While Wrestlemania may certainly be the biggest pay-per-view every year, The Royal Rumble certainly is the most exciting for many fans.
The thrill of the clock counting down to zero, and someone emerging to change the dynamics of the match, makes The Rumble an unpredictable event indeed. In this article, we can merely speculate as to who will emerge victorious in the Royal Rumble this year.
However, our countdown is based on the news, rumours and (royal) rumblings we’ve heard from the world of sports entertainment in recent times. Without prolonging this introduction, let us introduce you to the most likely candidates to win the 2017 Royal Rumble.
#5 The Undertaker
The Undertaker recently announced that he will be part of the Royal Rumble match, and considering that it doesn’t seem like he will wrestle too many matches in the future, he may be one of the favorites to pick up the victory at the event!
If John Cena were to defeat AJ Styles in the singles match at the same event, it would set up the dream match that everyone has wanted for many years now.
Also read: 10 Potential surprise returns and debuts at the Royal Rumble 2017
If AJ were to retain his championship, it sets up the Phenom vs Phenomenal match that fans have speculated about on the internet, which may be a dream match in its own right.
The Undertaker is not a young man anymore, and may just excel in a multi-man match instead of a full-fledged singles match at this moment. One must also remember that the Royal Rumble is happening in his home state of Texas and the crowd will pop big for an Undertaker win.
Taking souls, digging holes!
#4 Seth Rollins
Seth Rollins is called ‘The Man’ for a reason. WWE has a lot invested in this talented wrestler who carried the company on his back for all of 2015. Unfortunately, a freak accident at a live event put him on the shelf and caused him to miss Wrestlemania 32 last year.
Seth Rollins may very well be pencilled in to win the Royal Rumble because it is a well-known fact that he can put on a great match on almost any big stage.
Even in the storyline, Rollins wants to attract Triple H’s attention and what better way to do so than to win the Royal Rumble, the same match that Triple H won last year.
The story of Rollins’ revenge could then play out, maybe with a match against Triple H at the Fastlane pay-per-view and against the Universal Champion at Wrestlemania!
#3 Samoa Joe
We’ve often seen WWE push NXT Champions to the top immediately. Be it Paige, Finn Balor or even Charlotte, each one of these superstars has been launched to the top program almost immediately in the main roster, thanks to their ability, skill, and reputation.
It is a well-known fact that Samoa Joe was in developmental for a long time, not because he lacked the experience, but so that he could work with younger guys and help hone their skills in the process.
Now that it’s almost certain that Joe is done with NXT, it looks likely that he will debut at The Royal Rumble. There have been many rumours that WWE may want Samoa Joe to win the whole Royal Rumble match.
Add the fact that both Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels have put him over recently, Joe's future in the main roster seems bright.
#2 Brock Lesnar
Many fans complain about Lesnar wrestling the same match, over and over again. However, the Raw show that he appeared on last week was the highest rated Raw in 2017 yet. Consider his matches against CM Punk in 2013 and Roman Reigns at Wrestlemania 31.
We know that he definitely has the ability to wrestle a good match in him. It’s just that Lesnar’s booking as an unstoppable monster has made him into a boring suplex machine.
In any case, Vince McMahon and many, many casual fans believe in the power of Lesnar as a major draw. We can definitely see him winning the Royal Rumble match and going up against whoever the Universal Champion is at the moment in Wrestlemania 33’s main event.
A Reigns vs Lesnar rematch seems more likely than a Lesnar vs Owens match to us, right now.
Honourable Mention: Kurt Angle
Somewhere deep in our hearts, we all want Kurt Angle to show up at the Royal Rumble, eliminate everyone and go on to main event Wrestlemania. How likely is this scenario really? We can only speculate right now.
We believe that if Kurt Angle is returning for a Hall of Fame induction, he's certain to be involved in some capacity as a wrestler as well. At his age, The Royal Rumble match may be the safest option for the man.
Maybe, he goes on to win the match and challenges AJ Styles at Wrestlemania 33 for the championship? Forgive the expression, but that would be ‘phenomenal’.
#1 Goldberg
Brock Lesnar was booked as a dominant, unbeatable monster. Goldberg defeated him in 1 minute, 26 seconds. When Goldberg enters the Royal Rumble, we cannot imagine anyone eliminating the legend at all.
Considering the Goldberg-Roman Reigns tease we saw on Raw recently, one presumes that a match like that is in the works soon. A spear vs. spear contest.
Goldberg in the main event of the biggest PPV of the year is a huge draw and should sell loads of tickets. Hey, it may not be a good match, but it will definitely be a very big match indeed.
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