Rumors around the WWE's Royal Rumble pay-per-view this Sunday that kicks off the road to WrestleMania XXX have pointed to "The Animal" Batista winning the 30-man over-the-top-rope match to go onto WrestleMania XXX and wrestle for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.

Wrestlingheadlines.com reports that the WWE has planned on involving the returning Batista heavily in their storylines leading into the biggest show of the year April 6 live from the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans and that he will likely win the Royal Rumble match this Sunday live from the Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh.

It has been reported for a while now that the WWE will likely give Batista his second victory in the 30-man elimination match and his first since 2005, but now it seems that it is almost a lock to happen this Sunday, though plans do change often.

It had been reported that Batista may take on Randy Orton for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania XXX, leading to speculation that Orton may go over John Cena to retain the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at the Royal Rumble.

There is a possibility that Cena could go over Orton on Sunday and go on to face Batista in a match pitting two of the WWE's OVW Class of 2002 against each other on the grand stage of WrestleMania XXX, but the WWE may choose to go with former Evolution buddies Orton and Batista clashing at the event.

The 30-man match and the Royal Rumble match are part of a card Sunday that includes matches between The Big Show and Brock Lesnar, Daniel Bryan and Bray Wyatt and a kick-off match pitting the New Age Outlaws against Cody Rhodes and Goldust for the WWE Tag Team Championships.

A Divas Championship match between A.J. Lee and Naomi is also rumored to be added to the card as long as there is enough time allotted on the pay-per-view. Wrestlingheadlines.com reports that if the match doesn't happen Sunday night, it will occur the next night on Monday Night RAW.

The road to WrestleMania XXX kicks off this Sunday live from the Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh, and with Batista's planned push by the WWE, it is conceivable that he'll leave Pittsburgh as the winner of the Royal Rumble match.