2016 WWE Royal Rumble Offers Opportunity to Introduce New Talent

WWE's roster is hurting. Even with a few injuries of its own, many of which I discussed on PodNasty, NXT's roster is humming. There are several talents in NXT who have proved to be more than capable of succeeding on the main roster if given the proper support from the powers that be.

Unfortunately, NXT talents coming to the main roster have been hit-or-miss. Prospects like Kevin Owens and The Shield have thrived under the bright lights of the WWE, while the list is far longer for those who quickly fizzled out.

The difference lies in the booking. As long as WWE presents new stars as viable world title contenders, they will make meaningful contributions to the Royal Rumble match. 

Owens and The Shield were immediately presented as main eventers and were protected with early victories over top stars. Talents like Adam Rose, Tyler Breeze, Emma and the Divas Revolution simply appeared in the midcard and were indistinguishable from their peers.

Fortunately for NXT prospects, the Royal Rumble is the main event. In fact, the 2016 edition will be more of a main event than ever, as the WWE World Heavyweight Championship is on the line. Appearing in the match and scoring a few high-profile eliminations will establish possible NXT surprise entrants as major players.

Injuries to would-be entrants like John Cena, Seth Rollins, Randy Orton and Cesaro create openings that can be filled with intriguing debuts designed to showcase fresh talent.

WWE's reported signings of Shinsuke Nakamura and The Bullet Club, per the Wrestling Observer Newsletter (h/t WrestlingInc.com), aren't a good example of fresh talent. No message board has the gall to say this, but the average age of that grizzled group is 35. Still, a debut by one of these individuals will make for a memorable moment among hardcore fans, who tend to make up a good portion of Royal Rumble live crowds.

It's possible that WWE fills up the Royal Rumble pool with lower-midcard main roster talent that otherwise has no business competing for a championship. Not only would this be a mistake, but it would also hinder what it means to compete for a championship match.

As amusing as The Social Outcasts are, does anybody think they are deserving of an elusive opportunity to compete for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship?

A similar argument could be made about NXT talents, but Owens beat Cena in his first match, and The Shield defeated two future WWE Hall of Famers and a red-hot Ryback—who was the No. 1 Contender for the WWE Championship at the time—in their debut. History dictates it's not crazy to think that an NXT Superstar or Diva can have a breakthrough win in his or her debut. 

Remember Paige's debut?

Baron Corbin, Samoa Joe or even a main roster preview from NXT champion Finn Balor would make for entertaining Royal Rumble moments that add value to the match. WWE's mounting injuries give it the chance to get creative and take chances.

2016 will be a pivotal year for a transitional roster, and infusing more new talent will only help the cause.

Alfred Konuwa is a featured columnist and an on-air host for Bleacher Report. Like him on Facebook, and listen to his pro wrestling podcast, PodNasty.

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