The Royal Rumble is one of my favorite matches of the year. Thirty guys with one goal, win the shot at a championship title. One of the best parts is watching the interactions of the low and mid-card wrestlers against the main eventers.
Trying to predict the Royal Rumble winner often involves trying to predict what the WWE wants to do for Wrestlemania. When there was only one belt, the winner went on to get that belt and predicting it was easier. When there was a wrestler that was being held down by Mr. McMahon, the best bet was on that wrestler to win the Rumble and go on to win the title at Wrestlemania. With the brand extension, there are two more belts, but it seems like many more options. One brand can work with the Rumble winner as challenger for the title while the other brands get an extra month to figure out who to push at the champion.