10 Shocks WWE Could Pull At Royal Rumble 2018

Whilst WrestleMania is undeniably the biggest occasion in the WWE calendar, the most fun and unpredictable night arguably comes two months earlier at the Royal Rumble.

For all but one or two Rumbles in history, there have been at least a handful of candidates who stood a realistic chance of winning the big one, making it impossible to tell going into the event who would emerge as the new number one contender.

This year, the announcement of the first-ever all-female Rumble means all of that excitement can be multiplied by two. We can make an educated guess as to who will win each of the main events, but nothing is yet set in stone as we head into WrestleMania season.

Which is more, both of these matches are apt to leave a select few slots open going into January 28, keeping us all guessing as to which WWE legends and currently inactive stars could pop up with special cameo appearances on the night.

One thing's for sure: as ever, Big Show is the odds-on favourite - how are they going to throw a man of his size over the top rope?

Is it possible that the stories we've been reading in recent weeks claiming that Neville's talks with WWE officials were unsuccessful have, in fact, been deliberately leaked by the company, in order to really shock fans with a surprise return?

The short answer to that is yes - it's possible. We know that Neville is still, officially, on the WWE payroll, and that the company has been unwilling to grant him the release that he purportedly requested after growing frustrated with his role in the cruiserweight division.

If Vince McMahon and co are serious about turning him into a star (which they really ought to be, considering how much they are dragging their heels over his contract) then a big time return at the Rumble could be exactly what's needed to reboot his career.

This is not to imply that he'll win it, of course. There are at least a dozen wrestlers currently better placed to headline WrestleMania than the Man That Gravity Forgot - but a strong showing would stand him in good stead for his new role in the upper mid-card.