WWE News And Rumors: Possible Title Matches For Royal Rumble 2017, Finn Balor Returns? NXT’s Tye Dillinger Main Roster Debut?
Rumors and gossips about plans for the WWE Royal Rumble 2017 and WrestleMania 33 have intensified ahead of the pay-per-view event to take place on Sunday, January 29, 2017, at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas.
The Miz will be defending his Intercontinental Championship against Dean Ambrose at the Royal Rumble, Ringside News reports. Rumor has it that after AJ Styles defends his WWE Championship title against Baron Corbin and Dolph Ziggler in a Triple Threat Match at the final 2016 episode of WWE SmackDown Live in Chicago, Illinois, next Tuesday, he will defend against John Cena at the Royal Rumble.
Bleacher Report acknowledges rumors that Finn Balor, who emerged as the first-ever winner of the WWE Universal Championship but is currently on a hiatus due to an injury, could return to the ring at the Royal Rumble or WrestleMania 33. But the website cites Cageside Seats’ Randall Ortman, who insists that it is unlikely fans will see Balor at the Royal Rumble next month. Fans will have to wait for WrestleMania 33, or even later next year, to see Balor in action once again.
But Ortman speculates that if Balor does show up at the Royal Rumble in January 2017, WWE might have him come close to the winning the 30-man match.
Rumors also claim that WWE officials are looking at having Tye Dillinger make his main roster debut as the 10th entrant in the 30-man Royal Rumble match. Although it has not been confirmed and any ongoing discussions to have Dillinger make his main roster debut could fall through, WWE officials reportedly feel that Dillinger’s debut as the 10th entrant fits in well with his “10 chant” that is wildly popular at NXT matches.
According to Ringside News, WWE officials feel that Dillinger’s “10 chant” could be the “next big thing.” But it was unclear which brand he would be assigned to, but some rumors suggested the SmackDown brand.
A quick rundown on other WWE news and rumors making the rounds.
Roman Reigns will not be in the WWE Royal Rumble match. It appears that the plan for Bayley remains that she wins her first women’s championship on the main WWE roster at WrestelMania 33 despite entering a Raw Women’s Championship feud with Charlotte Flair following Charlotte’s victory against Sasha Banks at WWE Roadblock: End of the Line.
Whether that means that Bayley would have to come up short repeatedly against Flair remains to be seen. But she could also, perhaps more conveniently, step away until she rekindles the feud ahead of Wrestlemania.
F4wonline’s Dave Meltzer tweeted that Sasha Banks, who has had three Raw Women’s Championship reigns in 2016, will have a “big match” at WrestleMania 33.
he said charlotte/bayley yesterday, unless something else today was said that i missed. AJ gets Cena or Taker imo
— i got chuck fletcher fired (@SoundFlyer14) December 21, 2016
Banks is scheduled for a big match on that show https://t.co/Jv46avPyyI
— . (@davemeltzerWON) December 21, 2016
It is also being reported that Dana Brooke will participate in the Fitness International competition at the 2017 Arnold Sports Festival.
Meanwhile, when John Cena returns to SmackDown on Tuesday, he is expected to promptly resume his feud with Styles in the build-up toward an AJ Styles vs. John Cena title match at the Royal Rumble. Ongoing speculation says that Cena could interfere or show up after the WWE Champion Styles defends against Dolph Ziggler and Baron Corbin. As the Inquisitr noted, there is also a possibility of AJ Styles vs. The Undertaker.
It is also rumored that WWE is considering a choice between John Cena and Braun Strowman to win the Royal Rumble. Braun Strowman has been on the rise since Raw took him away from his role as the enforcer for The Wyatt Family, where he did little more than glower in the background, intimidating opponents with his monstrous physical proportions.
But some are betting on Cena to win the 2017 Royal Rumble match because he seems to be the best choice for promoting WrestleMania 33 in April, where he could eventually square off with either AJ Styles or The Undertaker.
Matches already confirmed for Royal Rumble include Kevin Owens defending his WWE Universal Championship against Roman Reigns. Following news that Roman Reigns will not be in the WWE Royal Rumble match, fans are speculating that he could defeat Owens at the Royal Rumble to win the WWE Universal Championship.
Owens had retained his WWE Universal championship at WWE Roadblock: End of the Line after intervention by Chris Jericho earned Reigns a disqualification.
[Featured Image by WWE]
