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WWE Royal Rumble 2018: 5 signs a SmackDown superstar will win

By David Austin Bumpus

NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 23: Randy Orton enters the ring at the WWE SummerSlam 2015 at Barclays Center of Brooklyn on August 23, 2015 in New York City. (Photo by JP Yim/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 23: Randy Orton enters the ring at the WWE SummerSlam 2015 at Barclays Center of Brooklyn on August 23, 2015 in New York City. (Photo by JP Yim/Getty Images) /
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SmackDown won the Royal Rumble last year when Randy Orton threw Roman Reigns over the top rope, and signs are pointing to a repeat in 2018.

The Royal Rumble is less than a week away, and wrestling fans around the world are wondering who will be the last man standing to end the show when the Royal Rumble match gets underway on Sunday.

In 2017, we saw Randy Orton take home the win to give SmackDown some brand supremacy and to begin a program for the WWE Title with Bray Wyatt. Now, fans are debating whether the blue brand will win their second straight Royal Rumble, or if RAW can even things up since the brand split a year and a half ago.

There are a lot of factors heading into the event on Sunday, and everyone seems to have their own logic for why each brand could win this year’s Royal Rumble. However, the answer seems to be clear: SmackDown will be repeating as the brand with the Royal Rumble win under their belt.

If you don’t believe me, check out these five reasons for why the blue brand will take the 2018 Royal Rumble win to Tuesday nights to build up to their WrestleMania main event.

NEW YORK, NY – AUGUST 23: Randy Orton enters the ring at the WWE SummerSlam 2015 at Barclays Center of Brooklyn on August 23, 2015 in New York City. (Photo by JP Yim/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY – AUGUST 23: Randy Orton enters the ring at the WWE SummerSlam 2015 at Barclays Center of Brooklyn on August 23, 2015 in New York City. (Photo by JP Yim/Getty Images) /

5. SmackDown superstars are promoting the Royal Rumble more than RAW

It may seem like a weird reason toward thinking of SmackDown as the favorite to win the Royal Rumble, but wouldn’t it make sense for the brand that’s more invested in the match to have one of their guys take home the win?

The main focus on RAW over the last few weeks has been on the Universal Title feud with Brock Lesnar, Kane and Braun Strowman, and the drama between the new version of The Shield with Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins and Jason Jordan. Outside of an announcement from Finn Balor about his participation in the match, not much else has really been put out there on the RAW side.

Meanwhile, SmackDown has made their Rumble promotion a big part of their show, with Randy Orton and Shinsuke Nakamura as the two big names entering the match, along with a young star in Baron Corbin. Technically, RAW has more superstars in at the moment, but it’s tough to see guys like Titus O’Neil, Apollo Crews or Elias winning the match.

Add in the element of “free agent” John Cena, who would likely be challenging SmackDown‘s A.J. Styles at WrestleMania if he takes home his third Rumble win, and SmackDown’s chances go up immensely.

There are a lot of chances for a repeat winner this year, like Cena or Orton, and even betting odds pointing towards a potential shocker with Daniel Bryan winning. With all that in mind, SmackDown should be the favorite when Sunday rolls around.