The year 2017 was a mixed bag for the WWE. RAW is the crown jewel of the company and thus was stacked with a plethora of larger than life superstars. RAW was, therefore, able to deliver one stellar show after another. But unfortunately, SmackDown played second fiddle to RAW and limped its way towards the finish line. The WWE did manage to finish the year on a high note, but the damage was already done.

But the year 2018 is finally here, and the WWE has the opportunity to regain its lost glory. Several other wrestling promotions like NJPW, Lucha Underground and Ring of Honor are catching up with the WWE at a rapid pace. Thus, it is imperative for the WWE to pull up its socks and deliver a phenomenal Royal Rumble PPV.

Royal Rumble is a marquee WWE PPV and one of the most exciting events of the year. The road to Wrestlemania officially kick-starts at the Royal Rumble. And obviously, the most exciting match of the PPV is the Royal Rumble match itself. The Superstar who wins this prestigious match goes on to main event Wrestlemania. Therefore, it is of paramount importance that the right superstar wins the Royal Rumble.

Several insanely talented candidates like Samoa Joe, Finn Balor, Bobby Roode, Sami Zayn and Shinsuke Nakamura deserve to win the Royal Rumble match. But the WWE is infamous for handing over the victory to the wrong superstar, at the wrong time. So, only time will tell who actually wins the Rumble, but let’s take a look at the Superstars who should not be the last man standing in the 2018 edition of the Royal Rumble.

#1 Roman Reigns

Enter cap — The Roman Empire must fall at the Royal Rumble.

It is no secret that the WWE wants to establish Roman Reigns as the next face of the company. But the members of the WWE Universe have not accepted Roman Reigns with open arms. They love to hate Roman Reigns and have expressed their disapproval on a plethora of occasions. But WWE's decision to consistently back Roman is baffling beyond belief.

Ever since his main roster debut in the WWE, Roman Reigns has been established as the most dominant superstar to have ever graced the WWE ring. Reigns' dominance was also established in the Royal Rumble match as well. He walked away victorious in the year 2015, and by the looks of it, he might win the 2018 edition of the Royal Rumble as well. A Roman Reigns victory will then lead to a long rumoured rematch between him and Brock Lesnar at Wrestlemania 34.

But hopefully, this will not be the case. Fans don’t like Roman Reigns even a wee bit. He lacks the in-ring and mic skills needed for the job. Thus, the WWE should stop the travesty of shoving Roman Reigns down the throats of the fans.

WWE should pull the plug on Roman Reigns almost instantly, and push other fan favourites like Samoa Joe, Finn Balor and Braun Strowman instead. Therefore, Roman Reigns should most definitely not win the Royal Rumble 2018. If he wins, then it will not be anything short of a blasphemy committed by the WWE.

#2 Triple H

Enter capti — Triple H should pave the way for younger talent.

Triple H made his highly anticipated return and helped Team Raw emerge victorious in the Survivor Series PPV. The return of Triple H to WWE television was welcomed with open arms by one and all. But unfortunately, Triple H did what he does best, he stole the limelight from everybody else. Talented superstars like Bobby Roode, Shinsuke Nakamura and Finn Balor were eliminated from the main event in a blink of an eye. While, Triple H pinned Shane McMahon, to steal the victory out of nowhere for his team.

The sheer presence of Triple H on the WWE TV makes the show a lot more interesting. But Triple H buries young talent instead of establishing them as future superstars. Thus, Triple H should resist the urge to emerge victorious at the PPV and let some other deserving wrestlers win the Royal Rumble.

Triple H doesn't need to prove anything to anyone anymore. Triple H has already won the Royal Rumble twice already in the years 2002 and 2016. He should now focus on paving the way for younger talent instead.

#3 John Cena

Ent — John Cena might very well be the GOAT.

John Cena is a 16-time world champion. He has been the face of the WWE for the better part of the past two decades. John Cena is without any shadow of a doubt a once in a lifetime superstar and deserves the respect of one and all.

Unfortunately, John Cena is not a full-time superstar anymore. He also has a highly successful movie and television career. Cena can still give any wrestler a run for his money and is probably in the best shape of his life. But he is not going to be around much longer.

Thus, it will not make much sense if Cena wins the Royal Rumble for the third time in his illustrious career. Cena has done it all, and now he should pass on the torch to the younger guys who are future of the business. A John Cena win will accomplish exactly the opposite of that, and thus, he should not win the Royal Rumble 2018.

According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, it appears that John Cena's WrestleMania plans are much bigger than the WWE title. This means that his opponents could range from Undertaker to Goldberg. Could you imagine John Cena vs Goldberg at WrestleMania? Now that would be quite a spectacle.

#4 Randy Orton

Enter — His RKO's out of nowhere are legendary.

Much like John Cena, Randy Orton has successfully carried the WWE on his shoulders for the past fifteen years. Randy Orton is undoubtedly one of the biggest names to ever step inside the squared circle. He is a future Hall of Famer for sure.

But if the rumours circulating on the internet are to be believed, then Randy Orton is expected to take some time off very soon. Therefore, as even Orton is not a full-time performer anymore, he should transition into a role like Cena of putting over younger talent.

Randy Orton walked away victorious from the Royal Rumble match in the years 2009 and 2017. He is a thirteen-time world champion and has accomplished almost everything in the professional wrestling business. Thus, Randy Orton should not win the Royal Rumble in 2018. It is time for the younger superstars to shine and take the centre stage.

#5 Jinder Mahal

Enter ca — Jinder Mahal was an undeserving champion.

A new and improved Jinder Mahal conquered the blue brand by capturing the WWE Championship.The ease with which he defeated the likes of Shinsuke Nakamura and Randy Orton was certainly disturbing to watch as a wrestling fan. Jinder Mahal is a great heel for sure, but he lacks the in-ring skills which a Smackdown champion must possess.

Jinder Mahal's dominant run as the WWE champ almost ruined Smackdown. But Jinder Mahal's shocking rise to the top shows WWE's lack of interest in what their loyal fans want. It is no secret that the WWE is gung-ho about both India and Jinder Mahal. Thus, a Jinder Mahal victory at Royal Rumble will not shock many. But Mahal should not win the Rumble because he does not deserve it, at least not yet.