It’s Royal Rumble season yet again. The chance to main-event WrestleMania hangs in the balance for each of the 30 superstars who enter the match. But the question, as it is every year, is which superstars will actually enter?
We’ve already gotten confirmation on quite a few superstars that will enter the match. So far, we have 15 total entries including the likes of Goldberg, Brock Lesnar, the Undertaker, Braun Strowman, Seth Rollins, and many more.
But considering that there is less than a week until the Rumble match is set to take place, that leaves quite a few spots for surprises.
One could argue that this year is more conducive to surprises than any that we’ve ever seen. With WWE starting so many new shows in 2016, it opens the door for plenty of unexpected entries.
In addition to NXT, could we potentially see superstars from 205 Live? Or maybe even the yet-to-be-named United Kingdom show set to start in the near future?
That’s without even factoring in the usual surprises in the form of returning superstars or one-off appearances from WWE legends. So with the Rumble right around the corner, which surprise entrants could we end up seeing in the match?
#10 Shaquille O’Neal
Don’t worry, we’ll get to the actual wrestlers in a minute. But let's start with the most likely celebrity entrant in this year’s Royal Rumble, Shaquille O’Neal.
Shaq entered the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal last year and had an incredible staredown with the Big Show. It was a rare time where Big Show wasn’t dwarfing the person he was in the ring with.
Although both men were eliminated early on in the match, we haven’t seen the last of these two in the same ring. The day after WrestleMania 32, Shaq issued a formal challenge to the Big Show for WrestleMania 33, which Show accepted.
Also read: Royal Rumble 2017: 5 Dream entrants we would love to see
Now, we need to get this feud back on WWE TV in order to have a somewhat proper build. If these two just jump in the ring on April 2nd, it would be a bit awkward.
Big Show is already confirmed to be in the Rumble. What better way to rehash this feud than by having Shaq come out as a surprise entrant this Sunday and go right after Big Show, possibly even eliminating him?
It would be a perfect lead-in to WrestleMania where we will apparently see what kind of wrestling talent Big Diesel has built up over the last year.
#9 Shawn Michaels
Shawn Michaels has said numerous times he has no desire to get back in a WWE ring. But the Royal Rumble is a much different animal.
The Royal Rumble has been a hotbed for legendary returns in previous years. Michaels appearing in this year’s Rumble would not mean that he has to have another singles match or another match of any kind afterwards.
When he says he’s happy being retired, he’s probably telling the truth. But entering the Rumble is more of a fun one-off thing to do rather than a serious return to wrestling.
HBK’s hometown is none other than San Antonio. That means that this year’s Rumble is basically taking place in his backyard, so he would get a phenomenal reaction if he entered the match in front of his home crowd.
He would also be the perfect person to get eliminated by a heel, potentially someone like Baron Corbin.
Obviously, Michaels wouldn’t win the Rumble if he entered, but that wouldn’t stop his hometown fans from rooting for him. Therefore, whoever throws him out would become public enemy number one.
There may not be another babyface in the entire match that would cause that kind of reaction by getting eliminated.
#8 Shinsuke Nakamura
Shinsuke Nakamura is the face of NXT right now. His international recognizability makes him the perfect centrepiece for NXT as they tour the world. Because of this, he probably won’t be called up until NXT feels that they have enough talent to replace him. But that doesn’t mean that he can’t appear in the Royal Rumble.
Not every Rumble appearance needs to mean that the person is sticking around full-time. Nakamura could easily have a one-off appearance in this year’s Rumble and at least plant his name into casual fans’ heads for his eventual call-up.
Besides, Nakamura is NXT champion. The commentators could play it up as NXT’s best wanting to test himself against the main roster.
It’s also a good way to further add to Nakamura’s credibility. If the King of Strong Style can hang around in the Royal Rumble for 10-20 minutes or so, he would feel like a big deal to fans who may not really know who he is.
And lastly, the reaction would be outstanding. Last year, AJ Styles was worried that fans might not react to him much. But the crowd went insane for him, the same would likely happen for Nakamura.
