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Superstar after Superstar has declared their entry into the men and women's Royal Rumble this year, but no one was expecting former UFC star, Cain Velasquez to throw his name into the hat. In fact, the move has created a lot of buzz around the upcoming match and what exactly WWE's plan is here.
And then there's the bigger question. Why would WWE choose to bring him back into action now and do so in arguably their biggest wild card match of the year? If nothing else, WWE has never implemented a strategy quite like this for the Royal Rumble and one has to wonder where exactly WWE is going with this?
With that being said and Velasquez now an official entrant in the men's Royal Rumble, here are five reasons why WWE choose to do this. As always, let us know your thoughts in the comments below and be sure to tell us why you thin WWE did this.
#5 Make him relevant again
It has been quite a while since the WWE Universe has seen Cain Velasquez in the ring and the last time they did, he left quite the sour taste in their mouths. Of course that is largely due to the fact that he tapped out in under a minute to Brock Lesnar, but the company also never followed up with that in any meanifgful way.
With that being said and WrestleMania season right around the corner, now is the perfect time for WWE to start building up Velasquez again. Another big reason for this is the fact that Velasquez needs to gain some momentum between now and WrestleMania, which is another huge reason why the Royal Rumble is crucial for him.
In the end, the name of the game is momentum and that is something that Velasquez is lacking right now. He is also lacking a guaranteed opponent at WrestleMania 36, but it honestly seems like WWE is using his entry into the Royal Rumble as a way to solve that problem.
#4 Dream encounters
It's almost WrestleMania season and while that means WWE is shifting towards some of their better programming, it also means that there is a lot of chances for dream encounters as well. In fact, with Brock Lesnar, Cain Velasquez, Roman Reigns, Drew McIntyre and several others in the Royal Rumble, there is a lot of interesting possibilities.
Think about it! Whoever tries to take on Velasquez in the Royal Rumble is going to draw a lot of attention to themselves. Furthermore, the WWE Universe is going to keep a keen eye on how the former UFC fighter interacts with these Superstars and how easily he is able to end their night.
For example, let's say Roman Reigns gets a chance to go at Velasquez and nearly eliminates him. That's going to say a lot about Reigns' standing with the company and what exactly they have planned for him. It will also open the door to a myriad of dream encounters throughout the match that could end up stealing the show.
#3 Needs big names
It's no secret that WWE relies on their top Superstars for big four pay per views and that is exactly what they are doing here with Cain Velasquez. Not only does this move create a completley new dynamic for the entire match, it also gives WWE a level of mainstream press they wouldn't have gotten otherwise.
If nothing else, Velasquez is one of those few Superstars with crossover appeal - a guy that can get the mainstream media's attention and use that to bring in the casual viewer. The company can then capitalize on this cross promotion, bring in new fans and create historic moments in the process.
In the end, WWE needed big names for this pay per view match and while guys like The Undertaker, Sting, Triple H, Shawn Michaels, John Cena or even The Rock would all be fantastic picks, it is someone like Velasquez that is going to give the company an edge when it comes to mainsteam attention.
#2 Fans wanting more
Remember Crown Jewel? While that pay per view is remembered for quite a few different reasons, one of them happens to be the championship match that took place between Brock Lesnar and Cain Velasquez. Unfortunately for WWE, fans remembered this match for all the wrong reasons, as Velasquez was forced to tap out rather quickly.
With that being said, it was not a great showing for Velasquez and left a lot of questions about what he is capable of in the ring. Beyond that, it made fans wonder if Velasquez's appearance was a one-off and when exactly The WWE Universe would finally see The former UFC star again.
Interestingly enough, WWE has now announced that he will take part in the 30-man Royal Rumble match, which is an excellent place for Velasquez to showcase his move set. It could also lead to a lot of interesting interactions with different WWE superstars and would only make the night all the more memorable.
In all honesty, this is the perfect stage for Velasquez to show the WWE Universe what he can do and the company made the right decision by putting him in.
#1 Showdown with Lesnar
Whether the WWE Universe likes it or not, it looks like the Royal Rumble is going to end with some kind of showdown between Brock Lesnar and Cain Velasquez. Either that or the two Superstars end up colliding earlier in the match, which would be a nice surprise, but would seem a little anticlimactic.
Either way, WWE is hell bent on some kind of showdown between the two and is going to approach it in one way or another. Maybe WWE could even use this as Velasquez's chance to avenge his loss to Brock Lesnar by eliminating The Beast Incarnate and goading him into one more match.
Or maybe WWE has the two just end up eliminating each other and still working their way up to the eventual WrestleMania match. The point is, WWE did not put these two in the same ring by accident and fans can expect some kind of clue on the future of both men during the match.
Whether that be a full out title match at WrestleMania, or just some kind of red herring for something else remains to be seen, but expect the two to try to settle their score at the Royal Rumble.
