he was spared by their friendship. 

Things took a sour twist in the aftermath of Rhodes teaming with Roman Reigns at Bad Blood, with Owens attacking him immediately after the event to set the stage for their eventual rematch at Saturday Night's Main Event in December. Rhodes was entrusted with the "Winged Eagle" WWE title belt for the occasion, and after managing to defeat Owens once again — despite KO getting a visual pin without a referee to count it — Rhodes was subjected to a brutal post-match attack. 

Owens took the "Winged Eagle" belt after the event and has since paraded as the self-proclaimed true WWE Champion, thus setting up their ladder match at the Rumble. Both competitors have been looking beyond the Rumble as well, with Owens touting a potential WrestleMania main event between he and Sami Zayn — provided Zayn helps him win the title he would ensure he won the Rumble — and Rhodes sharing a verbal showdown with CM Punk, who had said he intends to win the Rumble and challenge for Rhodes' title.