2020 has been quite the year in WWE, with the coronavirus wreaking havoc on the pro-wrestling business. 

This year's Royal Rumble event - one of the last PPVs with fans present - seems almost a lifetime ago now. 

In fact, next month, WWE will start building towards 2021's namesake match and we're already excited. 

Hopefully, the turn of the year will spark new opportunities to build new top stars.

After all, champions Drew McIntyre, Roman Reigns, Asuka and Sasha Banks need some worthy challengers.  

So who's in the running to win the men and women's Royal Rumble matches? Well, right now, it could be anyone on the roster. 

With that in mind, we've picked six stars who should get their chance in January. 

McIntyre won the Royal Rumble in 2020

Big E

We're starting obvious here. Big E has been split from his New Day brothers and the assumption is that he'll be getting a strong singles push.

Right now, he's still finding his way alone on the SmackDown roster but come next month, Big E could be thrust into the main event picture - and we'd absolutely love to see it. 

Big E deserves a shot at the Rumble

Bianca Belair

Since being called up from NXT, Belair has not yet had the chance to shine on the main roster. 

But the signs are there. She was a part of SmackDown's Survivor Series team and also received incredibly high praise from Paul Heyman recently. 

He called Belair 'the future' of WWE and tipped her to make a huge splash soon. We could be looking at our Women's Royal Rumble winner. 

Belair could be in the mix

Edge

Edge returning at the Royal Rumble... where have we heard that before? Sadly, the Rated-R Superstar's comeback in 2020 didn't go to plan and he's been sidelined since June. 

But there's talk of a Rumble return - for the second year in a row - and this time he could win it. 

WWE will surely be putting Edge into a huge WrestleMania match and there's no reason it couldn't be against the champion - whoever that is come April.

Edge could return at the Royal Rumble for two consecutive years

Seth Rollins

'The Messiah' is currently on leave from WWE, expecting the birth of his child any day now.

Rollins' feud with the Mysterio family was cut short a couple of weeks ago and it's not clear what comes next - but he is expected to return by January. 

Seth won the Royal Rumble in 2019 but has completely transformed his character since then and should certainly be in the conversation to win again. Victory really would be for the 'greater good'.

Rollins will be in with a chance of winning

Charlotte Flair

She may not be a popular choice amongst all WWE fans, but there's no doubt Charlotte is one of the greatest performers of her generation. 

The Queen has been on hiatus since June and could make her big return at the Royal Rumble. 

If Charlotte is involved in the match, it's hard to look past her winning it. 

Charlotte could continue her dominance of the women's division

Aleister Black

Black is perhaps the most unlikely name on this list but deserves a shot at the Rumble as much as anyone else. 

He's been criminally underused on the main roster after captivating audiences in NXT and fans are desperate to see the Dutchman in a meaningful storyline. 

Winning the Royal Rumble would kickstart Black's WWE career and help turn him into a main-event star.

Paul Heyman reportedly even had him down as a possible challenger to Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 36 earlier this year - so there's clearly potential there, they just need to tap into it.   

Black deserves a shot as much as anyone

There are, of course, so many other names that will be in the mix to win the Royal Rumble in 2021, but we'd love to see a couple of the stars named above standing tall at the end of the night.