New authority figure's main roster debut, former champion - 4 WWE NXT stars with increased chances of competing in the Royal Rumble (January 23, 2024)

The 2024 WWE Royal Rumble is almost here. The premium live event is set to air on Saturday, January 27, at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida.

So far, four big-time matches have been confirmed for the card. This includes a United States Championship bout, Roman Reigns defending his prized title, and, of course, two Royal Rumble matches featuring male and female superstars.

The fun part about the Royal Rumble match is that it can blend current stars with legends of the past and up-and-coming talent from NXT. While not every Rumble features talent from the developmental brand, there's a chance these upcoming two could.

NXT aired last night and given recent booking decisions and major career changes, there are a handful of stars more likely to appear in the impending Royal Rumble matches than before. This article will look at a few superstars from the brand who are now more likely to appear at the major event on Saturday.

Below are four WWE NXT stars with increased chances of competing in the Royal Rumble:

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#4. Trick Williams wants to break out on his own

Trick Williams and Carmelo Hayes

Trick Williams is one of the brightest up-and-coming stars in all of WWE. The talented and charismatic performer is a former North American Champion, having defeated Dominik Mysterio for the belt in 2023.

The former title holder is currently involved in a storyline with Carmelo Hayes. The long-time friends are constantly at each other's throats with Trick wanting to be his own man, while The A-Champion keeps stepping on Trick's toes.

On the most recent episode of NXT, the two had another blow-up. Supposing Trick truly wants to be his own man, he could appear in the Men's Royal Rumble match. Winning that traditional battle royale would move him to the main roster full-time and potentially away from Hayes for the foreseeable future.

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#3. Ava could use her power to get into the match

Ava is a 22-year-old WWE star who is looking to make a splash in the company. She is the daughter of The Rock, making her a fourth-generation performer behind The People's Champion, Rocky Johnson, and Peter Maivia.

During the most recent episode of NXT, William Regal made his on-screen return to WWE programming. While doing so, the former European Champion revealed that Ava is the new General Manager of the white & gold brand.

Given her new power behind the scenes, there's a chance that Ava could use her stroke to enter the Women's Royal Rumble match. The fourth-generation performer could even take the spot of a more deserving talent, which could then set her up as a heel authority figure moving forward.

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#2. Lash Legend is gaining momentum in WWE

Lash Legend is a powerful superstar. The larger-than-life WWE star is a member of The Meta-Four, a stable also featuring Oro Mensah, Jakara Jackson, and Noam Dar. Dar leads the group, but each member is rapidly evolving and moving up the card in recent months.

While Legend was once relentlessly mocked on social media for her first match or two in wrestling, things have changed dramatically. WWE fans are taking to the extremely talented performer, who just needed time to become seasoned.

Fans being behind her is also attributed to how Lash is being presented on television. She has had stand-out performances in the Women's Iron Survivor Challenge and a match with RAW's Alpha Academy. On NXT this week, she defeated Wren Sinclair and is building even more momentum ahead of the Royal Rumble. Could she be involved?

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#1. Roxanne Perez could be fed up with NXT

Roxanne Perez

Roxanne Perez is the future of WWE and the women's division. At just 22, she has already held gold in the Ring of Honor and on NXT. Not only is Roxanne a former NXT Women's Champion, but the Reality of Wrestling graduate is a former NXT Women's Tag Team Champion too.

Booker T's star pupil has been experiencing a lot of frustration recently in WWE. She should have defeated Kiana James in a Steel Cage Match, but Izzi Dame cost her the bout. From there, she was recently assaulted by Tatum Paxley.

While Roxanne has a major title match with Lyra Valkyria on NXT Vengeance Day, plans could shift. She could be tired of NXT and how everything appears to be going wrong. This could force Perez to enter the Women's Royal Rumble match and move away from the brand full-time.

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Which NXT star do you want to see in the Royal Rumble match this Saturday? Shoot in the comment section!