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We are less than three weeks away from the most exciting WWE event of the year. One which is filled with surprises galore - Royal Rumble.
One of the biggest sources of surprises in recent Royal Rumble matches has been NXT. As the Black and Gold brand grew, more Superstars appeared in the 30-man extravaganza. Initially limited to one spot, which had to be earned, more NXT stars entered the Rumble each year.
Some of them ended up debuting on the WWE main roster months later, while others remain there. It is fascinating to see where this diverse group of 10 NXT Superstars currently are. From Monday Night RAW to Wednesday Night Dynamite, here is where every NXT entrant in the Men's Royal Rumble currently is.
It must be said that this will only focus on NXT, not NXT UK. So no Pete Dunne from Royal Rumble 2019, as he was the UK Champion at the time. Also, only traditional Royal Rumbles are being considered for this. So no Roderick Strong or Tucker from the Greatest Royal Rumble.
#10 Bo Dallas (WWE Royal Rumble 2013)
Earning his place in the 2013 Royal Rumble Match, Bo Dallas made a pretty good first impression. He entered at number 16 and lasted over 20 minutes, even eliminating Wade Barrett from the match. Dallas went on to win the NXT Championship later that year.
However, Bray Wyatt's baby brother has not had the most successful run on the WWE main roster. Bo Dallas has been entertaining as a lower card, particularly in teams like The Miztourage or Social Outcasts. That being said, he has not been on WWE TV in over 14 months. There is no indication of his return as well.
#9 Alexander Rusev (WWE Royal Rumble 2014)
Before losing the Alexander, Rusev appeared in the 2014 Royal Rumble Match and made an impact. It took four Superstars to eliminate him. The Bulgarian Brute made his proper debut in WWE a couple of months later on the night after WrestleMania 30 and went on a year-long unbeaten run.
Rusev was the United States Champion and faced John Cena in a featured match at WrestleMania 31. However, that was the peak of his WWE career. Despite being pretty over with the fans, Rusev ended up being released in April 2020. He is now a part of AEW where he goes by his real name, Miro.
#8 Sami Zayn (WWE Royal Rumble 2016)
The difference between Sami Zayn at Royal Rumble 2016 and Sami Zayn now couldn't be wider. In 2016, the former NXT Champion was a surprise entrant in the Royal Rumble Match and eliminated his eternal enemy, Kevin Owens. Zayn had an excellent multi-show feud with Owens later that year.
He struggled to get going in WWE after that feud until he turned into a whiny heel. It took Zayn a while to find his footing in the role but once he got there, he's been brilliant. Sami Zayn is perfect as SmackDown's resident conspiracy theorist. He even recently had an enjoyable run as Intercontinental Champion.
#7 Tye Dillinger (WWE Royal Rumble 2017)
WWE rather appropriately booked Tye Dillinger as the 10th entrant in the 2017 Royal Rumble Match, thanks to his 'Perfect Ten' gimmick. He debuted on the main roster on the SmackDown after WrestleMania 33. However, Dillinger's WWE career barely took off and he remained on the undercard.
He ended up leaving the company in 2019. Dillinger, now known as Shawn Spears, joined AEW and was initially a big deal as Cody Rhodes' opponent. However, his run hasn't gone all too well. Spears has walked away from AEW as part of his latest storyline, saying that come back if he 'feels like it'.
#6 Andrade 'Cien' Almas (WWE Royal Rumble 2018)
Entering the 2018 Royal Rumble Match one day after defending his NXT Championship in a 30-minute classic against Johnny Gargano, Andrade 'Cien' Almas was on top of the world. He had an impressive showing and lasted close to half an hour from number 7.
However, he is yet to reach those heights on RAW and SmackDown since his call-up after WrestleMania 34. With his name trimmed down, Andrade did win the United States Championship in December 2019. However, he is currently off WWE TV and could return at any point - possibly alongside his fiancee, Charlotte Flair.
#5 Adam Cole (WWE Royal Rumble 2018)
Also entering the 2018 Royal Rumble Match after a grueling Takeover contest, Adam Cole was heavily taped up for his appearance in the 30-man match. He had a brutal Extreme Rules Match with Aleister Black the night before, one of many Takeover classics he would have as a part of NXT.
Cole won the NNorth American Championship shortly after, before going on a year-long run as NXT Champion in 2019 and 2020. He remains a part of NXT and Undisputed Era, who are now babyfaces. Adam Cole might debut on the main roster later in 2021 but for now, his sights are set on the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic.
#4 Johnny Gargano (WWE Royal Rumble 2019)
Johnny Gargano entered the 2019 Royal Rumble Match as a conflicted soul. He played the heel but was not fully committed because of his looming series finale with Tommaso Ciampa, which ended up being bumped for a year. Gargano did win the NXT Championship at Takeover: New York, defeating Adam Cole in a classic.
However, his run ended two months later at the hands of Cole. Since then, Gargano was floundering until he turned heel. Now, he is having the time of his life and is possibly the most entertaining part of NXT. Johnny Gargano is the NXT North American Champion and is the leader of his own faction, The Way.
#3 Aleister Black (WWE Royal Rumble 2019)
Things seemed bright for Aleister Black when he entered the 2019 Royal Rumble Match. He made his main roster debut less than a month later, initially being put in a tag team with Ricochet. However, after being separated, Black was barely featured on WWE TV and it took a while for him to truly settle on the main roster.
With Paul Heyman in charge of the show, Black got some momentum with big wins over the likes of Murphy and AJ Styles. However, his push ended when Heyman was removed from his role. Aleister Black was last seen on WWE TV three months ago, losing to Kevin Owens. It isn't known when he will return.
#2 Matt Riddle (WWE Royal Rumble 2020)
Entering last year's Royal Rumble Match at number 23, Matt Riddle was eliminated within a minute. Fortunately for him, things got better. Just days later, Riddle won the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic alongside Pete Dunne. The two of them became NXT Tag Team Champions a few weeks later.
After losing his tag team partner due to travel restrictions as well as a Fight Pit Match with Timothy Thatcher, Riddle ended up moving to the main roster in the middle of the year. The King of Bros is currently on RAW and is in a feud with The Hurt Business. Riddle has the potential to become a huge star in WWE.
#1 Keith Lee (WWE Royal Rumble 2020)
Keith Lee's appearance in the 2020 Royal Rumble Match was a notable one, as he had a tasty confrontation with Brock Lesnar. He may have been eliminated by The Beast, but the two of them might have more match-ups in the future. Since the Rumble, Lee has done quite a bit on NXT and RAW.
The Limitless One became a double champion in NXT, defeating Adam Cole to retain the North American Championship and win the NXT Championship. Lee's time on the Black and Gold brand ended shortly afterward, as he ventured over to RAW. He defeated Randy Orton in less than 10 minutes within a week.
Lee has had an alright run on the Red brand so far, with the potential for so much more. The highlight remains his insane WWE Championship match with Drew McIntyre on the first RAW of 2021. Hopefully, there is more of this in his future. Keith Lee is one of the top contenders to win this year's Royal Rumble Match.
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