WWE Royal Rumble 2017: Predicting 12 Wrestlers Not Yet Announced

12. Jinder Mahal

Jinder Mahal wasn't exactly the big name return fans were looking for when it was reported that WWE had reached out to several former stars to pad-out their post-draft rosters, but the former 3MB has found a role regardless. Mahal was shoehorned into the ongoing Rusev vs. Enzo Amore & Big Cass a few weeks ago, and took the decisive pinfall in their tag team loss earlier this week.

It remains to be seen whether or not Jinder and Rusev's alliance will endure, but Mahal is back in the WWE Universe's collective consciousness. There's absolutely no chance that he's going to win the Rumble, but his re-emergence makes him a strong candidate for inclusion, particularly given the current lack of lower midcard wrestlers among the current participants.

Every Royal Rumble needs a couple of geeks to bolster the other wrestlers' elimination numbers, and Jinder is likely near the top of the list for this role. Other candidates like Bo Dallas, Curt Hawkins, and Curtis Axel haven't been seen on television in months, and it's unlikely they'll show their faces on January 29th. If selected, Jinder's run will be short, forgettable, and largely inconsequential, but it'll at least allow someone to score an elimination.