Assessing Future Of 10 WWE Stars Who Didn’t Make Royal Rumble 2017 Cut
Don't WWE know that Heath Slater got kids?!
Big names like Bill Goldberg, Roman Reigns, The Undertaker, and even Roman Reigns filled out this year's Royal Rumble match, making it the most stacked Rumble in recent memory. Amidst that hype, those who missed out or were forced to sit at home and watch can't be feeling positive about their immediate futures.
If nothing else, the Royal Rumble guarantees some pay-per-view payoffs for those who aren't supershow regulars. It might just be a few minutes in the main event spotlight, but that Rumble appearance surely means a lot to mid-card talent who feed off scraps from WWE's writing team all year round.
This year, many familiar faces (often those lower down the totem pole of importance) were posted missing come the annual 30-man match.
The question must be asked: what does this mean for those men who didn't make the Rumble cut?
10. Tony Nese
Fans who tune into 205 Live will recall seeing Nese use a running knee strike in the aftermath of his loss to T.J Perkins. That move appears to be the Cruiserweight star's new finisher.
Once again, Nese used the knee successfully and pinned Ali within four minutes. At least for the next month or so, it looks likes Nese will benefit from some focus on Raw and 205 Live. Larger than many of his Cruiserweight peers, the man has clear potential, and could feasibly move up the ranks away from the high-flying division in the future.
In the immediate future, it looks like Nese is being built as a secondary heel to Neville in the Cruiserweight division. Then, once the Englishman loses the belt to a babyface, Nese will be poised to strike - and perhaps claim the title as his own.