The Royal Rumble is only a little over a week away, and going into it, it is one of the least predictable Rumble matches in recent memory. With Raw and SmackDown Superstars competing in the same match, along with legends thrown in, there are so many directions that the 30-man match could go. The question is, who will pencil their name in the main event of WrestleMania?
First, let’s start off with who is already confirmed for the match:
- Raw: Brock Lesnar, Big E, Kofi Kingston, Xavier Woods, Chris Jericho, Braun Strowman, Seth Rollins, Cesaro, & Sheamus
- SmackDown: Baron Corbin, Dean Ambrose, The Miz, Randy Orton, Bray Wyatt, Luke Harper, Dolph Ziggler
- Legends: Goldberg, The Undertaker
We already have 18 spots confirmed for the match, so that leaves 12 left for the usual Royal Rumble surprises, or Superstars who will enter themselves in next week. Normally, WWE calls in legends to make one-off appearances (like DDP or Kevin Nash), legends that are returning (Bubba Ray Dudley), or Superstars that are just getting started on the main roster (AJ Styles). With such a deep pool of Superstars to tap into, I can imagine that only a couple spots will be taken up by returning legends, while others are taken by potential NXT call-ups, Cruiserweights, of competitors from the UK Championship tournament.
When thinking about NXT Superstars that should enter the Rumble, we must remember that one night prior to the Rumble, NXT hosts TakeOver: San Antonio. If the stories from next Saturday night have any indication, there are two very likely NXT stars to enter the Rumble: Samoa Joe and Tye Dillinger.
Samoa Joe reclaimed his NXT Championship from Shinsuke Nakamura at TakeOver: Toronto, but immediately lost the title back to the King of Strong Style a couple weeks later. After being knocked out of NXT Championship title contention completely, Joe has been noticeably absent from NXT television, which could hint that he is preparing for a main roster call-up.
Tye Dillinger has gotten over with fans everywhere, and his “10” chant has gone from NXT to Raw to the UK tournament and so on. His popularity can help him get to the next level, and his current story of not feeling good enough for NXT can write him out of there while appearing on a new show. To top it all off, Dillinger should appear at #10.
Now it’s time to get in the thick of it. Going by entry order, this is how the Royal Rumble should unfold.
- Dean Ambrose (SD)
- Seth Rollins (Raw)
- Chris Jericho (Raw)
- Dolph Ziggler (SD)
- Jerry Lawler (Legend)
Every year for the Royal Rumble match, there are always competitors that last a very long time. Ambrose, Rollins, Jericho, and Ziggler all have the stamina to last the entire Rumble, and it would add another layer to the match if they are in it the whole time. Jerry Lawler would be the first surprise entrant for the match, and even though he will be on commentary, he did demand a fight with Dolph Ziggler on SmackDown this week.
6. Xavier Woods (Raw)
7. Luke Harper (SD)
8. Sheamus (Raw)
9. Baron Corbin (SD)
10. Tye Dillinger (NXT call-up)
Both the New Day and the Wyatt Family have the advantage of their entire groups being in the same match, but they can’t all enter right after one another. Xavier Woods and Luke Harper can hang with the best talent there is, so entering them early could help elevate them. Sheamus and Baron Corbin are two guys who probably won’t win, but they will put a good hurting on their opponents, and their elimination potential could change the entire match. It helps that Sheamus is a previous Rumble winner himself, and Corbin won the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal.
11. Bray Wyatt (SD)
12. Cedric Alexander (Cruiserweight)
13. Kofi Kingston (Raw)
14. Tyler Bate (UK)
15. Cesaro (Raw)
Bray Wyatt, Kofi Kingston, and Cesaro entering so soon after their partners will help their odds, especially with an increasing pool of Superstars that are not easy to eliminate. Cedric Alexander has been a mainstay on Raw and 205 Live, so giving him a shot in the Rumble match is not too farfetched, and it’s more likely than any other Cruiserweight. Tyler Bate could be the second huge shock for the match, and after becoming the first-ever UK Champion, a chance at the main event of WrestleMania is a huge way to start of the 19 year-old’s career.1
16. Jack Gallagher (Cruiserweight)
17. Randy Orton (SD)
18. Pete Dunne (UK)
19. Rusev (Raw)
20. Big Cass (Raw)
This is the last section of the Rumble before things get turned up to 11. Like Cedric Alexander, Jack Gallagher has been great on Raw and 205 Live, and after finishing up his feud with Ariya Daivari, this could be the next step for him. Randy Orton could help out Wyatt and Harper, then Rusev and Big Cass are just there to fight with each other.
21. James Ellsworth (SD)
22. The Miz (SD)
23. Brock Lesnar (Raw)
24. Triple H (Raw)
25. The Undertaker (Legend)
Now things go haywire. James Ellsworth is the new Santino Marella for the Rumble, so he should be in and out fast. Miz enters right before Lesnar destroys everybody, and like last year, he could just sit on the outside and pick the right moment to strike. Triple H screwed Seth Rollins out of the Universal Championship months ago, and assuming Rollins will still be in the match at this point, Triple H could screw him over again. During all of the chaos, the lights go out and the Undertaker shows up.
26. Goldberg (Legend)
27. Big E (Raw)
28. Kurt Angle (Legend)
29. Samoa Joe (NXT call-up)
30. Shinsuke Nakamura (NXT call-up)
Goldberg only competed for 86 seconds since he returned, so it’s safe to assume he can’t wrestle a whole Rumble match. He will definitely target Lesnar, but his interactions with The Undertaker could be just as interesting. Big E is the last member of New Day left, but his power could help him hang with Goldberg, Lesnar, Triple H, and the rest.
The round out the match is a triple threat of surprises. Kurt Angle was just announced as the first 2017 WWE Hall of Famer, and he is open to wrestling again for WWE. As mentioned earlier, Samoa Joe is practically guaranteed to be on the main roster at this point, and NXT fans will just be foaming at the mouth at this point waiting for him. This leaves the last spot for somehow an even bigger surprise, with the two-time NXT Champion, Shinsuke Nakamura. As soon as the electric guitar starts for his entrance theme, the building will need a new roof.
Now that we’ve laid out the order, who should win? There are Superstars like Brock Lesnar, Seth Rollins, and Dean Ambrose that are sure to get high profile matches at WrestleMania whether they win the Rumble or not. That being said, the winner should be someone who was one of the best performers of 2016: The Miz. Miz did what he said he would do, elevating the prestige of the Intercontinental Championship and making SmackDown Live a “must see” program. The 6-time Intercontinental Champion can only go up, and that’s to main event WrestleMania for the second time.
