28 January 2023 , 19:00
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WWE starts down the road to Wrestlemania tonight with this year's Royal Rumble and anticipation is high that it has the potential to be a big one.
Traditionally the Rumble is considered as a highlight of the WWE calendar by fans, with the 30-entrant format of the two main matches offering excitement, high flying and usually some celebrity and ex-wrestler surprise entrants along the way.
But with this year's Wrestlemania returning to Hollywood and rumours circling that The Rock, John Cena and even Stone Cold Steve Austin for the second year on the bounce might join April's two-night extravaganza, there seems to be more chance than ever that Rumble might see some moments as jaw-dropping as Edge's return from retirement which took place in 2020's event.
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With relatively few confirmed names in the mix for either match, there's still plenty of room for shock entrants.
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WWE confirmed Cody Rhodes would be returning from his pec injury to take part in the iconic battle royal, with many tipping him to win giving him a starring role at 'Mania.
However, with the event taking place in Texas there is a distinct possibility of seeing home-grown talent like Shawn Michaels, Undertaker, JBL and Steve Austin popping up - with the latter reportedly in discussions with WWE about a Wrestlemania appearance to top last year's barnstormer against Kevin Owens.
But Austin is not the only big name being discussed in relation to Wrestlemania 39 with two former wrestlers turned Hollywood megastars in the frame as potential returns.
Rumblings of The Rock versus Roman Reigns as head of The Bloodline have been discussed for several years but with the wrestling show of the year heading to California timing could finally be right, although with Dwayne Johnson launching XFL next month alongside his acting career it may yet turn out to be a damp squib.
Arguably more likely is John Cena who, it was announced this week, is the cover star for WWE Games' WWE2K23 launch which is now available to pre-order.
An appearance fighting Sami Zayn and Roman Reigns alongside Kevin Owens at the last Smackdown of the year saw the Peacemaker star back in front of a wrestling crowd, but it's likely he will be ramping up his appearances in the run up to the launch of the game although there's no guarantees it'll be this weekend.
Confirmed men's event entrants so far alongside Rhodes include Austin Theory, Seth Rollins, Kofi Kingston, Santos Escobar, Ricochet, Bobby Lashley, Baron Corbin, Rey Mysterio, Gunther, Omos, Drew McIntyre, Sheamus, Braun Strowman and Karrion Kross.
On the women's side there are fewer names announced but many will hope for a good showing from older female wrestlers overlooked in this week's RAWXXX celebration, perhaps like Molly Holly, Trish Stratus, Lita or the Bella Twins.
Women announced as definitely taking part so far include Judgment Day's Rhea Ripley - hotly tipped as a potential winner - as well as last year's winner Liv Morgan, Candice LeRae, Raquel Rodriguez, Shayna Baszler, Zelina Vega and Emma.
How to watch WWE Royal Rumble 2023 on UK TV: UK start time and channel
BT Sport is the home of all WWE programming in the UK and is showing Royal Rumble live and on demand for £19.95 on BT Sports Box Office 2.
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You can view the event without being an existing BT Sport subscriber. But if you want to see BT Sport's wider WWE coverage you can get a no contract monthly pass here for £25. This covers Smackdown, Raw and NXT as well as BT Sport's other coverage including Premier League games, rugby, UFC, MotoGP and cricket.
BT Sport is available on the BT Sport app on iOS and Android, or via bt.com/sport once coverage starts. The event will also be available to watch on demand so don't worry if you miss the 1am start time.
Royal Rumble is also live on the WWE Network.
WWE Royal Rumble 2023 final card
The current card for Royal Rumble is as follows, although additional matches may yet be added and, arguably more than any other of the WWE's Big Four events, more surprises are likely to emerge on the night.
But, for now, the card stands at:
- Men's Royal Rumble Match
- Women's Royal Rumble Match
- Bray Wyatt vs LA Knight in a Pitch Black Match
- Bianca Belair vs Alexa Bliss for the WWE Raw Women's Championship
- Charlotte Flair vs Sonya Deville for the WWE Smackdown Women's Championship
- Roman Reigns vs Kevin Owens for the WWE Undisputed Universal titles
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