10 Wrestlers Who Deserve Big Push After WWE Royal Rumble 2017
4. Tye Dillinger
The 2017 Royal Rumble’s lack of big surprise was a huge disappointment. The likes of Mark Henry, Kalisto, and James Ellsworth filled the eight unannounced spots in place of Kurt Angle and Samoa Joe, but it wasn’t a complete dead loss. Tye Dillinger’s appearance at number 10 was absolutely perfect, his pop was gigantic, and if there’s any justice in the world, it’ll result in an immediate main roster call-up.
As a wrestler, Dillinger has been ready for a bigger role for years. He has drifted in and out of the WWE developmental system since 2006, but while he’s always had the skill, it’s only recently that he’s found the gimmick. Becoming The Perfect 10 has been a revelation for Dillinger, and it has transformed him from a tag team also-ran to one of NXT’s most popular stars. Barely a show passes without his “10” chant reverberating around the arena, and he’s all-set for a strong main roster run.
SmackDown would be the perfect place for him to land at the moment. The blue brand regularly provides WWE’s best weekly television show, but the midcard scene is incredibly thin. If Tye were to join SD today, he’d be an immediate Intercontinental Title contender, and his popularity would see him slot right above the Kalisto/Apollo Crews tier. His Royal Rumble pop proves that he’ll have no trouble getting over, either, and while it’s hard to see him as a future main eventer, there’s no reason why Tye Dillinger can’t become one of WWE’s most reliable midcarders in 2017.