WWE Royal Rumble 2017: 7 Most Likely Surprise Entries for Battle Royal Match
Since its inception in 1988, WWE's Royal Rumble match has been known for its exciting surprises. From unannounced entrants to unexpected winners, anything can happen in the annual Battle Royal, making it the most anticipated bout of year.
In regard to the upcoming installment, predicting a victor is close to impossible. For the first time in years, there isn't one clear-cut Rumble winner, so the odds of the matchup ending in lackluster fashion, as it has in recent history, are seemingly slim to none.
There are several strong candidates who have shots of coming out on top and punching their tickets to the main event of WrestleMania 33. The Undertaker, Brock Lesnar and Goldberg are among those already confirmed to compete in the bout, but there are many more Superstars who could also reign supreme.
As is always the case, fans have spent weeks speculating about which familiar faces we could see surface in the Rumble on Jan. 29. Everyone is eligible to take part, including injured wrestlers, former stars and even members of the NXT roster.
Thus, there are countless combatants fans would love nothing more than to see show up, but let's narrow it down to the seven Superstars who are most likely to serve as surprise entrants in the 2017 Royal Rumble match.
Finn Balor
1 of 7
As soon as Raw selected him third overall in the 2016 WWE draft, Finn Balor was bound for big things. Within a month, he'd become the inaugural WWE universal champion at SummerSlam and relinquished the strap the next night after suffering an injury.
Once Balor announced he would be sitting on the sidelines for the remainder of 2016, fans started to talk about a potential Royal Rumble return. After all, it wouldn't be the first time a Superstar has resurfaced in the Rumble and gone on to win it, with John Cena and Edge accomplishing the feat in 2008 and 2010, respectively.
Although a timetable for Balor's in-ring return remains unknown, it is safe to assume he could be back at any time between now and WrestleMania 33. He has to be considered a dark horse to win the Rumble, given that it makes perfect sense from a storyline standpoint.
Remember that Balor was never beaten for the belt, and the man who captured the title the week after he gave it up is still champion: Kevin Owens. Granted, there is a decent chance Owens could lose the strap to Roman Reigns at the Rumble, but The Big Dog has history with Balor from last July.
Regardless of which Superstar is holding the gold coming out of the pay-per-view, he'd better be on the lookout for The Demon. Balor's journey to the top of WWE is imminent, and it could start as soon as Jan. 29.
Shelton Benjamin
2 of 7
Fans were shocked—and elated—to hear of Shelton Benjamin's impending return to WWE last summer, as it was announced on the premiere edition of SmackDown Live following the 2016 draft that he was heading back to the blue brand.
Unfortunately, that one vignette hyping him up as the newest member of the SmackDown roster was all we saw of him on Tuesday nights before Benjamin later broke the unfortunate news that his return would be delayed because of shoulder surgery.
That seemingly closed the door on a return until he was healthy, and he is expected to be back once he is cleared to compete, per Corey Jacobs of Wrestling News. And what better place to resurface than the Royal Rumble match?
Fans shouldn't get their hopes up with this particular pick after the former intercontinental champion recently revealed that he was months away from being 100 percent. Then again, it isn't uncommon for wrestlers to throw fans for a loop with comments such as that and pop up anyway.
It's hard to know what to believe when it comes to Benjamin, but what is for sure is that, if he were to return at the Rumble, there will indeed be no stopping him.
Triple H
3 of 7
Oddly enough, Triple H is WWE's only part-timer to not have declared himself as an entrant in the 2017 Royal Rumble match. The Undertaker, Brock Lesnar and Goldberg have already entered the fray, and if WWE intends to make this the most star-studded Rumble ever, Triple H has to be involved.
The Game has been absent for the past five months, aiding Kevin Owens in his pursuit of the WWE Universal Championship and then disappearing from WWE programming. In his absence, Seth Rollins, the man he double-crossed, has been calling out his former mentor but has yet to lure him back to Raw.
Needless to say, it is virtually guaranteed that the two will do battle at WrestleMania 33. It is merely a matter of when and not if Triple H will resurface. That said, he and Rollins will presumably be kicking off the build to their bout at The Show of Shows soon, so a Triple H return in the Rumble is probable.
Lest we forget it was one year ago that Triple H was sitting on the sidelines with various "injuries" he suffered at the hands of Roman Reigns at TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs. In the Rumble match, he returned as the No. 30 entrant and subsequently won his second Rumble to become the new WWE world champion.
Rollins and The Game are already on a collision course for WrestleMania, so having them come into contact in the Rumble match for the first time since August would be explosive.
Tye Dillinger
4 of 7
If another WWE draft was held tomorrow, Tye Dillinger would be far from the first pick from NXT by either Raw or SmackDown Live. Truth be told, he likely wouldn't be selected at all, given that there are stars higher up the pecking order than him down in the developmental system.
