January is always an important month for WWE. They are on the Road to WrestleMania and the state of Texas will play a very important part. That’s because on January 28, it’s the Royal Rumble at the Alamodome in San Antonio. You can bet all eyes will be on this yearly US wrestling event.
While betting on sport remains illegal in Texas, other states have legalized gambling, for example players from Ohio can do it legally from January 1 reports Ohio Bet. The Royal Rumble will be an event that gamblers across the US will be eager to place bets on. Just because a state hasn’t legalized sports betting, that’s not to say people still won’t be placing bets.
One problem with gambling not being made legal is that it can drive bettors to the underground betting market. That can be dangerous as gamblers don’t receive the levels of protection they do at licensed operators. That’s one reason that US states do make betting legal but it’s unlikely to happen in Texas in the foreseeable future.
Even so, it’s likely that there will be Texans who will want to place bets on the Royal Rumble. Crossing into other US states is another way that can be achieved.
The Royal Rumble is a key stop on the Road to WrestleMania. That’s the biggest show of the year that is held by WWE. This year it’s being held at the Sofi Center in Los Angeles on April 1 and 2. Yes, WrestleMania is such a major US sporting event now that it is held over two days.
Who will receive title shots at WrestleMania is a major question at present. The Royal Rumble will partially provide the answer with two title contenders to be confirmed. That lucky pair will be the winners of the Men’s and Women’s Royal Rumble matches.
30 wrestlers take part but they enter the ring at regular intervals, usually every minute. To be eliminated you have to be thrown over the top rope and both your feet land on the floor. The last wrestler in the ring remains a title shot at WrestleMania 39. Not exactly Olympic wrestling but highly entertaining.
US bookmakers already have odds available on who the two Royal Rumble winners will be. Those odds will fluctuate in the coming weeks. It all depends on what happens at the weekly Raw and Smackdown shows that are seen on US television every week of the year.
The current favorite with US sportsbooks to win the Men’s Rumble is Cody Rhodes. This time last year the wrestler known as ‘The American Nightmare’ was still wrestling for US rival wrestling company AEW.
The son of the legendary Dusty Rhodes returned to WWE at this year’s WrestleMania event. He feuded with Seth Freakin Rollins until getting injured. He’s been out injured for several months now but is expected to return at the Royal Rumble.
WWE has a history of injured wrestlers making their return at the Royal Rumble and winning it. If we are to believe the views of US gambling companies, then it’ll be Cody Rhodes who is the latest US wrestler to achieve that feat.
The second favorite with US bookmakers is also not wrestling for WWE at present. US movie star Dwayne Johnson aka The Rock could well make another return to WWE in 2023. If he does, then the odds are he will feud with current Undisputed WWE Champion Roman Reigns. He’s related to him in real life and a Reigns v Rock feud would be perfect for WrestleMania in Hollywood.
When it comes to The Rock winning the Royal Rumble, a lot will depend on his availability. Will his busy schedule making hit US movies allow him to wrestle in WWE? It’s important to keep a close eye on the movie and wrestling gossip columns to see just if The Rock makes a return.
Outsiders tend not to win the Royal Rumble. One possible contender outside of Rhodes and The Rock is Sami Zayn. He’s often a figure of fun in WWE but a feud with Roman Reigns is a possibility in 2023. Again, look at the odds given by US bookmakers to see if he might just be the winner.
WWE’s plans could well change in the coming weeks. Bray Wyatt continues to be popular since his return to the company. His merchandise sales are through the roof and if Rhodes or The Rock aren’t available, the odds at US bookmakers on Wyatt winning the Men’s Royal Rumble might just start to fall.
As for the Women’s Royal Rumble, former champion Becky Lynch is the current favorite with US bookmakers. The rumors are that we could see her up against Rhonda Rousey at WrestleMania 39. The former UFC champion holds the Smackdown Women’s title and a win for Lynch in Texas in January would likely set up a one-on-one WrestleMania showdown.
The Royal Rumble on January 28 is going to answer a fair few questions as well as be highly entertaining.