WWE Royal Rumble 2015: Stars Who Will Break out at PPV Event

As we step into the new year, it's not difficult to start getting excited about the Royal Rumble. For many, the pay-per-view is an early highlight of the wrestling year, setting us on the Road to WrestleMania.

As 30 men step into the ring to fight for their right to the main event of WrestleMania 31, we're sure to see a preview of which stars will be on the rise in 2015. Only one man can be the winner, but expect to see several superstars break out before all is said and done on January 25.

Damien Mizdow

Credit: WWE.com

Having lost the tag team titles last week on Raw, you might think that the spotlight is pulling away from Damien Mizdow and his sidekick, The Miz. However, it's perhaps likelier that the pieces are falling into place for the Stunt Double to become a leading man.

Once the gold is gone, it's typical to see cracks begin to form in a tag team—but the fact that it's happened so close to the Rumble is particularly ominous.

It's often said that there are no friendships in a Battle Royal, and that may well be the case if Miz and Mizdow are entered into the match.

A Rumble encounter could be just what the pair needs to kick-start a feud that would likely run until WrestleMania. Whatever surprise appearances and much-anticipated returns we see, Mizdow eliminating The Miz would likely garner as big a response as anything else on the show.

In fact, Miz eliminating Mizdow would also draw a reaction—fans would only be more desperate to see Miz get his comeuppance at the hands of the man formerly known as The Saviour of the Masses.

A match between the two would be a great addition to the WrestleMania undercard.

It's difficult to see where Mizdow is headed once he and The Miz are through, but seeing them finally split will certainly be a moment to remember. Their partnership has gone beyond all expectations, and hopefully its ending will too.

Roman Reigns

Credit: WWE.com

While his status as the Rumble winner has never been less solid than this past week, it's still likely that we'll see Roman Reigns have an excellent showing at the Royal Rumble.

In 2014, he broke the record for the most Rumble eliminations in a single match, and he'll be looking to break it once again as 2015 begins.

However, from everything we've seen since his return, he's perhaps not ready to be the last man standing and go on to face Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania. Reigns hasn't yet demonstrated that he has what it takes to wrestle in a main event singles match.

He hasn't shown any sign of being able to go toe-to-toe with Lesnar's handler, Paul Heyman, on the microphone. There's a correct way to inject someone into the world title picture, and this is not it—but he's still likely to have a breakout performance at the Royal Rumble.

Expect to see the Powerhouse take some major scalps during the Rumble match—United States champion Rusev might just be a prime candidate.

It'll take something special to snatch the title away from the Bulgarian Brute, and Reigns might just have that.

If Reigns is to challenge for a title at WrestleMania, Rusev's strap would be a far better option than Lesnar's. Rusev vs. Reigns is a far more intriguing undercard match than Lesnar vs. Reigns is a worthy main event. Reigns will have his time, but there's no sense in rushing things.

Dolph Ziggler

Credit: WWE.com

Could 2015 be the year when Dolph Ziggler finally gets his due? His fans have been on a roller-coaster ride for years now, but it seems like The Showoff might be on his way to the top if he can maintain the momentum he has at the moment.

A Royal Rumble win could transform Ziggler from an upstart nipping at the heels of the world title picture to a bona fide main eventer.

Many would argue that it's no less than he deserves—and few could dispute that his ring work is reason enough for him to rise up the card.

With that said, is he a realistic choice to outlast 29 others in the Rumble match? He's a dark horse, perhaps, but there's no reason that he shouldn't be in the running. He's done wonders for the Intercontinental Championship in recent months, and putting his belt up against the world title would be rather fitting.

While Ziggler has had a strong fanbase for years, it was only really in 2014 that the mainstream audience got behind him as a fan favourite. His character work has improved by leaps and bounds in the process, and he looks like the total package heading into 2015.

Now it's time to see what Ziggler can do off the back of years of hard work. Expect to see The Showoff as part of the final four in the Rumble match—and perhaps even the lone survivor on his way to the main event of WrestleMania 31.

A Member of the NXT Roster

Credit: WWE.com

In 2013, Bo Dallas spent more than 20 minutes in the Royal Rumble match after winning an eight-man NXT tournament to gain entry. Last year, Rusev made his main roster debut in the Rumble, and it took the combined efforts of four men to eliminate him from the bout.

Given that NXT is more popular then ever after a stellar 2014, it seems likely that we'll once again see a member of the developmental roster join the fray at this year's Royal Rumble.

However, the question remains, who will it be?

Sami Zayn and Adrian Neville would certainly seem like two top choices, given that they're among NXT's best and brightest and have main-roster experience. Both certainly have all the tools available to be able to wow crowds and break out even given a short spell in the match.

However, there's plenty of talent in NXT who could make a similar impact. For instance, imagine if the WWE Universe's first exposure to Finn Balor was a surprise Rumble appearance, complete with body paint and theatrics? That'd be a moment to remember.

There's a fairly good chance that we'll see someone from NXT make an appearance in the Rumble.

Given the talent that's on offer down in developmental, it's almost certain that whoever gets that opportunity will use it to break out.

Who do you think looks set for a breakout performance at the Royal Rumble? Do you think we'll see NXT represented in the Rumble match? Let me know in the comments section below.