7 Surprise WWE Royal Rumble Entrants To Wish For
Is it time to Delete the Royal Rumble?
While all the promotion will bill it as 'the road to WrestleMania', the grandest stage of them all, there's a strong case to say that in fact, it's the Royal Rumble, not WrestleMania, that is the most enjoyable pay per view of the year.
Pat Patterson's milestone of being the first Intercontinental Champion pales in insignificance compared with the absolute genius of creating the 30 man over-the-top extravaganza. It's a pay per view that pretty much relies on the power of its main event (assuming they don't move a title match to the top of the bill like they have some years!) But unlike any other PPV in the year, it always feels like the most unpredictable WWE occasion.
Who's going to win? What number has your favourite wrestler 'drawn' out of the lot? What feuds are going to ignite? There's also the most fun question of them all: who's going to be the surprise entrant that we don't know about?
Last year, most will agree that AJ Styles drew the biggest 'out of nowhere' pop. So who might garner it this year? In no particular order, here are seven candidates who could make an impact...
7. CM Punk
I know I know. The 'pipe bomb' maestro returning in this year's Royal Rumble is nothing short of a pipe dream. Legal proceedings and bad blood drips all over the possibility of the man who is now 0-1 in the UFC coming back into the squared circle.
But imagine, just imagine. The pop from the crowd would be extraordinary. Especially if it was kept in the hush.
As Vince McMahon always used to say from the announcer table in the New Generation Era, "anything is possible in the World Wrestling Federation." Maybe the mixed martial arts mauling has given Punk food for thought? The phrase 'best for business' always comes first for the company, and there have been many repaired bridges that were formerly burned to a crisp. After all, who would have foreseen Bret Hart coming back?
With the Network these days, and WWE having CM Punk's library to use at will, there is always the consideration that keeping good terms with Titan Towers is sometimes crucial to securing a legacy in the decades to come. This entry is the biggest long shot, but it doesn't mean we can't wish for it.