10 Big Questions Ahead Of WWE Royal Rumble 2017

6. Will The Shark Cage Make A Difference?

Chris Jericho shark cage
WWE.com

Kevin Owens’ reign as Universal Champion has been characterised by constant interference from his best friend, Chris Jericho. Jeri-KO have had their differences, but they’ve been inseparable at times, and have conspired to ensure countless successful defences against Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins.

Even Hell In A Cell couldn’t prevent Jericho from screwing with the match result, but Mick Foley has a solution. At the 2017 Royal Rumble, Jericho will be suspended from a shark cage as Reigns once again challenges for the Universal Title, theoretically preventing him from getting involved.

Things rarely go as planned in Raw’s main event scene, however, and the shark cage might not be as foolproof as Foley thinks. Sure, it’ll keep Jericho contained, but Paul Ellering proved that the cage is far from infallible at TakeOver: Toronto. As The Authors of Pain fought TM-61, Ellering slid a steel chain down to his young tag team, who used the foreign object to claim victory in the Dusty Classic tournament finals.

Could a similar move be on the cards at the Royal Rumble? It’s highly likely that the cunning Jericho will have something up his sleeve, and that Foley’s plan will flop. Raw’s General Manager can’t seem to keep Jericho and Owens under wraps, and he’ll surely find himself in hot water with Stephanie McMahon should his latest idea fail.

Channel Manager
Channel Manager

Andy has been with WhatCulture for eight years and is currently WhatCulture's Wrestling Channel Manager. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.