WWE Royal Rumble News: Tye Dillinger Enters At #10 Royal Rumble As First Surprise Entrant

In what was the first surprise entrant in the WWE Royal Rumble match, NXT’s ‘Perfect 10’ Tye Dillinger entered the match, at #10. Dillinger immediately went after Braun Strowman, who had eliminated several men up until that point.

Dillinger lasted a very short time, however, being eliminated by Strowman just as the #13 entrant, Baron Corbin was entering the ring. It was poetic justice, however, as Strowman was eliminated shortly afterwards by Baron Corbin.

Despite being a top prospect in NXT, Dillinger, real name Ronald Arneill, is a 15-year wrestling veteran, having debuted all the way back in 2001. During that period, he wrestled primarily on the independent scene, but also had a brief stint in WWE under the name Gavin Spears. His run was lacklustre, with few achievements to speak of.

Since his return to WWE and in NXT, he has experienced a resurgence in popularity. His ‘perfect 10’ gimmick has grown with the audience organically, with crowds cheering for him throughout his matches. At NXT TakeOver: Toronto, and at Survivor Series the following night, fans chanted ‘10’ very loudly throughout both nights. That was a major proclamation from the WWE audience that Dillinger was someone they wanted to succeed.

There was a lot of speculation that Dillinger would enter at #10 on the internet, given how his popularity with the WWE Universe has increased in the past few months. The audience cheered everything Dillinger did, chanting ‘10’ very loudly. Clearly, this is a man that the WWE Universe adores, and it someone who can look forward to a main-event call up soon.