10 Shocks WWE Could Pull At The Greatest Royal Rumble
5. Overdeveloped
..and if not Johnny Gargano and/or Tomasso Ciampa, could another NXT standout win the whole thing?
In 1996, Ahmed Johnson filled some time between slamming Yokozuna and defeating Goldust for the Intercontinental Title by winning the long-forgotten Kuwait Cup. Installed to add stakes to a paid house show in the Middle East, the trophy was tin-pot in both design and stature. WWE threw little away at the time though, and at least utilised the low-rent footage and low-cost show to try and expedite 'The Pearl River Powerhouse's ascent before his injury bug eventually bit.
1997's second and last winner Tiger Ali Singh did even less with the result than the crocked Johnson, but it was a glimpse nonetheless at how the company viewed their potential breakout stars of the time. Against the odds considering the size and scale of the 50-man Battle Royal, the company could do the same again with any number of NXT standouts.
Adam Cole shone in his Royal Rumble 2018 cameo, Lars Sullivan is a believable sh*t-kicker, and Roderick Strong hasn't looked better since donning Undisputed Era yellow-and-black in place of babyface jobber beige. More than just a (really, really big) match, could the 'Greatest Royal Rumble' also serve as an unexpected launching pad?