If you pay to attend an event like the Royal Rumble, you’re probably a pretty big wrestling fan. So a majority of the arena will not only know who Nakamura is, but they’ll be absolutely ecstatic to see him come down the ramp.
#7 Triple H
One of the few WrestleMania matches that looks to be set in stone is Triple H vs Seth Rollins. Triple H cost Rollins the Universal Championship on Raw back in August and hasn’t been seen since.
But we finally got some sort of progression in this storyline when The Game’s music hit on Raw this past Monday, causing Rollins to be distracted and lose his spot in the Royal Rumble to Sami Zayn. Now, Rollins is demanding answers yet again, and it seems like we may get a confrontation this Sunday.
Fans had been predicting for a while that Triple H would attack Rollins during the Rumble and cost him the match. But now that Rollins is out of it altogether, perhaps the roles will be reversed.
Some might ask, “Why would Triple H enter the Royal Rumble anyway?” After all, last year he only did it to make sure Roman Reigns didn’t win and retain his title. This year, the reason he would enter is very simple.
Triple H likes the spotlight. His character is egotistical, and if he wins the Rumble he could, in kayfabe, relinquish his number one contendership to keep his golden boy Kevin Owens safe, or try to take the title from Reigns again if the Big Dog captures it on Sunday.
If he does enter, expect Rollins to get involved. Either way, seeing The Game on WWE TV again would be good for everyone.
#6 Finn Balor
Finn Balor’s torn shoulder labrum was one of the most devastating injuries WWE has ever seen. After being pushed to the moon, he was forced to relinquish his Universal championship the night after winning it at SummerSlam.
It threw a colossal wrench into WWE’s plans and made everyone wonder when we would see the Demon King in the ring again. But the answer could be the Royal Rumble.
Balor has said that his goal was to return in time for WrestleMania, which is rapidly approaching. He also recently underwent tests to determine if he’s ready to return to in-ring competition, the results of which were not made public.
Maybe we’re looking too deeply into things, or maybe these signs actually point to a potential Rumble return for the former NXT champion.
If Balor does return, he will probably receive the biggest reaction of the night. He is one of the most popular superstars on the roster and if WWE keeps his potential return under wraps, the capacity crowd at the Alamodome could blow the roof off the place.
Balor would also have a legitimate chance of winning the entire thing. He figures to be a big part of WrestleMania no matter what, and the bridge to that could be through a Royal Rumble victory.
#5 Tye Dillinger
Dillinger’s ascent to WWE’s main roster is long overdue. The first time he was introduced to the WWE universe was back in 2006 when he went by “Stan” and was superkicked by Shawn Michaels backstage.
Dillinger has come a long way since then and is now one of the better performers on the NXT roster. But he’s been in NXT for over three years now and it seems like his time is nearly up.
Dillinger is following a suspiciously similar path to that of Finn Balor as it relates to their call-up. Both men felt like they were in NXT for way longer than necessary. Both men came out to the ring and proclaimed they didn’t know what was next for them.
Both men were then confronted by an up-and-coming NXT talent, that being Shinsuke Nakamura for Balor and Eric Young for Dillinger. Now, it seems like Dillinger will continue following Balor’s path by losing at NXT TakeOver: Dallas in order to be sent off in the traditional way: jobbing for someone who needs the momentum boost.
With Dillinger’s last hurrah likely set to occur the night before the Royal Rumble, an appearance in the Rumble match would make a lot of sense. Who knows, maybe he could even come out at #10 and give the fans what they’ve been asking for since last year’s Rumble.
#4 Kurt Angle
It’s true. It’s damn true. Kurt Angle is returning to WWE to headline this year’s Hall of Fame class. After over a decade of being away from the company that turned him into a star, the Olympic gold medalist is returning home.
While WWE Hall of Famers rarely find themselves competing in the ring, Angle could be an exception. And that exception might just occur in the form of a Royal Rumble entry.
Angle has openly discussed the possibility of returning to an active role in WWE despite his Hall of Fame induction. In his interview with ESPN, Angle said that he hadn’t talked about any wrestling with WWE as of yet, but he didn’t rule out the possibility.
In fact, he actually brought up Seth Rollins and AJ Styles as names that he would like to face in a potential last match.
