Royal Rumble 2015: Overlooked Stars Who Will Make Big Impact at PPV

While most of the attention will be placed on main event stars such as John Cena and Brock Lesnar at the Royal Rumble pay-per-view later this month, wrestling fans should also keep an eye on some of the more overlooked stars on the roster.

That’s one of the great things about the 30-man bout—it usually gives every wrestler a chance to shine.

Kofi Kingston

Credit: WWE.com

Kofi Kingston has made a habit out of avoiding eliminations in the most jaw-dropping manner possible over the last few years. Whether it’s performing a handstand, using a ringside swivel chair or jumping on the barricade, this guy will do absolutely anything to make sure his feet don’t touch the ground. And every year his method of avoiding removal from the bout gets crazier. It’s genuinely astonishing.

No doubt the athletic 33-year-old has some big stunt up his sleeve for this year’s event, too. Watch out for him.  

Tyson Kidd

Tyson Kidd has been on a roll lately as a slimy, sneaky heel who constantly undermines his poor, long-suffering wife, Natalya, in a bid to improve his career prospects. This story has helped bring him to prominence for the first time in his WWE run. Credit to Kidd, he’s showing hitherto unseen personality and charisma in his current “wayward husband” role.

Credit: WWE.com

With this in mind, expect WWE to reward his good work lately by giving him a decent showing at the Royal Rumble match. He won’t win, of course, but he should get the chance to do something of note. This is more than he’s done in previous years.

Wade Barrett

Following surgery for a badly separated shoulder, Wade Barrett returned to television on last week’s edition of Raw. The star defeated Cesaro in a short but fun match. More impressively, he then won the Intercontinental Championship on this Monday’s show by defeating Dolph Ziggler; however, he did get a tremendous amount of help from Kane and The Authority in doing so.

Expect Barrett to continue to perform well at the Royal Rumble, too, whether he’s defending his belt or participating in the Battle Royal. Provided he can steer clear of injuries, there’s no reason the wrestler cannot fulfill his potential this time around.    

Luke Harper

Credit: WWE.com

Luke Harper’s thrilling feud with Ziggler over the Intercontinental Championship really put him on the map in WWE, helping him to carve out a nice role for himself on the roster post-Wyatt Family and establishing him as one of the company’s very best midcard workers. He should deliver a good showing in the Battle Royal—and maybe even get into a confrontation with his old boss, Bray Wyatt.