'WWE Royal Rumble 2016' Predictions: Who Will Compete For The WWE World Heavyweight Championship Title?

By Jackie Villegas, Christian Post Contributor Thursday, January 07, 2016

For the first time in its long history, a WWE World Heavyweight Champion will have to fight to retain his title in the WWE Royal Rumble match. WWE chairman and guest referee Vince McMahon made the surprising announcement on "Monday Night Raw" following current WWE World Heavyweight Champion Roman Reigns and Sheamus' match, in which Reigns successfully defended his title.

According to McMahon, Reigns will have to compete with 29 other men for the title, with the winner walking into WrestleMania 32 with the Heavyweight Championship belt around his waist.

Thirty WWE Superstars will enter the melee, but not all of them stand a chance to win the title. So who will compete at this year's Royal Rumble and who will win?

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There is a big possibility that Reigns, who the WWE has been heavily promoting for over a year and who is the betting favorite, could win the match and keep his title. The Royal Rumble could serve as yet another major hurdle for Reigns to overcome on his way to WrestleMania, creating more hype for that main event.

And because Reigns is being positioned to become the WWE's top Superstar, it makes sense that John Cena, who has been the WWE's #1 wrestler for the past decade, could show up at Royal Rumble and take on Reigns. Cena's participation alone will draw in a record number of fans for the WWE event.

Meanwhile, WWE fans are expecting Brock Lesnar to announce his participation at the Royal Rumble on his return to "Raw" on Jan. 11. Lesnar facing off with Reigns at the event could set up a rematch between the two at WrestleMania 32, which would be another battle that fans will be going crazy for.

So far, the following WWE Superstars are the confirmed official participants in the much-anticipated match: WWE World Heavyweight Champion Roman Reigns, Dolph Ziggler, Chris Jericho, Luke Harper, Erick Rowan, Braun Strowman, Curtis Axel, Bray Wyatt, Big Show, and Ryback.

WWE will announce the rest of the line-up in the days leading up to the event.

The "WWE Royal Rumble 2016" airs live on Sunday, Jan. 24, at 8 p.m. ET on the WWE Network.