Unfortunately, we can pretty much guarantee neither of those guys will be available to face Angle anytime soon with WrestleMania just around the corner and both men being occupied in high-profile storylines. So what does that mean for Angle?
It means we could at least be treated to a one-off Rumble appearance from the Olympic hero.
Whether he says it or not, it’s clear that Angle would like to be in the ring one more time. The fact that someone his age isn’t ruling it out is evidence enough. And just imagine the pop at the Alamodome when his music hits.
Even if he doesn’t get an official last match, this would be a moment he could ride off into the sunset to.
#3 Tyler Bate
This one might not get as big of a fan reaction as some of the other entries on this list, but it would be interesting either way. Tyler Bate is the winner of the WWE United Kingdom championship tournament.
He defeated Pete Dunne in the finals and is poised to lead the way on WWE’s new weekly United Kingdom show. So what business would Bate have entering the Royal Rumble? One word: Exposure.
WWE has yet to announce the premiere date for their new UK show. In fact, they haven’t even announced the name yet. But with the tournament in the books, one has to assume all of that will be revealed very soon. And when it is, WWE is going to want as many eyes on the show as possible.
What better way to do that than putting the show’s champion in the Royal Rumble for all to see?
There’s no question that the UK show is going to appeal to a very niche audience. Much like NXT, it is likely going to appeal to an older audience who doesn’t care much for the PG product you might see on Raw or SmackDown.
But that doesn’t mean WWE can’t try to reel in a few of their casual fans by at least making them aware that the show exists.
It hasn’t gotten much publicity on Raw or SmackDown, so this could be the ideal way to give the show the boost it needs before it premiers. Have Bate enter the Rumble, show he’s the real deal by hanging around for a while, and make fans want to see him more often.
#2 Kenny Omega
Unlikely? Yes. Impossible? After the things that we saw in WWE in 2016 alone, absolutely not.
Let’s run through a few of the things that happened in 2016 that, if you had told someone in 2015 these things would happen, they would have laughed in your face. AJ Styles, Luke Gallows, Karl Anderson, and Shinsuke Nakamura all jumped ship from NJPW to WWE.
Styles and Nakamura both became champions within their first few months on the roster.
Shane McMahon returned and faced the Undertaker at WrestleMania. He then went on to become the COO of the newly-live SmackDown following the return of the brand split. Now, are you really going to sit there and say it’s impossible for Kenny Omega to appear in the Royal Rumble?
Omega has been outspoken about being OK with never coming to WWE, but he has never ruled it out. And right now seems to be as good a time as ever for him to come to the WWE should he choose to.
Omega tweeted the following his WK11 match, saying “there is no plan. My schedule is cleared and I’m weighing all options. I’ve a lot to consider. Thx for the patience/support”.
WWE is certainly interested in him. After all, he’s probably the biggest global talent who is not under a WWE contract. Should the two sides come to an agreement, there is a chance Omega makes an appearance in this year’s Royal Rumble.
A remote chance, but a chance nonetheless.
#1 Samoa Joe
This would probably be the least surprising entry of the 10 guys listed here, but it would certainly be the most impactful.
Samoa Joe’s time in NXT is almost certainly up. After concluding his feud with Shinsuke Nakamura over the NXT title, Joe hasn’t even been seen on NXT TV.
There is nothing left for him to do down in the yellow brand, so his main roster debut looks to be imminent. And with the Royal Rumble being just a few days away, the timing could not be any better.
Not only could Joe enter the Rumble to what would be a thunderous reaction from the San Antonio crowd, he actually has a reasonable chance of winning it. That’s more than we can say for anyone else on this list.
Kenny Omega is the only other one with enough star power to win it, but that’s obviously highly unlikely and would probably be the biggest surprise in WWE history, Royal Rumble or otherwise.
But Joe winning is a legit possibility. What better way to debut a main-event star on the main roster than having him win the Royal Rumble?
Most people seem to agree that Joe is destined to join the SmackDown roster, which would open up the possibility for him to face either John Cena or AJ Styles for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania.
Either one of those matches would be money and would be worthy of headlining the Show of Shows in April.
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