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The Royal Rumble is a little over two weeks away and the excitement is setting in. The men's Royal Rumble match, in particular, has been a major piece of speculation in the past day or so, as Brock Lesnar has declared that he will enter the match at number 1.
Along with that pretty surprising revelation, the 30-man match will also play host to some unexpected entrants. In the past few years, these surprises came in the form of the best that NXT has to offer.
As things stand, the Black and Gold brand is not officially a part of the Royal Rumble. But it should be, especially after their victory over RAW and SmackDown at Survivor Series.
Either way, we should expect to see a few NXT Superstars show up at the Minute Maid Park on January 26th.
Whether they will be surprise entrants or announced for the 30-man melee beforehand, here are five NXT stars who could enter this year's men's Royal Rumble match.
#5 Roderick Strong
One night before Royal Rumble, the Undisputed Era will take on Imperium at World's Collide. Every participant in the match will leave everything in the ring and try to steal the entire weekend, for sure.
However, there must be some Undisputed Era representation in the Royal Rumble match, especially after the incredible year they have had. And with Adam Cole already a champion, the likely name to enter the Rumble is Roderick Strong.
The current North American Champion has already seen success on a major WWE pay-per-view, defeating AJ Styles and Shinsuke Nakamura at Survivor Series.
Strong could have a decent showing in the match but his main purpose would be to sell for a certain surprise return. More on that in a bit.
#4 Dio Maddin
Dio Maddin has not had a televised match in NXT yet but is subject to speculation due to the circumstances of the Royal Rumble match. For a brief period, he was a commentator on Monday Night RAW, beginning on the 'Season Premiere'.
A little over a month after joining the commentary table, Maddin got decimated by Brock Lesnar, who proceeded to F5 him through the table. He has since gone back to pursue a return to the ring on the Black and Gold brand.
That return could very well come at the Royal Rumble. Since his move away from commentary, Maddin has mentioned multiple times that he wants to kick Lesnar's ass. He even reacted to the Beast entering the Rumble at number 1.
It could be a fun way to kick off the Royal Rumble, seeing the 6'7" Superstar enter as a surprise to take on Lesnar, even if he does get eliminated immediately.
#3 Keith Lee
Back at Survivor Series, Keith Lee introduced himself to the world. He put on an excellent performance in the 15-man tri-branded Survivor Series Elimination Match. While Lee did not win the match, he was the last man eliminated.
Big things are in store for the Limitless One and for now, he can look forward to a shot for the NXT North American Championship against Roderick Strong. Whether or not he picks up the title on January 22nd, expect Lee to show up at the Rumble.
Apparently, Vince McMahon has become a 'huge fan' of him so that certainly bodes well for Lee's Rumble prospects. He would make a huge impact thanks to his size, possibly eliminating multiple Superstars in his way.
This could be the next step on Keith Lee's path to either RAW or SmackDown, as interactions with the likes of Drew McIntyre, Samoa Joe, and even Brock Lesnar are set to whet the WWE Universe's appetite to bask in his glory.
#2 Velveteen Dream
I mentioned Roderick Strong getting met with a returning star in the Royal Rumble match earlier, that star is Velveteen Dream. He hasn't been seen on WWE programming since getting 'attacked' by the Undisputed Era backstage, in October.
Dream has been dealing with a back injury for a few months but could be cleared in time for the Royal Rumble if he isn't already. The real-life Patrick Clark has some unfinished business with the stable, particularly Strong, who won the North American Championship from him.
If Velveteen Dream does return at the Royal Rumble match, it would be a pretty sweet moment. He has spoken about wanting to move to the main roster in the past, so he could wet his feet with an impressive showing at the Minute Maid Park.
Aside from eliminating Roderick Strong, Dream could also have some mouth-watering interactions with Superstars like Roman Reigns, as well as old foes like Aleister Black. His return pop would also be huge.
#1 Matt Riddle
While seeing Velveteen Dream return at the Royal Rumble would make for a brilliant moment, the most exciting prospect out of all possible NXT Superstars entering the match has to be Matt Riddle, after his "beef" with Brock Lesnar and Goldberg.
Riddle has been extremely outspoken about wanting to retire Lesnar and for a long time, that seemed to be a pipe dream. But in a few weeks' time, the Original Bro has the opportunity to make it one step closer to that pipe dream.
Seeing the two interact would be lovely, especially with Riddle's laid back ways and not-so laid back strikes. It has the potential to be a classic Rumble moment. Aside from Lesnar, a surprise return for Goldberg would raise Riddle's excitement value to the moon.
Again, the former MMA fighter has been openly critical of the WCW legend and if WWE can work a deal out with him, Riddle and Goldberg could have a monumental face-off in the Royal Rumble match themselves.
Whether one or both of these moments happen, it is an exciting time to be Matt Riddle.
