WWE Royal Rumble 2015: Superstars Most Likely to Enter Rumble First and Last
The Royal Rumble match is one of the most anticipated bouts on the WWE calendar each and every year.
Much of that has to do with the mystery surrounding the spots at which the top stars in the industry will enter. No two spots garner more attention than No. 1 and No. 30, and rightfully so. They bookend the match and, in some instances, determine the overall quality of the contest.
Historically speaking, the No. 1 entrant is a talented worker, the type of wrestler who can last long periods of time without boring the audience. CM Punk and Bret Hart filled that role twice each, while Dolph Ziggler, Triple H, Shawn Michaels and Rey Mysterio have entered at the supposedly unlucky spot.
The No. 30 spot, on the other hand, is filled by either a dynamic and explosive Superstar or a dominant monster. Goldberg, The Undertaker and The Big Show are just a few to have scored the most coveted number in the contest.
Surprise entrants are no stranger to either spot as well, kicking off and concluding the bout on high notes that get the audience buzzing about the night's festivities.
With January 25 rapidly approaching, and WWE preparing to present what is one of the most important stops on the road to WrestleMania, expect continued attention to be paid to the two most important spots in the Rumble bout.
Who should enter the contest first? Which Superstar should join the fray 29 spots later?
Let's take a look.
First: Dean Ambrose
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The No. 1 position in the Royal Rumble is typically one that WWE likes to fill with a workhorse, someone who can carry the action early and go the distance if necessary.
While there is no CM Punk or Dolph Ziggler (at least as of yet) to rely on to fill that spot, there is Dean Ambrose, who is a talented worker and can keep the audience hot early in the match.
He can be relied upon to be the backbone of the match until the favorites, such as Roman Reigns and Daniel Bryan, enter the bout.
An early-match showdown with Bray Wyatt, revisiting their recent rivalry, could be fun. If the company chooses not to go in that direction, interactions with the aforementioned Reigns or even a brawl with The Authority's Kane could help provide the early portion of the contest with a hot story.
With few other options available to them, at least under the current restraints in which Ziggler, Ryback and Erick Rowan are fired, Ambrose would be the most logical and effective choice to enter the bout first.
Last: Rusev
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The current United States champion is a monstrous competitor who has dismantled and demolished any, and all, competition put before him. He has yet to be pinned or made to submit.
More importantly, he appears to be one of the top choices to battle John Cena at this year's WrestleMania.
Entering at No. 30 and going on a tear, eliminating a number of Superstars and reminding fans of why he is the most dominant star on the roster would be the perfect way to utilize a character and persona the likes of Rusev.
Dumping six or seven guys before being eliminated himself, preferably in a fluke manner, would allow the character to retain an air of invincibility heading into what should be a monumental WrestleMania for the Bulgarian Brute.
That's true regardless of whom he competes against at the Showcase of the Immortals.
First: Luke Harper
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Anyone who has watched a single episode of Raw or SmackDown over the last year recognizes the tremendous ability of former Wyatt Family member Luke Harper.
A nearly seven-foot-tall competitor, with speed and agility unlike any other performer of his size, Harper is one of the most underrated workers in the industry.
In 2001, Kane entered the Royal Rumble match at No. 6 and lasted an unexpected hour. Fans had never seen a big man show that type of endurance before. The 320-pound Superstar was the final competitor eliminated and earned a brand-new respect from the audience.
The same sort of respect could await Harper should he enter the Rumble early, No. 1 even, and last late into the closing moments of the contest.
Does he have to be the final Superstar eliminated, as Kane was? No. But a lengthy run could easily help him regain some of the momentum he has lost since the stellar Intercontinental Championship match against Dolph Ziggler at TLC.
Last: Roman Reigns
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In 2014, Roman Reigns broke Kane's 13-year record for most eliminations in a single Royal Rumble match. To do so, he had to hang around the match long enough to dump 12 Superstars to the arena floor.
Having shattered that record, there is no pressure on WWE Creative to book him any more dominantly this year. In fact, with fans in Philadelphia likely to turn on him as he prepares for a huge main event push, the company would be best served to limit his exposure, thus not allowing him to face the prolonged backlash of the fans the way that Batista did a year ago.
Entering at No. 30 would limit the time Reigns would be involved in the match and, at the same time, allow him to do what he does best: use his explosive offense to dispose of the competition in bursts.
Whether he wins or not, or even should, is a whole other question for another time.
First: Randy Orton
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One must look no further than the 2013 Royal Rumble to see just what an effect a surprise entrant early in the contest can have on the overall bout. That year, Chris Jericho made an unexpected appearance in the contest, and as a result, the contest had a certain immeasurable energy and excitement about it from the very get-go.
What better way to replicate that energy than by booking the returning Randy Orton to be the very first man to step through the curtain for the night's top-billed match?
Orton could mix it up with Kane early, avenging the assault he suffered at the hands of The Authority months earlier and injecting the Rumble match with added meaning instantly.
Longtime fans who witnessed The Viper's series of matches with John Cena in 2009 know he can go for long periods of time, so having him last from the first entry all the way to the end of the contest is no stretch.
While the company is likely to utilize him later in the match, especially considering any ring rust that may exist, bringing him back right out of the gate would establish that anything can happen early on.
Last: Daniel Bryan
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In years past, Daniel Bryan would be the first Superstar to enter the Rumble. As arguably the best worker in the industry, Bryan could carry the action all the way from bell to bell.
On the heels of a neck injury that threatened his career, however, it is in the best interest of all involved not to give Bryan too much to do if the company wants him to make it to WrestleMania relatively healthy.
Thus, why not do exactly what fans had hoped would happen in 2014 by having Bryan enter the match at No. 30?
This scenario would allow Bryan to stick around until the closing moments of the bout while not putting him in a position where he had to do too much, where he did not have to strain and potentially put his health at risk.
Of course, just stepping foot back inside the squared circle puts Bryan at risk, but why exacerbate the situation by forcing him to work longer?
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