Two WWE stars' lives will change in mere hours when the men's and women's 2025 Royal Rumble matches take place. Thirty men and women are vying for a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity: to main-event WrestleMania 41 and compete for, and hopefully win, the championship of their choice. The 2019 Royal Rumble winner on the men's side, Seth "Freakin" Rollins, understands how life-changing this match can be. However, ensuring the contest flows smoothly despite the chaos that ensues when 30 men are tossing each other over the top rope is no easy task. In an interview with "Sports Illustrated," Rollins reflected on how different a Royal Rumble match is compared to singles competition.
"It's kind of different. I don't know that it's better or worse," Rollins stated." "I think in some ways ... you're sharing the workload with 29 other guys. There's, like, a little less stress. It's like a team sport; you're kind of all in it together, so you do your part, and that's all you have to really worry about, as opposed to a match, which is entirely yours if you're out there for, you know, 20-30 minutes. The microscope is on you the whole time, and so you feel like you have to be on all the time, totally focused ... When it's the Rumble, you're a cog in the machine. You know, you're a gear that churns, and if you churn properly and everybody else does, then, you know, you create a good little machine to go."
Despite the intensity that goes into the Rumble, who could receive the golden ticket to the main event of WrestleMania remains unforeseen. With John Cena starting his retirement tour and chasing his goal of becoming the only 17-time world champion, and Roman Reigns wanting to reclaim his former empire, it's anyone's game, including Rollins, who lost his World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 40 last April. Like the viewers in attendance or watching from home, Rollins looks forward to being part of this unpredictable Rumble. "It's going to be star-studded," Rollins announced. "It's a much more enjoyable experience when you can't predict the winner."
