Ryan Dilbert's 10-Count: WWE Must Balance Past, Present at Royal Rumble 2017
1. Legends Displayed, Legends Made
WWE Royal Rumble 2017 can either be a celebration of those already on the top tier or a means to boost new faces to that spot.
The final image of the last Raw before Sunday's pay-per-view hinted that WWE will be doing the former. Monday's show ended with Undertaker, Brock Lesnar and Goldberg all staring each other down.
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It was an electric moment brimming with tension. It was a reminder of how star-studded this year's Royal Rumble match is.
But it also shined a light on WWE's overreliance on part-timers and names from the past.
The combined age of these favorites to win the Rumble is 140. Goldberg has wrestled one match in the last 12 years. Undertaker has maybe a handful of bouts left in him.
Will Pruett of ProWrestling.net commented on when these wrestlers debuted:
WWE is smart to use Goldberg, Lesnar and Undertaker's star power, but it can't forget to make the Royal Rumble a launch pad for its current workhorses, as well. In three of the last four years, the Rumble winner had already won the bout and had already been world champ several times over.
Triple H, John Cena and Batista didn't advance their careers in a major way by becoming the last man standing on those nights.
In the 2017 Royal Rumble match, WWE must showcase the cornerstones of the New Era. Goldberg and Lesnar can provide huge moments for the match, but men like Sami Zayn, Braun Strowman and Baron Corbin should be the true stars of the contest.
Undertaker will get a high-profile match at WrestleMania regardless of the outcome of the Rumble. The same goes for Goldberg and Lesnar.
On the other hand, WWE can make an emphatic, buzz-creating statement by going with a younger, less proven star as the winner on Sunday. Add that to Zayn becoming the match's Iron Man and Strowman eliminating more foes than anyone else that night, and it would fully exploit the star-making power of the Royal Rumble.
A balancing act has to happen at the PPV, one where WWE uses nostalgia to generate interest and bold booking to create a foundation for the future.
2. Hope for The Phenomenal One
AJ Styles isn't necessarily a sitting duck against John Cena.
Although it feels inevitable that Cena will knock off Styles to claim his 16th world title on Sunday, Royal Rumble history suggests the champ will retain. WWE has not booked a title change with its top championship often at the PPV.
To this point, there have been 26 WWE title matches at the event. Eight times, a new champion emerged from those bouts, per the Internet Wrestling Database.
Since 2000, only four of the 17 title matches have resulted in new champions. That's about a 24 percent success rate.
Maybe WWE will give Styles a spot on the WrestleMania marquee after all.
3. Throwback Video of the Week: Two-Ring Battle Royal
San Antonio is set to welcome WWE's annual 30-man match on Sunday, marking the 30th Royal Rumble ever. But the history of the chaotic, crowded Battle Royal format stretches well before the Rumble's origins.
In 1979, for example, Ernie Ladd, Andre the Giant, Tony Atlas and others collided in a two-ring Battle Royal for Mid-Atlantic Wrestling. Jimmy Snuka outlasted his foes to win that night.
Today's stars would be wise to watch how these wrestlers ousted Andre. Teamwork and a tight grip of his hair did the trick. The same strategy could force the massive Braun Strowman to take an early exit at this year's Royal Rumble.
4. Missing a Predator
NXT TakeOver: San Antonio on Saturday will be without one of the developmental brand's most compelling figures.
Samoa Joe's absence from the card may be a sign that he's on the move. It is certainly fueling speculation of his impending arrival on the main roster.
Now that Joe is no longer NXT champion or a part of any ongoing storylines, he's free to make his way up to Raw or SmackDown just in time for WrestleMania season.
The Royal Rumble offers an easy way to introduce the powerhouse. Tearing through the roster upon his arrival, eliminating a horde of opponents in the 30-man match would be a tremendous way to kick off the next stage of his career.
5. Everybody's in the NWO
Aziz Ansari saluted the world of wrestling with his choice of attire when he hosted Saturday Night Live over the weekend. The comedian rocked a New World Order Wolfpac T-shirt (h/t Fightful Wrestling):
The offshoot of the popular WCW faction probably would have let him in the group. Their afterparties could have used a funnyman like Ansari.
6. On Fire Elsewhere
Consider this your latest reminder that Adam Cole is among the top wrestlers working today who hasn't signed with WWE.
The three-time Ring of Honor champion had a stellar year for both ROH and New Japan Pro Wrestling, putting on thrillers against Kyle O'Reilly, Zack Sabre Jr. and others. And his fiery promo after reclaiming his belt from O'Reilly at Wrestle Kingdom XI is proof that he can thrive with a mic in hand, as well.
Considering how often WWE has scooped up talent from across the independent circuit, it's only a matter of time before it comes to terms with Cole.
7. Ring Time on Raw
Raw's women's division has had a light in-ring workload in early 2017. After a historic year where women twice headlined the show, the red brand hasn't been flush with women's wrestling thus far.
Ring time for the females on the roster has been hard to come by.
| Date | Match | Match Time |
| Jan. 2 | Bayley vs. Nia Jax | 3:39 |
| Jan. 9 | Charlotte Flair, Nia Jax vs. Bayley and Sasha Banks | 10:00 |
| Jan. 16 | None | N/A |
| Jan. 23 | Nia Jax vs. Ray Lyn | 1:00 |
That's less than four minutes a show on average, and Raw is over three hours long. That doesn't add up.
WWE is advancing the Bayley-Charlotte Flair and Nia Jax-Sasha Banks feuds via promos and out-of-the-ring scenes, but we need to see them mix it up between the ropes, as well.
8. Unsung Rumble Hits
All eyes will be on the Royal Rumble match come Sunday, but the event often delivers outside that signature contest.
In the past, a number of non-Rumble bouts have thrilled but haven't received a ton of fanfare. The following underappreciated matches all fit that bill:
Who will deliver on the undercard this year? From Charlotte Flair vs. Bayley to another showdown between Neville and Rich Swann for the Cruiserweight Championship, there is no shortage of potential show-stealers on the docket.
9. If No Rumble, Then Maybe a Chamber Instead?
The women's division won't be getting their own Royal Rumble match, as many had hoped.
Instead, Raw added Sasha Banks vs. Nia Jax to the card, while SmackDown will pit Becky Lynch, Nikki Bella and Naomi against Alexa Bliss, Mickie James and Natalya at the PPV.
In that case, WWE should look to make history next month instead. The blue brand will host the Elimination Chamber on Feb. 12, and there are sure to be six women with ample animosity between them at that point.
Bliss defending her title against Lynch, James and the rest of the SmackDown women inside the Elimination Chamber would be mighty intriguing. In addition to the novelty factor, the bout would tap into a number of brewing feuds and allow WWE to toy with James and Bliss' alliance.
That clash inside Satan's Prison would blow a six-woman tag team match out of the water.
10. John Cena on the Women's March
After the weekend's slate of protests around the country, the face of WWE weighed in, even if it meant inviting backlash from Donald Trump supporters. Cena tweeted:
This salute to those marching for women's rights should come as no surprise. The 15-time champ has long been an outspoken and passionate type of patriot.
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