2013 Royal Rumble Matches & Participants

With the 2013 Royal Rumble Pay-Per-View just days away, there's currently four matches set up on the card for the latest installment of this exciting event.  They include three championship bouts, and of course, everyone's favorite, the Royal Rumble match itself.  So far the field is not quite set, but it's getting there.

The Royal Rumble this year will feature the traditional 30-man over-the-top-rope battle royal match, with competitors entering in timed intervals.  These competitors will eliminated one another one-by-one, until just one superstar remains in the ring.  That last superstar left will get to headline WrestleMania 29, choosing which major title they want to fight for.  As of right now, Del Rio owns the World Heavyweight title and CM Punk owns the WWE title, but they could very well change Sunday as well. So who is in the Rumble so far?

2013 Royal Rumble participants:

John Cena
Randy Orton
Sheamus
Dolph Ziggler
3MB (Heath Slater, Drew McIntyre, Jinder Mahal)
Antonio Cesaro
Wade Barrett

Three other matches round out the Royal Rumble card:

Rhodes Scholars vs. Hell No (WWE Tag Team Championship)
Big Show vs. Alberto Del Rio (World Heavyweight Title - Last Man Standing)
The Rock vs. CM Punk (WWE Championship)

That puts plenty of gold on the line on Sunday night in addition to the popular Royal Rumble match.  Early favorites to win this year's Rumble are John Cena, with Randy Orton and Sheamus also former winners with a shot to win it again.  Don't forget about Ryback, should he get into the match.

The other predictions seem to have Del Rio retaining (although Ziggler could cash in), and The Rock winning the WWE title back after 10 years by defeating CM Punk.  No matter what, the Royal Rumble usually provides plenty of excitement as fans get started on the Road to WrestleMania!