10 Wrestlers Who Won't Be In WWE Royal Rumble 2017 Match
2. Kurt Angle
Last Monday, WWE shocked the world by revealing that Kurt Angle would be the headliner for the 2017 WWE Hall of Fame class. This marks the first time that Angle - who was released from the company in 2006 amidst issues with addiction - has worked with WWE in over ten years.
Angle's always been a wrestling machine, pushing his body beyond what seem to be iron-clad limitations - heck, you pretty much have to do that to become an Olympic Gold Medalist. That means that even though the star is in his late 40s and has suffered myriad injuries (both to his neck and elsewhere), he's still capable of performing at a very high level.
Angle's return to the fold has led many to speculate that he could be a surprise entrant in the Royal Rumble, but that seems incredibly unlikely. First of all, Angle would have to pass a WWE physical just to participate in any action, and the jury is out in regards to whether he can do that. Secondly, if Angle does compete for WWE again, it'll likely just be for one or two major matches. No championships need to be involved, and as such, an unadvertised return in the Royal Rumble is a pipe dream.