Now that it is a brand new year, WWE fans realize that it can only mean that the Royal Rumble is a short few weeks away and that the WWE Universe is now officially on the road to WrestleMania . This year, the Royal Rumble main event will see yet another rematch between Brock Lesnar and Goldberg, but the main attraction for this pay-per-view has always been the 30-man battle royal.
The Royal Rumble has always been one of the most entertaining match concepts that the WWE has perfected over the years. Besides the great action, fans have been conditioned to know that there will be superstars entered into the match that will come as a surprise. This year, the WWE Universe could see some big names return at the 2017 Royal Rumble .
Finn Balor
Out of all the names that will be on this list, Finn Balor is easily the most likely to be a surprise entrant into the Royal Rumble match. Balor was well on his way to having a great 2016 until he was injured in a match at SummerSlam against Seth Rollins. Balor’s injury came during a powerbomb spot which saw Finn land awkwardly on the barrier that separates the fans from the ringside area. Balor would go on to finish the match and capture the first ever WWE Universal Championship. His reign would be short lived due to his injury forcing the superstar to undergo surgery to repair his shoulder.
The amount of damage to Balor’s shoulder had forced the WWE to set a timetable for Finn’s return to be no sooner than WrestleMania in 2017. Although nothing official has been stated from Balor or WWE, Finn appears to be ahead of schedule in his recovery. A recent article on the Inquisitr reported that Balor may have dropped a huge hint that he will be competing in the Royal Rumble match.
If Finn Balor were to return at the Royal Rumble , he would arguably have to be instantly considered as the favorite to win the match and go on to WrestleMania and regain his WWE Universal Championship.
The Undertaker
The Undertaker has been wrestling on an extreme part-time schedule for quite a while. In recent history, he has only wrestled at WrestleMania, but could that all change this year? A rumor is being reported on by Cageside Seats claiming that Undertaker may be the odds-on favorite to win the Royal Rumble match and challenge for one of the world titles at WrestleMania.
It is being speculated that John Cena will beat AJ Styles at the Royal Rumble and capture SmackDown’s top prize while Roman Reigns will likely beat Kevin Owens to win Raw’s top title. The Undertaker doing battle with either John Cena or Roman Reigns at WrestleMania are both considered to be dream matches. Will we see Undertaker capture one more accolade before he retires forever from pro wrestling?
Kurt Angle
The return of Kurt Angle to the WWE is one of the most anticipated returns in recent years. Rumors of Angle returning to the company have been gathering massive amounts of momentum in the last couple of months. Wrestling Inc . is reporting that Kurt Angle has been telling promoters on the Independent circuit that he is going back to the WWE in April.
Pro wrestling is not known for being honest when it comes to wrestler return dates. The fact that Angle is saying he will not be back until April could easily be an attempt at misinformation in order to make a surprise return at the Royal Rumble be a truly magical moment.
If Kurt Angle does return at the Royal Rumble, he would very likely not become the winner. Angle would likely set up a feud with a top level star at the Royal Rumble which we would see culminate in a WrestleMania match.
Which superstars would you like to see return at the Royal Rumble ?
[Featured Image by WWE]
