10 Wrestlers Who Deserve Big Push After WWE Royal Rumble 2017
2. Braun Strowman
Nobody emerged from the 2017 Royal Rumble looking stronger than Braun Strowman.
The former Wyatt Family bruiser went through the roof during 2016’s final quarter, and the trend continued in San Antonio. Entering at number seven, Strowman’s rampage was quick, brutal, and effective. He eliminated seven men (including heavy-hitters Mark Henry and Big Show) during his run, and much like Diesel in 1994, Strowman emerged from the 2017 Rumble looking like the most dominant force in the company.
His ascension is guaranteed, and it should begin immediately. Strowman’s mid-Rumble confrontation with the Big Show suggests that there’s more to come from the titanic duo, but Braun found himself in a Universal Title match on this week’s Raw. He’s already rubbing shoulders with Raw’s main eventers, and his Rumble performance should give him the final push he needs to establish himself as a permanent fixture in that scene.
Strowman, like Baron Corbin, is one of the most improved wrestlers in the company. His selling isn’t great and there are still times when he looks sloppy, but his moveset is hard-hitting and impactful, and he brings a surprising level of athleticism to the table. Assuming he develops, Strowman could become one of the most monstrous giants in WWE history. Everybody knows that the McMahon family love a big man, and it’d be a huge surprise if Strowman wasn’t Universal Champion by the end of 2017.