5 WWE stars with higher chances of competing in Royal Rumble following SmackDown

The final WWE SmackDown before Royal Rumble is off the air. There were some surprise debuts and unannounced appearances. Tonight’s episode of the blue brand even featured a shocking title change in a spectacular match. Plus, more superstars declared for the over-the-top-rope extravaganza.

Santos Escobar, R-Truth and Jimmy Uso all drew their picks from the lottery during backstage segments that also featured General Manager Nick Aldis and his NXT counterpart, Ava. At the time of the writing, WWE has revealed 17 out of the 30 entrants in the Men’s Royal Rumble Match.

Here are five superstars who have a higher chance of showing up in the high-stakes match tomorrow night at the premium live event:

#5. Elektra Lopez made her WWE SmackDown debut tonight

Elektra Lopez showed up and showed out big time ahead of the Rumble. The First Lady of Legado Del Fantasma appeared during Santos Escobar versus Carlito tonight. Lopez attacked Zelina Vega, causing a distraction for Carlito to be pinned by Escobar.

Hypothetically, Lopez would enter the women’s Rumble match to give Legado World Order a strategic advantage. It remains to be see if the WWE Universe will see another confrontation between Zelina Vega and Elektra Lopez tomorrow night at the Rumble.

#4. The Good Brothers

Things are apparently not good between AJ Styles and The Good Brothers. The Phenomenal One seems to be completely dismissive of Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson based on what we have seen on the blue brand for the past couple of months.

Moreover, he seems to have grown distant from Michin who considers him his big brother. The Good Brothers and Michin were seen catching up with Styles and The Bloodline on WWE Digital Exclusive. Who knows, we may see The Good Brothers join forces with Jimmy Uso in the Men’s Royal Rumble.

#3. Kayden Carter & Katana Chance

Kayden Carter and Katana Chance suffered a shocking defeat on WWE SmackDown tonight. The pair lost their WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship match against Kabuki Warriors. For those unaware, this is Asuka and Kairi Sane’s second run with the tag team titles.

Ideally, Carter and Chance would invoke their rematch clause for the titles at a future WWE event. However, since they haven’t (at least, not at the time of this writing), the pair can potentially compete in the women’s Rumble match for a much bigger opportunity.

#2. Carmelo Hayes

Carmelo Hayes has emerged as a must-see superstar on Friday Night SmackDown. The former NXT Champion has proved he’s a consistent performer between the ropes. He had a solid outing against Austin Theory tonight on the show.

Carmelo seems to be a probable entrant in the Royal Rumble match because of how frequently he’s been featured on WWE SmackDown for the past few weeks. Who knows, fans may even see his partner Trick Williams show up to continue the gripping build to NXT Vengeance Day.

#1. Solo Sikoa could be Paul Heyman’s trump card at the Royal Rumble

Paul Heyman may have successfully convinced Jimmy Uso to compete in the Men’s Rumble, but what if The Wiseman has a huge trick up his sleeve? Supposedly, Jimmy’s entry leads to a confrontation with Jey Uso in the high-stakes match.

WWE hasn’t announced Jey for the Rumble yet, but that doesn’t mean he cannot be one of the 13 remaining participants. Ideally, Heyman would have all this figured out beforehand and present Solo Sikoa as a back-up plan in case Jimmy gets caught up in his emotions while facing his twin.

Which of these superstars do you think will enter Royal Rumble 2024? Let us know in the comments section below.