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In my previous article, I revealed how I saw the first 20 entrants to the 2018 Royal Rumble would play out. For simplicity's sake, take a look at those 20 below:
1. Kevin Owens
2. Finn Balor
3. EC3
4. Titus O’Neil
5. Kofi Kingston
6. Sami Zayn
7. Bobby Roode
8. Eric Young
9. Jinder Mahal
10. Tye Dillinger
11. Harper
12. Aiden English
13. Rowan
14. Rusev
15. Shinsuke Nakamura
16. Roman Reigns
17. Bray Wyatt
18. Jason Jordan
19. Woken Matt Hardy
20. Montel Vontavious Porter
This article will continue on where I left off with the #21 entrant into the men's 2018 Royal Rumble match. At this point in the match, I think a few WWE Superstars will still be inside the squared circle including Balor, Nakamura, Reigns, and maybe even Roode or EC3.
Just a reminder, this article was written before the Raw 25 special, so there is a chance that some people who have yet to declare for the match will be added.
After I reveal my #30 entrant into the match, I will post my thoughts below of who the final four competitors will be and how the end of the match plays out. For now, let's take a look at a man entering at #21 who saw a resurgence in 2017 thanks to The Miz...
#21 Bo Dallas
It is truly up in the air on who wins the WWE Intercontinental Championship match at Raw 25, but you can expect all parties involved to be in the Rumble match itself, and the first from Miz's stable is Bo Dallas.
It took a while for Bo Dallas to get going on the main roster after a successful NXT career, but under The Miz, he has been featured on a weekly basis, and at the Royal Rumble, he'll have one job and one job only. To stay alive in the match until The Miz arrives.
#22 Baron Corbin
Baron Corbin is no stranger to winning big battle royal matches. At WrestleMania 32 in Dallas, he made his main roster debut at the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal and won the whole thing. Since then Corbin has gone on to win the Money In The Bank Briefcase and the WWE United States Championship.
That sort of pedigree definitely makes Corbin a favorite to win the 2018 Royal Rumble Match, especially by entering so late in the match at #24. There is a good chance that his biggest nemesis, Bobby Roode who came in at #7 is long gone.
#23 Seth Rollins
As I mentioned on the previous article with Jason Jordan coming in at #18, I believe The Bar will defeat Jordan and Seth Rollins for the WWE Raw Tag Team Championships; which enables Rollins to try to redeem himself by winning the Royal Rumble Match.
Rollins hasn't competed in the Royal Rumble Match since 2014 as he was in the WWE Championship chase in 2015, he was out injured in 2016, and Triple H screwed him out of a spot in the match last year.
Speaking of getting screwed out of the Rumble, I think in a surprise turn, Jason Jordan is going to eliminate Rollins from this match.
#24 Apollo Crews
It has taken a little time, but Apollo Crews and Titus Worldwide are finally starting to turn things around. The addition of Dana Brooke has added a lot to this unit, and they've defeated The Bar in consecutive weeks.
Much like O'Neil (who was the #4 entrant), I don't see a lengthy stay for Apollo Crews in this year's Royal Rumble Match. It would truly be a shock to the entire WWE Universe if Crews was in the mix late.
#25 Elias
Since "drifting" his way into the main roster during backstage segments last year, Elias has made a mark for himself in the WWE. The fact that you see him every week on Monday Night Raw tells you there is something special here, and his in-ring work improved greatly in matches against John Cena and Roman Reigns.
Elias drew a good number here and is dangerous enough to make it to the end. He made it known in the last edition of Raw that he's got one target in mind and it's Cena. Thankfully for Elias, the wait for Cena will not be a long one, according to my list.
#26 The Miz
Ever since the night after WrestleMania 32 in 2016, The Miz has been on fire in the WWE. Proof of this lies in the fact that he was named 2017 Wrestler Of The Year by Rolling Stone Magazine.
