The Rock Is Favored To Win Royal Rumble, Main Event Of WrestleMania
This week, BetOnline released updated odds to win the 2025 WWE Royal Rumble, the annual event in which the winner earns a world championship match at the main event of WrestleMania.
The 2025 Royal Rumble is of increased interest in the mainstream. One, it will be the first Royal Rumble (Feb. 1) after WWE Raw moves to Netflix (Jan. 6). Second, it will be the final Royal Rumble in which John Cena, who is retiring next year, will participate. Third, The Rock is favored to win the match.
Here's a look at the odds:
- The Rock 5/2 (+250)
- CM Punk 4/1
- John Cena 4/1
- Roman Reigns 10/1
- Seth "Freakin" Rollins 16/1
- Jey Uso 18/1
- GUNTHER 20/1
- Drew McIntyre 25/1
- Brock Lesnar 33/1
- Damian Priest 33/1
- LA Knight 33/1
- Logan Paul 33/1
- Randy Orton 33/1
- Goldberg 40/1
- Trick Williams 40/1
- Dirty Dominik Mysterio 50/1
- Bron Breakker 50/1
- Cody Rhodes 50/1
- Kevin Owens 50/1
- Rey Mysterio 50/1
- Sami Zayn 50/1
- Sheamus 50/1
- Solo Sikoa 50/1
LAS VEGAS - Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and Roman Reigns during the WWE Wrestlemania XL Kickoff on February 8, 2024, at T-Mobile Arena. (Photo by Louis Grasse/PXimages/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
In storyline, The Rock should win. He has teased a match with current Universal Champion Cody Rhodes since the night after last year's WrestleMania. Rhodes is currently the biggest star in professional wrestling. The Rock might be the biggest star in entertainment. Undoubtedly, a Rock-Cody WrestleMania main event is WWE's first choice.
However, and here's where we pull back the curtain a bit, several reports say The Rock's schedule will prevent him from appearing on the show in April.
"The Rock is not planned to work WrestleMania and WWE is moving forward with creative plans without him," Cultaholic Wrestling posted on X, citing reporter Sean Ross Sapp. "However, WWE is interested in using him should his schedule allow him to work it."
Hmm. Smoke screen? Bad info to stir a deafening pop when The Rock enters the Royal Rumble at No. 30 and clinches his ticket to WrestleMania? We hope.
If not, let's look at the other options.
John Cena has the third-best odds to win the Royal Rumble. WrestleMania 41 will be Cena's last. He is currently tied with Ric Flair with 16 world title reigns, the most in WWE history.
Given Flair's rocky relationship with the company – he recently signed a promotional deal with rival AEW – WWE could opt to give Cena a record-setting 17th title win at WrestleMania, creating one of the more memorable moments in the genre's recent history.
Granted, and this is where we will pull back the curtain for a second time, Cena can still achieve that feat by not winning the Rumble.
See, he is scheduled to appear at Elimination Chamber: Toronto a month later. "John Cena's last time ever in Toronto" is the tagline for the event. Usually, the winner of the Elimination Chamber earns a match for the other world title (there are two). Put simply, WWE is not building the event around Cena to have him not participate in the Elimination Chamber match.
VANCOUVER, CANADA - Jimmy Uso, Sami Zayn, CM Punk, Roman Reigns, Paul Heyman, and Jey Uso celebrate their victory during WWE Survivor Series: War Games at Rogers Arena on November 30, 2024. (Photo by WWE/Getty Images)
Thus, if you are into betting on wrestling, CM Punk is the best bet to win the Rumble.
Punk returned to the promotion last year after a self-inflicted disastrous stint at AEW, during which he reportedly instigated two real-life backstage brawls. Nonetheless, Punk is one of the biggest draws in the company and was slated to main-event his first ever WrestleMania last year before he suffered a multi-month injury.
WWE, more often than not, books for what's best for business. If The Rock can't go, the best business move is to have CM Punk win the Rumble and main event one night of WrestleMania and Cena win the Elimination Chamber to main event the other night. (Reminder, WrestleMania is now a two-night event.)
What about Roman Reigns, who has the 4th best odds to win the Royal Rumble? Reigns has main-evented four straight WrestleManias and eight of the past 10. We don't believe he will this year.
Reigns will still be heavily involved in the event, but it appears that he's heading for a non-title match. All indications are that Reigns will face his cousin Solo Sikoa for Ula Fala, the Samoan necklace worn by the Tribal Chief of the Anoaʻi wrestling family, a claim over which Reigns and Sikoa are feuding.