When you consider the possibilities in this year's Royal Rumble Match, it really is quite startling. The depth of talent set to battle it out in the 30-man Battle Royale is staggering, and it's no exaggeration to suggest this will be the most stacked Rumble of all time. So stacked, in fact, that people are even suggesting that it'll get even bigger in the next few weeks.
One of the big rumours circulating around the world of professional wrestling is that Kurt Angle will enter into the Rumble match, just a few months before his induction into the WWE Hall of Fame. Now whilst everyone is thrilled over the prospect of him returning to the WWE ring, there are a couple reasons why the company should hold off on this idea.
Now, it's not like we here at Sportskeeda don't want to see the Olympic hero do his stuff because we do, it's just that there's a certain way in which you need to accomplish it. For a lot of part timers that come back, you always expect them to be in and out of the ring over the next few years, but that just isn't the case for this former WWE Champion.
Because as we all well know, we're nearing the end of the road when it comes to Kurt's wrestling career. An entry into the Hall of Fame almost always signifies that a Superstar's journey in the squared circle is coming to an end, and there's nothing wrong with that. So with that said, here are our thoughts on why Kurt Angle shouldn't and won't be in the Royal Rumble.
First off, let's just have a look down the list of entrants. With 18 people announced so far for the contest and only one Raw and SmackDown Live left to go, we can assume there are going to be some surprise entrants.
It wouldn't be the end of the world if one of them was indeed Mr Angle, but given that we're living in the new era, this is a time to prioritise the future as opposed to the past.
People like Shelton Benjamin, returning injured stars, NXT stand-outs, UK tournament competitors and undervalued Cruiserweights should be the ones that are awarded these spots. Not only would it be a fun moment for the crowd, but you'd know that they will be continuing to build upon their legacy in the company past WrestleMania season.
Where Kurt is concerned, that isn't the case. Sure it would be nice to see him in this capacity, but we've already got ‘Taker, Lesnar and Goldberg taking up the part-timer positions for this year's Rumble. There really isn't a logical reason behind the decision and at at the end of the day, it just doesn't make any sense.
If you want to build him up for a singles match in Orlando, there are a thousand other ways you can do that, which don't involve the Rumble.
Plus, it would be just a little bit too obvious. Sure we don't know 100% that he's going to be going in, as is the case with a lot of rumoured entrants, but much like AJ Styles, you can bet people are going to be chanting his name on and off throughout the night. That isn't necessarily an issue to us, the fans, but Vince can be picky about things like that.
Then there's the injury risk to take into consideration. Whilst the Rumble isn't the most strenuous of matches you could participate in, there's still a possibility that a dodgy elimination or landing could leave you out for months.
It's happened before, and given Angle's history in that department, we can't imagine WWE would want to put him out there before WrestleMania 33. That is, if that's still the end goal.
Now let's just think about potential here. If you have Rusev go on a tear in the Rumble and be unjustly eliminated, you could then proceed to have him come out and cut a scathing promo on a future Raw.
In the next few weeks, he could continue to do the same thing, beating mid card talent one after the other, while threatening to quit if he isn't given the competition he deserves.
The solution? Step right up, Kurt Angle.
The second that the Olympic gold medalist's music hits, the roof will explode off of whatever arena he's in. The interaction, showdown and eventual match would be one for the ages and could really cement Rusev as a top star within the company. All they've got to do is book it carefully and with precision, which doesn't necessarily need to happen in San Antonio.
Then we move onto a more logistical reason- independent shows. On February 12th, Kurt Angle is scheduled to face off against Alberto El Patron for the first time ever on a show with WCPW. Now some people will point to examples like Ciampa and Samoa Joe who wrestled on the indies for a while during their early NXT career - but this isn't NXT.
This is the main roster and it doesn't seem likely Vince and company would allow someone as high profile as Angle appear anywhere other than WWE leading up to WM33. If Angle is going to pull the trigger on this in-ring return, then there's still plenty of time for the former WWE Champion to return on Raw or SmackDown, given that there will still be just under two months until ‘Mania.
So if you're considering purchasing the Royal Rumble or even attending it live in person because of the potential to see Kurt, then don't get your hopes up. Our suggestion is to still go and enjoy what will be a thrilling card, but hold off on expecting to hear the "you suck" chants echoing around the Alamodome.
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