I think regardless of how the WWE Intercontinental Championship match goes for The Miz at Raw 25, he will be in the Royal Rumble, and for his sake, Bo Dallas is still in the match with another member of The Miztourage yet to come.
You know The Miz would love to add Royal Rumble winner to his resume, and entering at #26 gives him a great opportunity to do so.
#27 John Cena
Number 27 is the entrant with the most Royal Rumble victories with four (Big John Studd, Yokozuna, Bret Hart, and Stone Cold Steve Austin. I decided to troll the John Cena haters and put him in at #27 so Michael Cole could mention that this is the entry that produced the most winners and watch the internet freak out.
Since his proposal to Nikki Bella at WrestleMania 33, Cena has not been on WWE television much, so it is safe to say it will not be a lengthy stay for John in the Royal Rumble. Someone coming up later in this match might be the one to take him out.
#28 Curtis Axel
In 2015, Curtis Axel started an underground movement by declaring he was never eliminated from the Royal Rumble Match. He entered at #6, but was attacked by Erick Rowan and never entered the match.
Curtis Axel makes his way into the Royal Rumble Match at #28 with the sole purpose of protecting The Miz and aiding him to victory. With Bo Dallas coming in at #21, it is possible that Miz has his entire Miztourage with him at this late stage of the Rumble, and that could be dangerous.
#29 Randy Orton
Randy Orton was still a part of the Wyatt Family when he won the Royal Rumble in 2017, but it was all part of a plan to tear down Bray Wyatt from the inside, and it worked as Orton became the WWE Champion at WrestleMania 33.
Coming in at #29 makes Orton a real threat to be the first back-to-back winner of the Royal Rumble since Stone Cold Steve Austin did it in 1997 and 1998 (and only the third ever with Shawn Michaels the first to do it in 1995 and 1996).
Don't expect a repeat here though as it is expected that Orton will take some time off after the Royal Rumble, but then again, that could be a ruse just like the #30 entrant...
#30 Samoa Joe
It is probably wishful thinking or blind hope, but I think the injury to Samoa Joe is a ruse and he makes his first appearance in the WWE since January 8th at the Royal Rumble Match with the final entrant.
If Joe is healthy, I think his main target is going to be John Cena. If I were booking the Rumble this way, I would have Joe come in and eliminate Cena within 30 seconds of entering the ring. This sets up a grudge match at the Elimination Chamber pay per view in February.
Say the injury is legit and Joe is out until late-March, then I'd give the #30 spot to Braun Strowman if he doesn't win the WWE Universal Championship in the triple threat match. If Strowman defies the rumors and wins, I'd love to see a pissed off Brock Lesnar in at #30 after that.
Continue on to see who I will be among the last four standing in the Royal Rumble Match, and will is going to win it all and go to WrestleMania...
How does the 2018 Royal Rumble Match end?
The way I see it, Finn Balor, Samoa Joe, The Miz, and Shinsuke Nakamura make up the final four at this year's Royal Rumble match. Balor entered at #2 and is the ironman of this year's match, Joe drew the lucky #30 spot, The Miz got help from The Miztourage, and Shinsuke Nakamura excelled in his first-ever Rumble match.
The first go over the top rope in the final four will be Finn Balor. Expect Samoa Joe to work him over and exhaustion to set in as Balor was in the match for nearly 60 minutes. Nakamura tries to fight off Joe while Miz steps in for a cheap elimination taking out Balor.
From here, we get an odd alliance. Realizing the tough task of getting Samoa Joe over the top rope, The Miz and Nakamura decide to team up and eliminate the Samoan Submission Machine, and now it is down to just two people. Shinsuke Nakamura and The Miz.
After a great back and forth, Nakamura and Miz are both on the apron, but Nakamura delivers a MASSIVE Kinshasa outside the ropes to knock off The Miz and win the 2018 Royal Rumble; where he'll go on to face AJ Styles for the WWE Championship in a dream re-match of the Wrestle Kingdom 10.
