WWE Royal Rumble 2017: Most Shocking Moments from Memorable Night

Every year at Royal Rumble, WWE has surprises in store for the fans. From returning and debuting stars to memorable results that will change the perspective of the Road to WrestleMania that year, few events are more known for shocking moments than Royal Rumble.

This year was no different. From multiple title changes to a Rumble match loaded with stories that could not be predicted, this show opened the door for WrestleMania, leaving many questions that no one expected to be asking the night afterward.

We were witness to John Cena winning his 16th world title. Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson, as well as Neville, captured the first gold of their careers in the company. Meanwhile, the Rumble match saw a surprise winner, multiple unannounced entrants, including one popular NXT star, and moments that will define the biggest feuds of the year, with Brock Lesnar, Goldberg and Undertaker hitting their own roadblocks.

The following are the most shocking moments of the 2017 Royal Rumble event based on how unpredictable the moments were, as well as how much they will be talked about going forward.

Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson Finally Capture Tag Team Gold

On the pre-show, Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson vs. Sheamus and Cesaro was given a decent spotlight, but it seemed as though the contest was filler. However, it would end up being the night when Gallows and Anderson finally captured the titles they had seemed destined for since their debuts, with Anderson stealing a win with a roll-up and a handful of tights.

One week after WrestleMania 32, Gallows returned to WWE alongside newcomer Anderson, a duo that had dominated Japan since 2013. They immediately staked their claim among the elite tag teams by assaulting The Usos. Since then, they have battled for the Raw Tag Team Championships multiple times, but they had never won the titles until Royal Rumble.

After the controversial finish on last Monday's Raw, where Gallows and Anderson seemed to win the championships but instead won by disqualification, it was unlikely the heavyweight duo would ever be allowed to capture the gold. Only a week later, they have now won the championships many expected them to capture months ago.

This was an important moment for a duo that had been on the edge of relevancy. If Gallows and Anderson had lost again, it may have led to them seeing little television time. It is a shame that a duo this talented had to finally get its break in a short pre-show match, but at least it won't be a punching bag to other tag teams anymore.

Braun Strowman Gets His Revenge on Roman Reigns

Credit: WWE.com

When it was announced that Chris Jericho would be trapped in a shark cage to prevent him from interfering in the Universal Championship match between Roman Reigns and Kevin Owens, it was hard to imagine how Owens would be able to retain against Reigns, given how often KO had needed Jericho to save him versus Reigns in the past.

In the match itself, Owens put up a strong fight but was outmatched. But thanks to a sudden appearance by Braun Strowman, KO retained. Strowman attacked and destroyed Reigns, handing Owens the victory despite being set to make a major impact in the Rumble match later.

Strowman did not directly explain his actions, but the commentary team insinuated that Strowman assaulted Reigns due to the history the two men already had with one another. Reigns had recently attacked Strowman multiple times, including hitting the monster with a spear alongside Goldberg.

By having Strowman suddenly interfere, KO was saved as champion, and WWE set up a future clash between Reigns and Strowman. We could see this clash as early as Fastlane in just under five weeks, or this might be setting up a major match for WrestleMania.

Tye Dillinger Is No. 10

Surprisingly, despite a wealth of performers WWE could have brought in for this match, it stuck mostly to its guns with a deep roster of talent. The one exception to that was the appearance of NXT star Tye Dillinger, whose Perfect 10 gimmick has gotten him over with so many crowds that he often eclipses every referee 10-count.

While many hoped that Dillinger would poetically enter at No. 10 in the Rumble match, it was harder to expect it would happen. Dillinger was not even the most likely NXT superstar to appear at the show, with most predicting Samoa Joe would appear and perhaps even be an underdog to emerge victorious at the event.

When Dillinger did appear, it was a special moment that the crowd was fully ready for. While Dillinger has not had great success in NXT, his popularity is hard to ignore, which likely was the reason he was allowed to have a solid outing in the Rumble. He teamed up with Sami Zayn and almost helped to eliminate the monstrous Braun Strowman.

Hopefully this big debut will lead to Dillinger making a bigger impact on the main roster than he did on the developmental brand. He would make for a great foil to heels on either brand right now, perhaps even current United States champion Chris Jericho.

Goldberg Does It Again Against Brock Lesnar

Credit: WWE.com

When WWE promised that Goldberg would step into the Royal Rumble match, with Brock Lesnar following suit to gain retribution for his loss to the former WCW champion at Survivor Series 2016, a clash of titans was expected—much like what most thought they would see at Survivor Series. Instead, it was deja vu, as Goldberg speared and eliminated Lesnar without breaking a sweat.

Mirroring the destructive beatdown of Survivor Series made sense, but it also again ruined the hype surrounding the duo clashing. Once more, an exciting monstrous encounter was undercut by a shocking turn. Now, it has been made clear that Goldberg is Lesnar's kryptonite—the one opponent who just has his number like no other.

This made for a memorable image in the Rumble match, further solidifying how imposing Goldberg is, though it may hurt the impact of the feud going forward. With Goldberg dominating Lesnar at every turn, it will be hard to sell fans on the duo clashing again. What does Lesnar even gain if he ends up defeating Goldberg?

It is clear that WWE has a vision for Goldberg and his feud with Lesnar, and it has made sure to build toward each moment. How WWE will manage to continue the legends' indomitable momentum will make for one of the more compelling stories in the company.

Randy Orton Wins His 2nd Royal Rumble

For the first time in years, the winner of the Royal Rumble match was difficult to predict. Many Superstars had momentum heading into the show, meaning anyone could have emerged victorious. Thus, it was a shock when Randy Orton, who had been embroiled in a midcard story with Bray Wyatt over the past several months, won the Rumble match for the second time.

There were signs that Orton would win, though not on WWE programming. Rumors of WWE planning an Orton-Wyatt WrestleMania match for the WWE Championship had been whispered about for over a week, leading to Orton becoming a surprise betting favorite on OddsShark just hours before the event.

Even so, the result was unclear, and WWE never tipped its hand on live television. As the match wore down, the potential for victories by The Undertaker, Chris Jericho, Wyatt and Roman Reigns all rose to the point that Orton winning was only clear when Wyatt sailed over the top rope.

Now, we are set for Orton to return to the main event scene, but a clash with Wyatt for the WWE Championship still feels off. It will take more work from WWE to sell this as a true feud worthy of its spot alongside expected clashes of Goldberg vs. Brock Lesnar and Seth Rollins vs. Triple H. Who knows if WWE will instead go with Orton vs. John Cena once more or Orton vs. AJ Styles for the first time?