Not only is Dillinger deserving of a call-up to the main roster, but he has also earned one. He quickly became a cult favorite among fans at Full Sail University, thanks to his infectious Perfect 10 gimmick and excellent in-ring ability.
The only thing keeping Dillinger from either Raw or SmackDown is an opportunity, which is why a debut in the Royal Rumble match is all the more fitting for him. He wouldn't necessarily need to become a full-fledged member of the main roster after appearing in the Rumble, but it would be the best thing for him.
Dillinger will be in action against Eric Young at TakeOver: San Antonio, so him showing up the next night in the Rumble is a possibility. He would be a welcome addition to the midcard scene on Monday or Tuesday nights, and a strong showing in the annual Battle Royal could bode well for his immediate future in WWE.
Not to mention that the crowd's reaction to Dillinger coming out as the No. 10 entrant alone would be worth it.
Kurt Angle
5 of 7
The wrestling world was shaken to its core on Monday night when WWE announced that Kurt Angle will be inducted into the Hall of Fame over WrestleMania weekend. In addition to being a deserving recipient of the honor, it means we will also be seeing Angle back on WWE TV for the first time in over a decade.
In an exclusive interview with ESPN, Angle revealed that an in-ring return for WWE was not discussed, though he hasn't ruled it out. Although nothing is for certain regarding Angle wrestling another match for the promotion, it would be beyond foolish for officials to not at least entertain the idea.
Anyone who has witnessed Angle in action over the last year knows he is still at the top of his game, so pitting him against anyone on the active roster would be nothing short of sensational. Thus, having him enter the Royal Rumble match would give the powers that be a better idea of how many more matches he has left in him.
Announcing him for the Rumble would draw fans to purchase the pay-per-view, but with so many high-profile competitors already confirmed to compete, Angle's participation should be a surprise. The chances of him winning are slim, but he wouldn't need to come out on top in order to leave his mark.
Fans are anticipating Angle's long-awaited comeback to the company at the Hall of Fame ceremony, but don't be surprised to see him show up before then, perhaps at the Royal Rumble.
Shane McMahon
6 of 7
Before Kurt Angle and Goldberg returned to WWE, there was Shane McMahon, who provided fans with one of the most electrifying moments in recent Raw history last February. He wrestled his first match in nearly seven years at WrestleMania 32, and although he was unsuccessful in his efforts to defeat The Undertaker, he stuck around as an on-air authority figure.
McMahon has settled into his role as SmackDown Live commissioner quite nicely over the past six months, but it's apparent he is itching for another run in the ring. His involvement in the huge Raw vs. SmackDown elimination tag team match at Survivor Series showed he has matches left in him, so a return in the Royal Rumble shouldn't be out of the question.
Lately, McMahon has been subjected to some criticism by the Superstars of SmackDown, including Baron Corbin, AJ Styles and The Miz, and it's only a matter of time before he gets even. His sights may not be set on headlining WrestleMania, but at least the Rumble would provide him with an excuse to step inside the squared circle one more time.
Sadly, Daniel Bryan was forced to retire from the ring in early 2016, and despite his recent rivalry with The Miz, fans shouldn't hold out hope for a match pitting the two against each other at WrestleMania. But who is to say McMahon can't act on Bryan's behalf and target The Miz in the Rumble match?
Although he didn't seem to hint at wrestling in the Rumble on the latest edition of Talking Smack, Shane-O-Mac can't be counted out as a possible surprise entrant.
Samoa Joe
7 of 7
If there is anyone ready to grace the main stage of WWE, it's Samoa Joe, who has had a near-two-year tenure in NXT. However, his extended stay down in the developmental system has allowed him to evolve into the best heel on any WWE roster today and make history by becoming the first-ever two-time NXT champion.
He isn't scheduled to compete or even appear at NXT TakeOver: San Antonio, which would be the first live special he hasn't been a part of since joining the black-and-yellow brand in May 2015. That must mean he is bound to enter the Royal Rumble match the next night instead, right?
The Wrestling Observer Newsletter (h/t Bill Pritchard of Wrestle Zone) recently reported that Joe is slated to receive a "monster push" on the main roster sooner rather than later and could be configured into WWE's WrestleMania 33 plans.
With that said, a debut in the Rumble match for Joe on Jan. 29 would be only academic, kicking off what could be a killer Road to WrestleMania for The Samoan Submission Machine. The match possibilities are limitless, and contests with John Cena, AJ Styles and Roman Reigns lead the list of potentially awesome opponents for him.
Braun Strowman, Baron Corbin, The Undertaker, Brock Lesnar and Goldberg are by far the biggest threats in the 2017 Rumble in terms of size, but each of them might meet his match in Samoa Joe. Of the seven Superstars discussed, Joe's involvement in the Rumble has to be considered the likeliest.
Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, is a Digital Journalism major at Endicott College. Visit his website, Next Era Wrestling, and "like" his official Facebook page to continue the conversation on all things wrestling.
.jpg?w=600 "WWE Raw Results & Grades 🔠")
