10 Big Talking Points From WWE Royal Rumble 2017
7. No (Major) Surprise Appearances
One of the biggest attractions of the Royal Rumble is the promise of guest appearances, whether that’s in the form of NXT call-ups, returning legends, or newly-signed stars making their company debuts.
In recent years, we’ve seen Hall of Fame calibre talent like Diesel and Diamond Dallas Page enter the Rumble, and just last year AJ Styles shocked the world when he emerged at number three. This year though, other than Tye Dillinger at number ten, we didn't really see much in the way of surprise entrants.
Sure, guys like James Ellsworth and Mark Henry weren’t announced for the match beforehand, but given that they’re already members of the main roster you could hardly describe them as true surprises.
Plus, there was so much potential for some major shocks at this year’s show. Many had been hoping for Finn Balor to have recovered from injury in time to make an appearance, or for Samoa Joe to make the step-up from NXT and start a WrestleMania programme. There wasn’t even room for any of the stars from the recent UK Championship Tournament or an improbable, but not necessarily impossible, outing from Kenny Omega.
Perhaps we’ve been spoiled in recent years, especially after Styles’ unveiling last year, but either way the lack of any major surprise entrants felt like something of a missed opportunity.