5 Dark Horses who could win the 2017 Royal Rumble

#3 Big E

Big E (middle) could be the breakout star from The New Day

There's been a lot of speculation that Big E could be leaving the New Day for bigger and better things.

Holding the tag titles for the longest reign in WWE history is pretty much the top thing you can accomplish as a tag wrestler. Whether he stays with Kingston and Woods or not, it’s apparent that there's nothing left for him to prove in the tag division.

The only argument that can be made against Big E is that his six-month run with the Intercontinental Title in 2013-2014 wasn’t considered a successful one, therefore winning the Rumble and heading to the main event at Wrestlemania might not be on the cards.

Back then, he was a squeaky clean babyface with defences against the likes of Jack Swagger and Damien Sandow - not exactly the cream of the crop. The only thing repressed more than his shot at a viable challenger was the lack of opportunity to show his charisma.

The few times it did sneak out it was looked down upon and some speculate that those glimpses were the reason that he was made to drop the title.

Big E found himself in a bit of a rut until he joined Xavier Woods and veteran Kofi Kingston in the outlandish, over the top faction The New Day. Here, with power in numbers, Big E could be his goofy self and the group catapulted to stardom.

In the Royal Rumble, it’s every man for himself but it doesn’t hurt to have friends until the end. This is a huge benefit for any member of The New Day but especially for Big E, given his size.

If WWE is serious about bringing Big E to the next level then the Royal Rumble is a great place to do it at. Keeping Kingston and Woods as his backup would also help. Some of the greatest champions of all time had an entourage.

The Rock had the corporation. The Undertaker had the Ministry. Hollywood Hogan had the NWO, Triple H and Shawn Michaels both had DX. If he wins the Royal Rumble and goes on to Wrestlemania to challenge for the Universal Title, it will be nearly impossible for anyone to dare to be sour about Big E.