If there is one WWE event that I look forward to the most every year, it is hands down the Royal Rumble. The Royal Rumble match never disappoints, as the match concept allows for several high profile spots.

Normally, the winner of the Rumble would become the number one contender for the WWE Championship, and get to main event Wrestlemania, which is WWE's biggest event of the year. This year, however, sees a twist on the rumble. Current WWE champ Roman Reigns has been feuding with the Authority, which consists of CEO Vince McMahon, his daughter Stephanie McMahon, and her husband, HHH. Back in December, Reigns beat down HHH so bad he has not been seen since because he was "injured" (WWE's way to keep someone off TV). Since then Reigns has been going at it with Vince, even delivering a few Superman punches to the CEO along the way. However that came with a price, as Vince announced Reigns must defend the title in the Royal Rumble match.

Now there will be a total of 30 wrestlers competing in the rumble, but not all of them will have a realistic chance to actually win. However, putting the wrinkle of having the title on the line seems to have opened up the possibilities for who could walk out the winner. With this being the start of the road to WrestleMania, it would make sense that those story lines would be set in to motion. So let's take a look at the names who have legitimate chances of leaving the rumble WWE Champion.

Roman Reigns

Even though the odds have been stacked against him, would you really be surprised to see Reigns retain the gold? He is clearly the top full-timer in WWE right now, especially with John Cena and Seth Rollins sidelined with injuries. He is being molded to be the next John Cena, so having him do the impossible would just add to his resume. Vince could try everything in his power to cost Reigns the win, but Roman finding his way to pull off the victory would not be all that surprising whatsoever. Having Reigns as the champ come WrestleMania would make sense, as he is clearly going to be at the top of the card.

HHH

I would be absolutely amazed if HHH does not show back up at the Royal Rumble. The real question is will he compete in the match itself? It is entirely possible HHH comes out and just costs Reigns the match, but that would be too boring. The better option would be to have HHH come in to the rumble late, preferably as entrant number 30. He is the sole reason I do not see Reigns retaining. That doesn't mean I think he'll win it, although it's entirely possible since it will allow for a rematch. HHH and Reigns are clearly on a collision course that results in a WrestleMania match, so the only question is, will either man be holding the title at the start of that match?

Sheamus

Sheamus has been in the middle of the the Reigns vs the Authority storyline. He is the one Reigns defeated to become champ. Bottom line is, the WWE clearly trusts him as one of their top names, so having him as champ for Mania would not be a total surprise. Since HHH and Reigns do not need the title involved in their feud, it would make sense to bring up another match by adding it to the mix. That match could be the one that involves Sheamus. While his opponent would not be clear, it is entirely possible it could be the next man on this list.

Brock Lesnar

The Beast is in my opinion the favorite to win this match and the title. He's not around often, but when he is, he's fun to watch and always in a big storyline. His matches are hard-hitting and always a candidate for match of the night. Having him as the champ come Mania would not disappoint. He is clearly going to dominate at the rumble, likely throwing out the most competitors. The question is, will he be the last one standing, or will someone throw him out, setting up a feud for WrestleMania? If it's the latter, Sheamus is once again an option, even if he doesn't win the belt since Sheamus-Lesnar would be so brutal and hard-hitting that it would be WrestleMania-worthy. There is one other potential name I could see throwing out Lesnar to set up a Mania match, and he happens to be next on this list.

Kevin Owens

Here is one of my dark horses to win the belt. Kevin Owens has done everything right since he showed up at WWE, constantly being the best part of any show. His matches are fun, his promos are fun, and he is just entertaining to watch. He is the type of young guy the WWE could put their faith in to wear the belt. Making his Mania match for the WWE Championship would elevate him up the card where he deserves to be. He is currently in a hard-hitting and fun feud with Dean Ambrose for the Intercontinental Championship, which may prevent him from winning the title. However, a clean win by Ambrose early in the night could signal the end of that feud. Owens throwing out Lesnar to make a Lesnar-Owens title match at WrestleMania would be absolute money. I would definitely not be disappointed if Owens won the title.

Bray Wyatt

One more dark horse candidate. Bray Wyatt and the Wyatt family are sure to dominate in the rumble. Wyatt doesn't even have to do the dirty work, as he has three giants (Harper, Rowan, and Stroman) to do all the hard work. All he has to do is be standing at the end. It would not be all that surprising to see the Wyatt family clear house to allow Wyatt to claim the title. The only real question would be, who would be his potential WrestleMania opponent? Lesnar vs Wyatt would be a match I would be all for, but I think Lesnar is more likely to square off with either Owens or Sheamus. The Undertaker, who was expected to get John Cena before his injury. However, the title would not be needed for any match with Taker at WrestleMania.

Those are the most realistic options I see to win the Rumble. While I think it would be awesome to see the Undertaker come out at 30 and win it, I don't see it happening. Chris Jericho and Dean Ambrose have been names who are big enough to hold the title at Mania, but I just think WWE is going in a different direction.

Royal Rumble Match Predictions

Final 4 - Reigns, HHH, Lesnar, Wyatt
Winner - Lesnar

WrestleMania Match Predictions

Lesnar (Champ) vs Sheamus (WWE Championship)
HHH vs Reigns
Wyatt vs Undertaker
Ambrose (Champ) vs Owens (Intercontinental Championship)
Jericho and Usos vs New Day
Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal
Charlotte vs Lynch (Champ) vs Banks (DIvas Championship)
Stardust vs Goldust

Who do you see walking out of the Royal Rumble as the WWE Champion? What matches do you want to see at WrestleMania? Tell us in the comments!