One of the most exciting matches of the year in the WWE takes place at its first pay-per-view event of 2014 as the 30-man over-the-top-rope Royal Rumble match to determine who will face the WWE World Heavyweight Champion at WrestleMania XXX is a highly anticipated match, and with the event less than two weeks away on Jan. 26, the field has started to take shape.
Batista and Alberto Del Rio were both announced on last week's Monday Night RAW as participants in the match, but 28 other slots were left open and the WWE has begun to fill them.
The WWE announced on RAW that Batista and Del Rio will be joined by CM Punk, Rey Mysterio, The Miz, WWE Intercontinental Champion Big E Langston, Xavier Woods, Kofi Kingston, R-Truth, Fandango and WWE Tag Team Champions Cody Rhodes and Goldust.
It was heavily speculated that the returning Batista would win the Royal Rumble match for the second time in his career and first time since 2005 and go on to meet Orton at WrestleMania XXX on April 6 in New Orleans at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship, but it remains to be seen if those plans will hold up.
In addition to the 30-man over-the-top-rope Royal Rumble match, Orton will defend his title against John Cena in a rematch from TLC: Tables, Ladders and Chairs while The Big Show will take on Brock Lesnar in a one-on-one match as he did back in 2003 at the Royal Rumble.
The WWE was reportedly looking to once again bring in some surprise entrants for the Rumble match, and the list of rumored but unconfirmed names include Chris Jericho, Hulk Hogan and Jake "The Snake" Roberts.
There were rumors of Erick Rowan and Luke Harper possibly winning the WWE Tag Team Championships either at the Royal Rumble or some time before WrestleMania while Roman Reigns is rumored to continue to look strong and will probably have a great showing in the Royal Rumble match once he is announced as taking part in it.
The Royal Rumble takes place Sunday, Jan. 26 at the Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh.
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